Do System Requirements affact how the game will look?

[amogachi44]

Both of these games are meant for the ps4 though the PC requirments for them are radically differnt.
Watch Dogs
Recommended requirements:
Processor: Core i7 3770 @ 3.5Ghz or AMD FX-8350 @ 4.0Ghz
RAM: 8 GB
Video Card: 2048 VRAM DirectX 11 with Shader Model 5.0 or higher
Sound Card: Surround Sound 5.1 capable sound card

AC4
Recommended:

CPU: Either the Intel Core i5 2400s 2.5 GHz or the AMD Phenom II X4 940 3.0 GHz
RAM: 4GB
GPU: Either the NVidia GeForce GTX 470 or the AMD Radeon HD 5850 with at least 1GB of VRAM and Shader Model 5.0

Logically does that mean that Watch Dogs will be a graphically superior game to Ac4? Or does that mean that the Watch Dogs port to the pc is going to be lazily done? Why is there such a different in requirments if there both ps4 games?

On a side irrelevent note - anyone know the fps AC4 on the ps4 is?

 

[dwatterworth]

Sometimes the recommended requirements do translate to superior graphics. However, there are many things to take into account:

1. Some game engines are more efficient/more inefficient than others, producing effects with lower or higher hardware specifications.
2. Recommended is a very ambiguous term. What detail level and what resolution is this 'recommended' setting targetting? Is it 1080p at ultra settings or 1440 at ultra, 1080 at high etc etc. This recommended setting will obviously vary widely on hardware that is recommended. Rule of thumb seems to be recommended supports the 'high' setting in games at 1080p while maintaining ~40 fps or something around that level.

That 3770 recommended processor along with a suitably paired video card could probably run at high to ultra game settings at 1080p across pretty much any modern title.

Ports between console and computer are a tricky thing. The consoles usually support a single detail level at a set output resolution determined by the programmers so the program will run at a 'optimal' rate. Computer ports obviously need to include a huge range of texture detail levels, output resolutions and different API's (The means with which the software issues commands/interacts with the hardware)

 

[Eximo]

The new consoles are primarily targeting 720p or 1080p at 60fps. Current gen consoles usually target 720p @ 30fps.

Every game engine varies on its requirements.

With homogenous systems such as consoles the developers are free to squeeze every last bit of performance out of the system, with PCs, they have to generalize which requires more horsepower.

Games on the PC in general will look better because more options are available and/or can be enabled without affecting performance.

You shouldn't expect much in the way of porting issues between XBone and PS4 and the PC. Since they will all be x86-64 architecture it won't take much effort for them to create PC versions which will leave more time for fine-tuning.

 

[ish416]

System requirements mean nothing as to how the game will look.

Take COD:Ghosts for example:

Minimum System Requirements

OS: Windows 7 64-Bit / Windows 8 64-Bit
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 2.66 GHZ / AMD Phenom X3 8750 2.4 GHZ or better
RAM: 6 GB RAM
HDD: 40 GB HD space
Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 / ATI Radeon HD 5870 or better
Sound: DirectX Compatible Sound Card
DirectX: 11
Internet: Broadband Internet connection and Steam and Online Multiplayer


Recommended System Requirements

OS: Windows 7 64-Bit / Windows 8 64-Bit
CPU: Intel Core i5 – 680 @ 3.6GHz
RAM: 8 GB RAM
HDD : 40 GB HD space
Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 @ 4GB
Sound: DirectX compatible sound card
DirectX: DirectX 11
Internet: Broadband connection and service required for Multiplayer Connectivity. Internet connection required for activation.


And Crysis 3

Minimum System Operating Requirements for PC

• Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8
• DirectX 11 graphics card with 1Gb Video RAM
• Dual core CPU
• 2GB Memory (3GB on Vista)

Example 1 (Nvidia/Intel):
• Nvidia GTS 450
• Intel Core2 Duo 2.4 Ghz (E6600)

Example 2 (AMD):
• AMD Radeon HD5770
• AMD Athlon64 X2 2.7 Ghz (5200+)

COD:Ghosts requires a more powerful system than Crysis 3. Yet, it provides nothing close to the visuals of Crysis 3.

AC4 and Watchdogs are running on completely different engines. I would assume that Watchdogs will be the more graphically intense game requiring a beefier PC to run.


AC4 on PS4 runs at 1080P - 30fps.

 

[amogachi44]

The new consoles are primarily targeting 720p or 1080p at 60fps. Current gen consoles usually target 720p @ 30fps.

Every game engine varies on its requirements.

With homogenous systems such as consoles the developers are free to squeeze every last bit of performance out of the system, with PCs, they have to generalize which requires more horsepower.

Games on the PC in general will look better because more options are available and/or can be enabled without affecting performance.

You shouldn't expect much in the way of porting issues between XBone and PS4 and the PC. Since they will all be x86-64 architecture it won't take much effort for them to create PC versions which will leave more time for fine-tuning.

So because a Ps4/Xbone are similar to Pc that the higher requirments actually mean the game will look better? It doesn't mean that Ubisoft rushed the title and made a lazy port?

 

[ish416]

Nobody knows how it will be. The game has been in production since 2009 and was developed for the PS4/XB1/PC as lead platforms. The game was delayed until April 2014. So maybe it won't be a lazy port. Although, Ubisoft has been pretty good on not screwing up the PC ports (Deus EX:HR, Far Cry 3, AC series). I have faith that the PC release will be the best version of this game available.

Again, higher system requirements typically indicate that a game will look better. Although, that is not always the case (COD: Ghosts).