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By: Sarju Shah - Posted on Friday, May 23, 2008

A solid year's gone by since we ran our last Xbox 360 vs. PlayStation 3 graphics comparison. The differences between the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 have diminished with every passing batch of games, but some variation still exists between the two machines. Our first graphics comparison between the two consoles showed that the Xbox 360 looked better on most of the games, oftentimes drastically so. The second graphics comparison showed that the PlayStation 3 looked nearly as good as the Xbox 360 in some games, and actually looked better in a few as well. Now with both consoles well into their respective life cycles, developers have had plenty of time to figure out the nuances required to code beautiful games. With our third batch of games, the two machines seem evenly matched. The two trade blows on various games, each with its own set of advantages.

We've upgraded our capture equipment since the previous installments in the series. We captured all 720p images through an HDMI connection and then resized them for use in the article. The fullscreen shots are, of course, shrunk down to fit onto the Web page. The pixels in the zoomed-in shots are 1:1 representations of the original image captures, but cropped to fit our page width. We compressed the images slightly to make them more palatable for the Web, but they haven't suffered too much in terms of quality for it.

Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed is a great example of what a next-generation game should look like, with well-rendered environments that are nicely shadowed and filled with intricate details. The game looks beautiful on both systems, but we did notice that the Xbox 360 has sharper textures with better 3D-depth simulation readily noticeable in the flat cobblestone streets. Edges look great in both games, as do graphical effects such as shadows, smoke, and lighting. The extra time it takes to install the game on the PlayStation 3 doesn't seem to give the console any benefits over the Xbox 360 in initial or subsequent loads of the game.

Xbox 360       Playstation 3      

Xbox 360       Playstation 3      

Xbox 360       Playstation 3      

Xbox 360       Playstation 3      

Xbox 360       Playstation 3      

Xbox 360       Playstation 3      



5743 Comments

  • alfaresalasmar

    Posted Sep 5, 2008 7:24 pm PT

    I THINK THAT THE GAMESPOT FORGOT TO PUT THE RIGHT SETTING ON TH PS3 RATHER THAN PUTTING RGB FULL AND SUPER WHITE ON THEY DID THE RGB LIMITED AND THE SUPERWHITE OFF(try it urself) A PIECE OF ADVICE TO GS DONT REPEAT THE MISTAKE

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  • Skyriderlink posted Aug 31, 2008 5:29 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Skyriderlink

    Posted Aug 31, 2008 5:29 am PT (hide)

    Both consoles are great 360 is based on the pc components and many programmers are much more familiar with SDKs provided by Microsoft thats where Sony fails to accomplish.Xenos is more powerful and versatile than RSX.I think many consoles fanboys know unified shader architecture where a shader can perform both vertex and pixel operations thats where RSX fails.It can't perform full glory of DirectX 10 due to the lack of Geometry shader.RSX is based on old Geforce 7800 G70 architecture and many says it is roughly comparable to 7800GTX.So xenos is more future proof sadly 360 doesn't have a Blu-Ray drive to please its GPU.Please don't says RSX is more powerful than Xenos.Oh did I forgot to mention DRAM which take xenos to next level.The real area where PS3 shines is its Cell and Bluray drive.So both consoles has its own advantages and disadvantages.Hey stop comparing those two consoles.I have both consoles and awesomely powerful PC so I don't need to worry much.MGS4 really shows what bluray can do and Gears of War show how powerful xenos is.Bare in mind that PCs have no limit too.Elder Scrolls 4 mods show why it better to play on pc.

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  • MTMind2

    Posted Aug 27, 2008 10:30 pm PT

    @bulletwaster

    i read it, says they are about the same.

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  • bulletwaster posted Aug 26, 2008 4:05 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    bulletwaster

    Posted Aug 26, 2008 4:05 pm PT (hide)

    If you actually read the stuff at the top it says the 360's graphics are better so stop whining.

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  • Dr_Yassam posted Aug 26, 2008 6:12 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Dr_Yassam

    Posted Aug 26, 2008 6:12 am PT (hide)

    Still whistling the same old tune I see amulbocus. Interesting

    I'm not going to address the points you've made because it's been done many times already, but I am a little confused by the end of your post. Can you explain what you mean by your GOW1/3 comments? Thanks.

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  • amulbocus

    Posted Aug 26, 2008 6:01 am PT

    MiltoxBeyond - The bluray issue goes deeper than that. E.g the audio on MGS4 is PCM uncompressed audio, basically TrueDolby and is almost 5-6 GB of data, can you ever see that amount of audio on a 360 dvd game? Also you mentioned that the PS3 has limited GPU processing, the rsx has more raw horsepower than the xenos, so not really a valid argument. The theme here is 'more is better', and more games will be made that are 30-40+ GB in size, so the 360 is massively bottlenecked in this regard, so a game like MGS4 will NEVER appear on 360, there are even references in the game to this effect about bluray, and its hilarious. Bluray 100gb are due soon, so the sky is the limit for ps3, not so for 360 im afraid. In this sense not all games, expecially blockbusters, from the PS3 will ever be able to appear on the 360, although ANY 360 game can appear on the PS3 with a lot left in the tank, maybe even improved with more levels and graphics (elder Scrolls 4 oblivion anyone). GOW3 is set to appear on PS3, it will be very interesting how the versions differ (how short was GOW1, too short lol er DVD maybe the problem).

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  • PunkCJ posted Aug 24, 2008 7:58 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    PunkCJ

    Posted Aug 24, 2008 7:58 pm PT (hide)

    well... we shall see if the 360's games dont get overloaded at any moment... but people who say that PS3's MGS4 is better... in my opinion Gears of War is the counterpart in shooters for the 360... so don't make this comparison with the exclusives... i have a 360 but that doesn't make me a fan... but people have to say that in summary of this kind of comparison notes the 360 get better over PS3 in graphical... antialiasing is nothing without good textures... thats all

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  • MTMind2 posted Aug 24, 2008 9:57 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    MTMind2

    Posted Aug 24, 2008 9:57 am PT (hide)

    "Everyone knows that these are unfair comparisons..."

    But that's only ONE aspect of the graphics, it doesn't effect framerate, content, popup, texture quality etc.

    the argument that by not changing the settings the PS3 graphics are not at their best in terms of brightness and contrast is perhaps a valid one, but that doesn't make the whole comparison unfair.

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  • Mackey18

    Posted Aug 22, 2008 11:50 pm PT

    Everyone knows that these are unfair comparisons, as someone on youtube found out, (cant remeber video but have a look) the reason why the colours look drained is because companies like gamespot and gametrailers forget one little setting which puts everything how it should on the playstation. If you click on settings then display and look for rgp full they will leave it on limited they should put it to full, i tried it my self there is a huge difference. If you got a hi-def tv put it to limited play a game then put it on full and see the difference.

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  • alagonia

    Posted Aug 22, 2008 6:43 pm PT

    some games look better in 360 while some others on ps3.it's not able to compare the consoles' capabilities from 10 screenshots.also,if u've noticed, the only difference between some ss is brightness.

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  • muzza2530

    Posted Aug 22, 2008 4:10 pm PT

    i think most of this is bs. there both great consoles some have better things then others. but what im trying to get at is that these graphics comparsions just seem to point out the lighting to me. so i see this as pointless as u came just change the darkness in the game.

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  • razarocks

    Posted Aug 22, 2008 11:47 am PT

    I have an xbox 360 and in light of recieving straight a's in my 11th grade exams am thinking of buying a ps3 so as you would have probably guessed i'm no fanboy and look at both the consoles with an unbiased perspective. as far as i see it, the 360 has most of its hardware pulled straigt out of a PC which is a very familiar format for most developers. the ps3 cell processor however has been built from the ground up and is undoubtedly superior to the 360's but is as a result more difficult to make games for. the result: ps3 exclusives end up looking better than the 360's but developers dont think it worth their while to put in more undue effort for the ps3 in the case of multiplayer games. the reduced gap is clearly the result of developers familiarising themselves with the ps3 hardware.

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  • bulletwaster posted Aug 22, 2008 10:47 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    bulletwaster

    Posted Aug 22, 2008 10:47 am PT (hide)

    The 360 has better colors and detail.

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  • ps3eyerock

    Posted Aug 22, 2008 9:48 am PT

    ps3 better cuz it looks better and I have 1

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    • 11 of 14 users agree
  • datniccah187

    Posted Aug 22, 2008 12:42 am PT

    There is never really much difference between the two everytime they add a new game to the graphics comparison.

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  • yatatabien

    Posted Aug 21, 2008 8:28 pm PT

    PS3 FTW

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  • naju890_963

    Posted Aug 21, 2008 11:36 am PT

    the ps3 is brighter

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    • 1 of 2 users agree

  • vcoluy2 posted Aug 21, 2008 3:10 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    vcoluy2

    Posted Aug 21, 2008 3:10 am PT (hide)

    its quite obvious the 360 has slightly better raphicswhen you look at the drivers. 360 uses DirectX 10 while ps3 uses Open GL. direct x has always been better than open gl to date, and the textures direct x 10 can generate are quite amazing

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  • korno640

    Posted Aug 19, 2008 9:34 pm PT

    wow. other thqan the lighting, theres pretty much no difference. idk what everyones gettin so worked up about

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  • LastRenshai posted Aug 17, 2008 6:05 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    LastRenshai

    Posted Aug 17, 2008 6:05 pm PT (hide)

    Wow, the 360 pics look a lot better than the PS3 ones. The colors make all the difference.

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  • MiltoxBeyond posted Aug 16, 2008 11:48 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    MiltoxBeyond

    Posted Aug 16, 2008 11:48 pm PT (hide)

    Basically that's what it boils down to... I own all the systems, but have more games for the 360 cuz they're slightly better and easier to play with friends online...

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  • mtkinsac2

    Posted Aug 16, 2008 11:47 pm PT

    I blame the developers on any graphics that are worse on either console...for such advanced consoles, they should be able to match each other completely, but lousy porting and ill-knowledge of the workings of the ps3 are what affect it. (I own a 360 only, so don't even bring up ps3 fanboy)

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  • MiltoxBeyond posted Aug 16, 2008 11:41 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    MiltoxBeyond

    Posted Aug 16, 2008 11:41 pm PT (hide)

    The whole idea that the graphics will look that much better on the ps3 is baloney... the extra space for the blu-ray discs can only help the graphics be more detailed to a certain extent... just because the raw data can be stored does not mean it can all be processed. With every system there are some drawbacks to cranking up the quality, mainly performance. They have to strike a balance between graphics and framerate, and since the ps3 has limited memory and graphics processing power, they can only use so much data at a time. However, the blu-ray space can contribute to actual game content, so longer games can be made, or games with more levels, more fighters, more weapons, more enemies, etc can be stored without the need for multiple discs... On that respect they have an advantage, but really any game that can be made for the PS3 can also be made for the 360, since the only real difference is the programming model for the cpu's... which controls AI, physics, etc. But games like Metal Gear Solid 4 would have been on a few discs

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  • the_punisher91

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 4:54 am PT

    i have an xbox elite and the ps3 80 gb version but this is only some games you have to admit that mgs4 looks awesome on the ps3

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  • Lithomas

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 9:35 pm PT

    *sigh*
    Thus begins the fall of the 360. Soon the graphics will peak on the 360, due to the small size of DVDs. Multi-disc games only go so far before the numerous discs make production costs too high. PS3 is just getting started.

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  • amardeshbd posted Aug 14, 2008 9:32 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    amardeshbd

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 9:32 pm PT (hide)

    omg !!!!! its totally different on each console... X360 has crisp and better graphics quality ! but in PS3 .. objects are more visible as a whole ! .... but b2ween them... i will go for X360 !! nice comparison GS !!!

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  • mrhuntin posted Aug 14, 2008 11:07 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    mrhuntin

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 11:07 am PT (hide)

    xbox 360 is the best,better games,better graphics,the only great thing about the ps3 is the look of the desgin of the ps3.im sorry i been a playstation gamer since 1997,and love the ps2.but ps3 lost me as a fan.Maybe later when the playstation four come out playstation make a comeback that change game,i hope im not wrong

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  • IZZO71 posted Aug 14, 2008 10:50 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    IZZO71

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 10:50 am PT (hide)

    The only time the ps3 has good graphics is when they have exclusive games. I was just at gamestop playing skate in HD and it looked horrible compared to the 360 version. The textures took so long to pop in and if you were far away from an object it would have no texture at all. I think its because the Ps3 has a wacky native resolution like 680p or something.

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  • juanito-24

    Posted Aug 6, 2008 10:24 pm PT

    they look the same

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  • ss3zolo

    Posted Jul 27, 2008 7:59 pm PT

    wow.

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  • diving_devil46

    Posted Jul 19, 2008 7:29 pm PT

    I recently bought a ps3. I still have my 360 and Wii sitting tight...

    For the time being I am still buying games for the 360 that are cross platform; I only got my ps3 for the current exclusives. A lot of people over look this factor but in my opinion Sony have better exclusives at this moment.

    God of War / MGS / Little Big Planet / Uncharted (I prefer it to Tomb raider; and I have been playing TR since the original)...

    So yeah I still think for cross platform the 360 is the better choice due to the frame rate issues; but the playstation 3 certainly has value to it now...

    Considering I initially said I would never own one I think this is a real credit to how the PS3 is starting to make it's mark on gamers.

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  • Al3x_n90

    Posted Jul 18, 2008 11:04 am PT

    @valda...well thanx valda I'll probably stick with my jailbroken software anyway i'm not getting the 3g one either, there is no difference except 3G, i had 3g on my Nokia N90(Still have it) but in 2 years i used it only 3 times, and + the old iphone is more rare than the new one so it's value has increased(since it isn't made anymore) and the new one has a black plastic back, the old one has a aluminum gray back(i like it more)

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  • valdaviper12

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 2:09 pm PT

    im pretty happy with my 80gig ps3..the only games i play are gran turismo 5 prologue, gta4, fifa08, and nbalive08, and thats for when i have like 15 min. free., im also happy with the ps3 movie addition, but tried to rent bank job, and it said i could only buy for 14.99, surprisingly my appletv said the same thing, but added that i could rent it starting 8/13/08 for whatever reason..(THANK GOD FOR REDBOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)..

    @ alex......personally i have the iphone 8gb 1st gen, i had jailbroken it and kept 1.1.3 software on it to use all the free apps, and nintendo ROM games(which i literally had to hack into the iphone files thru WINSCP) and such., then to update to 2.0 i erased everything, and restored it and did a fresh update to 2.0 and synced with my computer for all my songs. so, personally i don't know if a 2.0 update will keep all the songs as on the old software, but i would think a fresh installation with everything new would be better. think of it as a brand new windows SP4 package or something, especially with windows pc's, generally its a good idea to do a format and install everything over again every year or so, helps to get rid of all the crap in the registry, and the files u think u need, but really dont.... .....im really happy with the 2.0 software and all the apps, and dont need the 3g especially with the $120+ a year extra charges and weakend battery life. besides i dont even have 3g anywhere around me.

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  • Al3x_n90

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 8:36 am PT

    amulbocus, dude watch the damn sony E3 conference, it shows a GOWIII trailer near the end

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  • amulbocus

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 6:37 am PT

    Al3x_n90 - Are you serious SONY showed GOW3, as in for the PS3? Are pulling our legs mate lol. Bit dissapointed FF is appearing on 360, although itll be port so not as good as ps3 version. MT Mind2 - I was just saying what the general concensus is, sorry i wont make a statement like that again.

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  • Al3x_n90

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 1:19 am PT

    @MTMind2, yup it pretty much sucked...

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  • MTMind2

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 12:41 am PT

    @al3x_n90

    infamous was shown at last years e3, so thats not a new game and its really just crackdown for the ps3, and we all knew gow3 was coming, so thats no surprise either. the only new game was MAG. 256 players sounds cool, but i still feel disappointed by this years e3.

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  • Al3x_n90

    Posted Jul 16, 2008 11:29 pm PT

    Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, welcome valdaviper lol Anyway i posted this on the other forum and...
    question for valda, if i upgrade my iphone's software to 2.0, will i lose all my music and stuff? and will i be able to use any type of sim?
    thanx

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  • valdaviper12

    Posted Jul 16, 2008 3:20 pm PT

    i be here

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  • Al3x_n90

    Posted Jul 16, 2008 10:21 am PT

    Whoooohooo sony showed GOWIII, infamous, MAG, (as new games) when m$ only announced as a new game FFXIII

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  • MTMind2 posted Jul 16, 2008 8:13 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    MTMind2

    Posted Jul 16, 2008 8:13 am PT (hide)

    @gamewhat

    "MTMind2, who ever said it was unbiased?" - yeah, lol, alright then. :-)

    @amulbocus

    "i think we can all agree (360 and PS3 owners) that currently the game with the best graphics (lighting, shading, textures etc) is MGS4." - oi, speak for yourself, mate, no-one elected you as the official spokesman for gamers. :-) it does look fantastic though, but the best? i dont know.

    @everyone

    anyway, is it just me, but this years e3 is a bit lacking, with nothing really exciting or new. i think the only shock news was ff13 for 360, i didnt see that coming, but thats about it really. good show still, but not the show it used to be.

    anyone know which big games show comes next?

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