The ps4 version is pushing a shit ton more pixels, df videos are totally fucked. That res bump is huge tick in the ps4 favour and its starting to look all this 720p stuff might have legs for xboxone.
See, people can tell me all about the pixels as many times as they feel it helps, and believe me I'm not ignorant of this, but besides a much cleaner looking game due to the lack of aliasing on the PS4, the Xbox One version based on the comparisons I've seen looks better. It just does. I'm not exactly going to ignore what I'm seeing entirely, or launch an investigation or something because it doesn't fall in line with expectations.
There are comparison pictures made, there are comparison gifs made, I've watched videos on DF, jackfrags, and even on IGN. I'm not discrediting where I think the PS4 version, because it leads performance wise, even though it's obvious both versions perform fantastically, save for more serious dips in certain spots for the XBO version. But both versions dip every now and then in performance, but it isn't often enough and long enough to ruin the experience on either from what I've watched thus far. There was even one odd cutscene I saw where the XB0 version had a 12-14 fps edge on the PS4 version for maybe 5 or more seconds.
People judge games based on what they look at, and I'm not the only person in this thread that has said they think the XBO version looks better. The textures seem more crisp and clearly appear to have more pop. It makes an otherwise aliased game stand out even in comparison to the PS4 version in side by sides. It makes an otherwise amazing looking PS4 game by all accounts look at times a little overly soft or blurry, which isn't as attractive as the more detailed, in your face appearance on the Xbox One version.
However, this doesn't tell the whole story. As you may notice in our screengrabs, the actual results on PS4 lack the corresponding level of crystal clarity we'd expect of such a significant resolution boost. This should surely be a home run for Sony's console, but what is likely to be a software-based upscale to 1080p delivers less-than-stellar returns, and for better or worse leaves the Xbox One with an often crisper looking, albeit much more aliased image.
What is curious is the level of "pop" given to the Xbox One's textures, where - bizarrely - artwork often seems to be more detailed than on PlayStation 4. In high contrast scenes, we sometimes see a kind of halo effect around some detail, which may suggest some kind of artificial detail-boosting post-process. Whether this is part of Microsoft's new upscaling tech remains to be seen, but we were reminded of the Medal of Honor effect seen in the Darbee Darblet review. However, what is added to texture detail also seems to be applied to XO's most ugly element - its highly noticeable sub-pixel break-up.
Regardless, the overall impression is that the gap is closed just a touch between the Microsoft and Sony platforms. The soft blur on PS4 comes across as a missed opportunity given the extra leg-work needed by the PS4's troves of GDDR5 RAM and GPU compute units to hit this 1600x900 mark. Nevertheless the image in motion is clearly the superior of the two - if not quite the knock-out smash we'd expected based on the raw metrics.
The PS4 does on occasion suffer from a slight delay in drawing in higher textures, and likewise, the lens flare effect in some scripted driving scenes on the Shanghai level fails to materialise. These are rare and subtle contrasts; otherwise, all lighting effects such as god rays, bokeh depth of field, shadows and physics are indistinguishable between the two - also true of draw distance on minor objects for massive 64-player online maps.
They ultimately give the edge to the PS4, and that's probably fair given the virtual lack of aliasing compared to the much jaggier XB0 version, and being a higher resolution, but barring some funny business going on, which I don't see any signs of, the Xbox One version looks nicer.
It even shows up in IGN's comparison video, so it isn't just a DF thing.
http://www.ign.com/videos/2013/10/28/battlefield-4-xbox-oneps4-graphics-comparison
When they're switching between the two, you see the greater pop to the stuff on the Xbox One version. I don't deny the aliasing on the Xbox One version, but what keeps me from giving it too much shit for that is the fact that I prefer the more vibrant look on the xbox one side to the softer look on the PS4 side. Now, maybe it's just me, but I'm one of those guys that always prefers my games, or even movies, to always "pop" more. I don't like the more TV 'movie' settings look that dials things down a bit. Even when they approach the top of that hill after going through the forest, I just see a bigger, more aggressive level of light streaming in from the other side of that location where the skyscrapers are located. There might be a subtle, but noticeable lighting difference between the two versions, and that may come down to a matter of preference, but I'm certain I'm not the only person who can see the brighter, more aggressive appearing lighting in the xbox one version. I'm honestly not even decided on whether I'm even getting this game for console or PC yet, but I prefer the Xbox One's look, I don't 'prefer' the aliasing. I prefer the overall presentation, particularly the lighting.
Beyond that, I honestly couldn't say if it's the kind of AA used on the PS4 version, or if it's just down to the way it's being upscaled on the ps4 compared to how it's handled on the Xbox One, but I'm left with an impression that the lighting may be a touch better on the Xbox One version. People are free to disagree, but, whatever the case, I can see the difference, and that IGN video shows it clearly (since DF are on people's shit list). It would seem things like no Ambient Occlusion, 720p resolution and the AA allowed them to make up for it a bit with the lighting on the Xbox One version, at least that's certainly how it appears to me.
edit: I guess scratch the part about no AO on the xbox one version. Apparently the Dice technical director confirmed AO will be in the Xbox One version.
https://twitter.com/repi/status/395138203075633152
@digitalfoundry the AO on Xbox One was one of the fixes that didn't make it into the review copy but will be in day1, same tech as PS4/PC