64% of People CAN'T Tell the Difference Between PS4, PC, and XONE - Reality Check

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Cam reveals the results of his graphics test, and it appears that we might not be so great at identifying PC, PS4, and Xbox One based on looks alone.

Watch Part 1: Can You Tell The Difference Between PS4, XONE, and PC?
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[Intro Music]

Hey! I'm Cam, and you
are watching Reality Check.

That's right, 64% of people can't tell the
difference between PS4, XBox One, and PC.

At least, that's according to a study
done by me.

and, uh, some of you in fact.

Here's the skinny: Over 2,700 people took
part in an online test

which tasked participants to watch
3 different gameplay clips back-to-back,

and then attempt to identify which was
PS4, which was Xbox One, and which was PC.

The results were then collected
over the course of a few weeks.

Okay, so a few disclaimers:

Was the test perfect? No.
Was it scientific? Kind of.

Should it be taken as gospel? Probably not

But does it make an interesting point
about how we value graphics? Definitely.

But, before we dive into the details of
the test, reveal the correct answer,

and talk about what went well and what
I would maybe do differently next time,

let's take a moment to recap and rewind.

On Monday, the 16th of February,

I ran an experiment in our GameSpot studio
in London.

I got 7 volunteers to play 3 different
games on 3 identical setups.

Their task: to tell me which they thought
was PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

All other ways of identifying each machine
were controlled for.

All they had to base their decision on was
how the game looked: the graphics.

To get the full lowdown of the test
and how people got on,

watch that episode of Reality Check.

The problem, though, was that the
test pool size of 7 people

was WAY too small to draw any meaningful
conclusions.

So, I devised a more simple one that would
allow anyone, anywhere to take part.

So, how did I do it? Well, I added 3 video
clips at the end of that previous episode,

all consisting of Far Cry 4 gameplay.

One clip was captured on PS4, one on Xbox
One, and one on our gaming PC.

I asked those watching to vote on which
they thought was which in an online poll

Simple stuff.

Now obviously, web compression was
always gonna be a big problem.

As a standard for the show I uploaded
the video to GameSpot and Youtube

at 1080p resolution and 60 fps,

and both were compressed using the
H.264 codec.

Now this is fine for general viewing, but
there is always a degree of

quality loss and artifacting, so it was
far from ideal for this test.

So, in an attempt to combat this,
I also uploaded all three clips

at 1080p-60, packaged up as one movie,
uncompressed, to Google Drive,

for anyone to download and
watch for themselves.

Okay, time to reveal the correct answer:
Clip #1 was PS4.

#2 was PC, and the final clip was XBox One

This was the single most popular answer,
with 982 votes, or 36%.

The other 64% of voters, though, did get
it wrong, either getting 1 or 0 correct.

Interestingly though, if you shift the
focus of the test to see how people

performed at picking out the PC

from the other 2 consoles, then the
results actually get a lot better,

with 58% of people correctly identifying
the non-console.

That was made up of the 36% who got it
correct, plus 22% of people

who just got the consoles
the wrong way around.

As for the rest of the results,
here they are:

391 people, or 14%, voted PS4/Xbox One/PC,

311, or 11%, chose PC/Xbox One/PS4,

291, or 11% again, thought it went
Xbox One/PS4/PC

And finally, 104, or 5% of voters,
chose PC/PS4/and then another PC.

The eagle eye amongst you will notice
that that last one was wrong.

The final option should have been
Xbox One, not a second PC.

So how did that happen? Well,

that's what we call a derp. (Otherwise
known as human error.)

It was very late and I was very sleepy
when I made that poll, simple as that.

Whoops!
But it doesn't really matter, though,

because it was an incorrect answer
either way.

So, that was the experiment and
the results,

but like I said, it wasn't perfect.

So it's time to look at some of the
comments you guys had

but also think about how I might do this
differently

if I was gonna do the test again.

One big issue a lot of people commented on
was my choice of clips in the experiment.

Now I used 3 clips from the same early
stage in Far Cry 4.

The areas, though, weren't identical,
but this was a deliberate choice.

You see, I wasn't attempting to emulate
the artificial setup

of a graphics comparison, rather,

I was trying to create real-world gaming
conditions, if that makes sense.

Sure, identical clips would have made it
slightly easier,

as you could have compared identical
textures like for like.

But the way I see it is that texture
quality, dynamic lighting, and all other

graphical settings are all consistent in a
whole game area.

And, more to the point, if graphical
differences between platforms really

weren't the fuss that a lot of people tend
to make over them,

then we should be able to tell
under the conditions I set.

That was my logic, anyway, but I'm willing
to be talked around on that one

if I were to repeat this test.
So let me know what you think.

The main issue for me, though, with these
results is that

I have no way of knowing how many of those
who voted did so after watching the

online version and how many actually
downloaded the clips.

Downloaded votes are far more powerful

as you can eliminate all that nasty
compression

and give people a much fairer test.

Next time I'd find a way so only
after actually downloading the file

could you cast a vote.

Then, there's the case of the gaming PC.

The specs of the one I used are on screen
now, and I think it's fair to say that

it makes for a reasonably powerful gaming
PC, probably to the higher end of average

that most PC gamers have.

Plus, Far Cry 4 was running at the preset
ultra settings.

I'll admit, though, that it would've
perhaps been fairer

to have the most powerful PC I could get
my hands on.

So next time I'd jam in a Titan X in there
alongside a better CPU.

But despite these changes I
would make in the glory of hindsight,

I still think these results are really
interesting.

For me, this test simply underlines how
graphics are not the most important factor

to consider if you're trying to decide
which setup is best for you.

Ultimately, PS4, Xbox One, and a gaming PC
are fairly close in visual quality.

Sure, you can line up labeled textures and
spot the highest resolution one

in a graphics comparison,

but when it actually comes down to sitting
on your ass and having a great time gaming

your ability to tell, and therefore the
importance of those extra pixels

or quality of lighting, or whatever—

start to diminish.

Other things like online services, the
ability to host servers,

digital distribution platforms,
controllers, what your friends use—

these are far more important when deciding
which is best for you.

It's all about our own
individual preference.

But that's just what I think.

Do you guys agree
or do you disagree?

Or do you have any ideas about how I maybe
could have done the test differently?

Let me know in the comments down below
or by hitting me up on Twitter @camfrazrob

Thanks for watching.

[Outro music]

So, it's time to think about some of the
comments you guys had,

but also what I might do differently—
that was squeaky!

—comments you had, but also think about
how I might do this differently,

Oh there's my chair!

but also consider what I might do
differently, if I was going

to do this test again.

[laughs from Cam and the cameraman]
How did that happen?

If you guys agree or disagree, or if you
have any other ideas about how I

[electronic alarm sound]