Drew | 
October 29, 2009 | “Which version of Borderlands escape Pandora’s Box?”
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| Release: 10/20/09 | 56 sec | 35 sec | Release: 10/20/09 | |||||||||
| ESRB: Mature |
21.71% | 13.79% | ESRB: Mature |
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Head2Head -Broderlands We go Head2Head with Borderlands on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.Which version do you think wins this Head2Head? Watch the video to find out. |
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Thanks to the fine folks at Play N Trade (Oviedo), Lens of Truth was able to get our hands on the highly anticipated Borderlands for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Borderlands is a first-person shooter RPG developed by Gearbox that utilizes the Unreal Engine 3. For those that love the quest-driven RPG with lots of shooting, maiming, and blowing stuff up: you won’t be disappointed. Sporting a random content-generation similar to Diablo and literally millions of different weapons, there’s plenty of explosions to go around. So which version of Borderlands should you bring home? Read on to find out.
Graphics: The graphics comparison was a little interesting. On one hand, the PlayStation 3 had a few sharper, higher resolution textures than the Xbox 360. On the other hand, the Xbox 360 toted some impressive effects that the PlayStation 3 lacked, such as Screen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO), sharper shadow maps, and a pretty sweet-looking light bloom effect during certain times of the day. Due to the circumstances, we felt that the effects implemented by the Xbox 360 were more CPU-intensive and harder to pull off than the higher resolution textures on the PlayStation 3, so this edge goes to the Xbox 360.
Performance: Unfortunately, the performance wasn’t very impressive on either system. There were some consistent frame issues on both consoles whenever a gun was fired. The PlayStation 3 seemed to tear a few frames for no reason sometimes, and definitely didn’t do so well during the cut scenes. Although the framerate was comparable between the two systems, the Xbox 360 tore less. Overall we gave this win to the Xbox 360.
PlayStation 3 Avg. FPS: 28.57 / Xbox 360 Avg. FPS: 28.72
PlayStation 3 Avg. Frame Tear: 21.71% / Xbox 360 Avg. Frame Tear: 13.79%
Loading: The PlayStation 3 had a mandatory install of 2371MB but still couldn’t catch up to the Xbox 360. With an average initial loading time of 21 seconds less than the PlayStation 3, this win goes to the Xbox 360.
Roll over to see the differences. Here we compare the different HDMI settings between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Roll over to see the differences. Notice the SSAO on the Xbox 360 at the cost of lower resolution textures.
Roll over to see the differences. Notice the bloom effect present on the Xbox 360.
Roll over to see the differences. The PlayStation 3 sports clearer textures.
Roll over to see the differences. SSAO under Claptrap and world objects.
Roll over to see the differences.
Roll over to see the differences.
Roll over to see the differences. Notice the texture quality on the PlayStation 3.
Conclusion: Again, if you’re a big fan of a quest-driven plot to blow stuff up on an alien planet, you can’t go wrong with this game on either console. Borderlands employs a unique blend of ideas from other games and genres that we already love and won’t leave you disappointed. If you want the more enjoyable trip to Pandora, pick up the Xbox 360 version. Although not perfect, the Xbox 360 version had less screen-tearing (~13% compared to ~21%), took less time to load (35 seconds compared to 56 seconds), and was more impressive visually than its PlayStation 3 counterpart. As can be seen in our analysis video, sometimes the PlayStation 3 tore for seemingly no reason. The Xbox 360 version comes out on top in this Head2head.
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| G R A P H I C S | |||
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Xbox 360 implements Screen Space Ambient Occlusion, sharper shadow maps, and a light bloom effect which outweigh the PlayStation 3’s occasional higher resolution textures. |  |
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| P E R F O R M A N C E | |||
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Xbox 360 performed better than the PlayStation 3 by tearing much less. Although the Xbox 360 wasn’t tear-free, it was a significant improvement over the PlayStation 3’s 21%. | |
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| L O A D I N G | |||
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Xbox 360 took much less time to load, despite the PlayStation 3 having a mandatory install. |
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| O U T C O M E | |||
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Xbox 360 has the victory with more impressive visuals, less screen tearing, and shorter load times. |
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| C O M M E N T S | C H O I C E | ||
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This games just baffles me. Why does the winning console have the weaker textures? But you can’t give a win to one system for having only better textures, can you? The Xbox wins this game for having the more solid build, but give the PS3 some props for putting up a good fight. | |
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| John | “…This game just baffles me…” | ||
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Although the Xbox 360 version did win on paper, the PS3 version was more visually appealing to me. Also the SSAO that was only on the Xbox 360 versions looked like it was implement wrong, especially in the cut scenes. For me the game with the better textures is the clear winner. |  |
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| Shawn | “…I’m going with the better textures…” | ||
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I love RPGs, and this first person shooter style definitely appeals to me. It’s got some humorous moments too, which is a plus. I’ll probably pick it up for the 360 because it tore less, and because of the controller. The trigger buttons feel more natural… like I’m actually shooting something. |
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| Drew |
“… The first person shooter style appeals to me…” | ||
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Update.
It’s not bloom, on pc version this effect is called “flare outs”. So i have new pics.
PC, maxed out: http://img338.imageshack.us/i/89595633.png/
X360, textures medium: http://img29.imageshack.us/i/x360g.png/
PS3, flare outs & SSAO off: http://img5.imageshack.us/i/ps3h.png/
Bonus:
Zed (texture medium, X360): http://img688.imageshack.us/i/zedx360.png/
Zed (SSAO, FO off): http://img402.imageshack.us/i/zedps3.png/
Awesome work! It is good to see that the Xbox 360 version comes closer to the visuals that are featured in the PC version. That should shut the fanboys up for a while. You can’t really argue here since it is apparent the dev cycle went PC > Xbox 360 > PS3. And we all know PC is the benchmark.
I may have to redact my earlier statement on how SSAO would really not be noticeable to me on the PS3.
Yes, its good that Lens of Truth doesnt test the multiplayer function for their grading because I read on multiple sites that the multiplayer on PS3 was entirely broken.
In attempting to decipher a few other comments on this H2H, I have come to two conclusions: 1) communication skills are at an all time low in the gaming community and 2) if some of these comments are a look into the true minds of their authors I am concerned for our future. Please remember to play video games only after your homework is done kids.
Sony fanboys attacking lens of truth because they can’t handle the truth. lol
They’re the worst of the lot.
Sort of like how the 360 fanboys attack them when the PS3 version wins a H2H? (Batman AA, Mirror’s Edge, etc).
They’re all jackasses. Don’t pin it on just one group.
actually ps3 fanboys are far worse. 360 fanboys don’t make petitions to keep dmc4 a console exclusive. “They’re all the same” is just damage control.
Eurogamer and ign gave graphics to batman for the 360 btw. Overall reccomended the ps3 version because of the extra content.
Don’t use a double standard here, fact is lens of truth recommended Batman for graphics and you’re changing the subject. Here it doesn’t matter what IGN and Eurogamer said. IGN also recommended Bioshock and GTA4 (although I would disagree with both). Fanboys are Fanboys doesn’t matter what console.
i dont know i own both consoles, and i appreciate both consoles, and i perfer my PS3, maybe even sell my 360. Still PS3 fanboys are way worse than 360 ones.
I wonder if this site installs the games on 360 HD. Since its an option with all the 360 games and helps with load times, i think it should be used b4 judging between platforms.
Not sure why so many people voted for PS3 version. It actually runs pretty bad guys compared to the 360.
la version Ps3 est clairement, même largement plus fine et détailée que la version 360, votre comparaison est totalement non crédible à l’appuis de vos propres screens!!!
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the Ps3 version is clearly, even largely finer and detailed that version 360, your comparison is completely noncredible with the supports of your clean screens!!!
ive seen all the head to heads and i really cant believe it. i own an xbox 360 and it is nice to see a lot of good titles winning on xbox but i am in no way a fanboy. i think the ps3 is a work of art and that game developers havent been able to use it to its full potential.so at this point i do think that xbox 360 is the superior console but i dont know about the future.
You know, Super White is only for Blu-ray right? It does nothing for games, so turning it on for gaming is pointless. All it does is allow 0-16 and 236-255 range of gray scale available for Blu-ray / DVD playback only. All you need for gaming via HDMI on the PS3 is RGB Full to test full range RGB. Unless of course, you want to do H2H on Blu-ray with Super White on vs off. Then that would be fine.
Even in the PS3 documentation it says Super White expands the color range for BD playback.
PS3 wins on account of Dorito detail.
Amazing oldschool LoT joke
#captcha #fail
http://www.missingno.de/bilder/blog/halfcaptcha.png
I want to point out that in the picture bellow if you wait a little longer the textures to load, the quality gets better, just like the PS3 version.
http://www.lensoftruth.com/wp-content/gallery/h2h_borderlands/borderlands_xbox_roll_01.jpg
You idiots are biased. Fire your staff and try again.
It’s good to see the xbox beat the Ps3 in a cell shaded game. Let me know when the xbox can take on games like UC2 and KZ2. I think Assassin’s creed 2 may be the best multiplatform to test them on.
LOL. PS3 fanboys are so pathetic. They just can’t accept the truth that for the past 3 years that the 360 is a really better gaming machine for most multiplats.
Plus seriously, 3rd party developers shouldn’t have to keep wasting their time, money, & resources just to make PS3 versions of games on par with the 360 versions (or even better than the 360 versions). Especially when the PS3 is STILL being stuck in 3rd place & that PS3 versions of games really don’t sell very well compared to 360 versions.
because $299 PS3 and the sustained sales spike is helping boost PS3 and you can’t keep overlooking 27 million+ console owners. 360 is superior for multiplats but for the most part 3rd party devs have gotten differences to negligible as to fighting over which version is superior would be fanboyish in itself.
The difference isn’t neglible; it has been quantified quite a lot since the launch of the systems and it still happens today, just not as big a difference now as it used to be.
Also, you think that PS3 is succeeding now, but just wait until Microsoft lowers the price of the Arcade model to $150. Then you’re going to be hearing Sony fanboys going “But, but, but…Blu-Ray! Free online! Built-in Wi-Fi!,” etc.
And the Arcade model is actually more popular than most people would think. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have discontinued the Pro model. Not everyone cares about online, etc., or else all 34+ million owners would be on X-Box Live right now, etc. They just want to play games.
Look at all these faggits fighting over video consoles.
I think the PS3-version looks slightly better becouse of the textures, but versions look great, overall.
Neither version is that great when they don’t both run continuous full speed at 30fps. FPS should be 60fps regardless if you ask me.
When it comes to how it looks, the PS3 has much better detail and textures. Sort of akin to the details and textures of Ghostbusters, but this time it’s backwards, as the PS3 version was a joke in that respect.
The screen tearing is mutual and noticeable on both systems, though there’s a little more on the PS3. The 360 also has slightly better shadowing as some objects on the PS3 version display no self shadow.
Again, neither version is what it should be, but I think the PS3 version is overall better. Not so much better as to matter which version you pick up though.
It will be the 360 version for me because I prefer Live and the 360 for gaming… however, Higher Res Textures > Ambient Occlusion in my books
I do not get how the Xbox 360 won over the PS3. I went over ever single picture down to the finest detail and the PS3 should’ve won…this site is retarded.
PS3 looks better Framerate was on the Paper better
The higher resolution textures are more hardware hungry then ambient Occlusions. Don’t believe me? test it out on the PC version and check out the FPS drop difference.
BTW those textures on the Xbox (the gun) are low settings not medium. My laptop is the same.
the flare outs are nice but i dont like blurry textures. the clean look of the moon is nice for the ps3 but the shadows and ssao kinda tip it a lil, and ssoa cannot be dependent on CPU alone ps3 has the 1 up, its the engine that controls it.
Id have to go ps3 though because bad textures look horrible on a 50 inch tv
You guys are crazy, I’ll take sharp textures and no ambient occlusion over ambient occlusion and awful textures any day! Especially because this game’s art style is so heavily dependent on the textures.
Not to mention the SSAO in this game is terrible on both PC and 360. You can make trails with the ambient occlusion. It’s awful.
Oh, and, to add, I run it on PC maxed out but with ambient occlusion off because it (the SSAO) is so slow. Sometimes I even go to the extent of turning depth of field off because it’s so overbearing sometimes (this game is supposed to look hand drawn, why so much DoF?), but for whatever reason, you cannot get \bloom\ (turning bloom on and off in the menu doesn’t do anything), or color correction without depth of field.
This is a funny one- all the versions of this game are deeply flawed:
360 – blurry textures.. why?
PS3 – amazingly basic lighting and long load times
PC – retarded netcode (gamespy , please go away and die) and hastlily console-ported interface.
..yet it’s so damned fun! It really shouldn’t be. Anyway, went for the PC version in the end, because it’s loads cheaper on steam, and my PC is a bit of a beast. Whichever version of this game you end up with, you’ll be initially irritated with its flaws, and then later you’ll have a blast.
Go figure.
This Site It’s Just Retarded, Can Anybody see the pics and video, Ps3 Clearly have better graphics for this game.
It Comes to show how the people that run this site are 360 fans. Learn how to do real comparisons. 360 is not always going to look better than the ps3 and the ps3 is not going to look better than 360 all the time but i don’t know how you guys can see that 360 won this one .
It is simple really. The Xbox 360 version matches the PC closer than the PS3 does in terms of graphics. And we all know the PC is the benchmark. Also the PS3 had more performance issues (frame rate and tearing).
How can the 360 win on the GFX part?
I would say a clear tie tho. Both lack something the other has.
soniecom, i agree, i would say all ps3 and xbox versions are near enough the same but the Xbox uses its bloom and lighting to hide the terrible textures and the ps3 uses its textures instead of the bloom and lighting.
id rather have pc tbh it has texture and bloom but as for ps3 and xbox i would say a tie