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System Breakdown Xbox 360 Stats PlayStation 3 Stats
Resolutions: Up to 1080p Up to 720p
# of Discs: 3 single
HD Install: Optional/22 GB 8.1GB
Metacritic:
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Welcome back for another exciting Head2Head!  The time has come for us to tackle one of the most anticipated Head2Heads this year, RAGE!  This one should be an interesting one everyone as there is something different with this game when you compare them to the games we analyzed in the past.  This time around the 360 version of the title actually states that RAGE will require the game to be installed to the HDD for optimal performance.  Even though you still don’t have to install the game, this tells us that the developers created a software that was meant to be played from the HDD on the 360 rather than straight from the disc, unlike other 360 games in the past.  Due to these circumstances, we will be giving you the results for installed data rather than un-installed data of the 360 version.  The PS3 also requires a mandatory partial install of 8 GB, so this should be a battle for the ages.

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Graphics: This has always been something that many couldn’t wait to see.  We were told that textures would be identical on all platforms, but this is also something we have all heard before.  For the most part, this is very true.  Most of the textures in the game are identical and no real difference can be determined.  The 360 version does seem to be a LITTLE more clear in some spots, but if you refer to both the screenshots presented here and in our HD screenshot comparison from a few days ago, the difference is nothing that can truly affect the results.  For the most part Aliasing remains identical as well.  There may be a shot here or there that favors one version over the other, but they happen on both sides and they are pretty rare overall.  Even gamma levels seem to be identical with this game, which is a rarity in this generation it seems.  The only real difference that we could notice at all was that the PS3 version had softer shadows which, much like the sharper textures in some of the spots on the 360, don’t affect the visuals enough to offer much merit.  There were quite a few factors here that were constantly contradicting the advantage in this category, seeing how while one thing might look slightly better on one version, something else would look better on its counterpart.  For the most part, both PS3 users and 360 users will be satisfied with this category in the end.

However, there are some noticeable differences when it comes to texture streaming.  Both versions suffer from some pretty frequent pop-ins, but it is evident that the PS3 version suffers more.  There are a few rollovers below where you can see how bad the PS3 looks by comparison and easily determine that it is taking slightly longer to stream textures in comparison to the 360 version.  The good news is that no matter what version you have, they could be worse.  Even so, this 360 advantage is the only real noticeable difference that could be found between the two versions, therefore giving a very SLIGHT edge to Microsoft’s console in this category for having a bit more polish.

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Performance: The performance aspect of RAGE is a little more one sided.  Both versions of the game managed to play the game with minimal screen tearing, so we have good news there.  For the most part both versions also played with a frame rate very close to the targeted sixty frames per second.  The difference between these two versions boils down to when shit hits the fan in heavy fire fights.  Neither version tears in these events, however the 360 version suffers from a noticeable drop in frame rate.  The PS3 with a partial install was able to manage a solid sixty frames per second when things got heavy, but the 360 version dropped anywhere from ten to fifteen frames under pressure.  The good news is that even at forty-five frames per second, the motions never really seem choppy.  When you get right down to it though, the PS3 version is a smoother experience with a solid sixty frames per second in all situations, giving Sony the edge they need to strike back by taking the performance category.

Xbox 360 Frame Analysis PlayStation 3 Frame Analysis
Clip 1 info:
Length of clip: 4768 frames
Average FPS of clip: 58.26
Percent of torn frames: 0.02
Clip 1 info:
Length of clip: 4768 frames
Average FPS of clip: 60.0
Percent of torn frames: 0.08
Clip 2 info:
Length of clip: 3967 frames 
Average FPS of clip: 60.00
Percent of torn frames: 0.08
Clip 2 info:
Length of clip: 3947 frames
Average FPS of clip: 59.95
Percent of torn frames: 0.49
Clip 3 info:
Length of clip: 2146 frames
Average FPS of clip: 60.00
Percent of torn frames: 0.0
Clip 3 info:
Length of clip: 2146 frames
Average FPS of clip: 59.94
Percent of torn frames: 0.13
Global percent of torn frames: 0.07
Global average FPS: 59.23
Global percent of torn frames: 0.57
Global average FPS: 59.97

 

360_rage_install

 

Loading: We come to our final category, the load times.  With the game software developed and intended to be run from the HDD on the 360, as stated by the development team and stated on the box and after starting the game, the 360 will take this tie breaking category with an eight second advantage.  Remember both versions of the software were designed to be installed in this case and in this software analysis we must take this new element into consideration.  In the past the optional install to the 360 was offered as a hardware feature to reduce load times and take the load off of the DVD drive.  In a software analysis a hardware feature such as this would normally not be a factor in the results.  However due to the developers specifically stating that the 360 version of the game’s software was designed to be installed to the HDD, the install becomes a key factor in the results and running it from a disc becomes the option due to how it was actually developed.  The same rule applies to the PS3 mandatory install that is implied in software design when the developer feels it is needed.  In this case the full install of the 360 version yielded better results than the 8 GB partial install of the PS3 version, giving Microsoft’s console the edge here.

PlayStation 3 Load Times Xbox 360 Load Times
Sample 1: 33 Seconds Sample 1: 20 Seconds
Sample 2: 29 Seconds Sample 2: 22 Seconds
Sample 3: 25 Seconds Sample 3: 22 Seconds
Sample 4: 34 Seconds Sample 4: 20 Seconds
Sample 5: 26 Seconds Sample 5: 21 Seconds
Sample Average: 29.4 Seconds Sample Average: 21.0 Seconds


Rollover to see the Difference.

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More Roll Overs, Conclusion, Technical Score, Videos and Staff Choice on Page 2>>>

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*To ensure color accuracy from the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii U output, the PlayStation 3 has RGB Full Range set to "Full" and Super White "On", and the Xbox 360 has Reference Level set to "Expanded" and HDMI Color Space set to "RGB". Our capture card we have captured segments from the AVS HD 709 . Blu-ray, HD DVD, & MP4 Calibration suite.

As you will see, each system matches each other at the SOURCE LEVEL. No contrast or gamma settings are manipulated before or after capturing our images/videos. We strongly believe that these types of corrections are done on a individuals preference and should not be adjusted by us. Finally, washed out looking images that are due to contrast or gamma differences will not have any influence on our final verdicts. Please Read through our F.A.Q page if you have any questions or concerns.*