question: How do game consoles ( PS4, XBOX One) run games smoothly although they don’t have the same system requirements as powerful PCs?
comment: Console games are coded specifically to match the architecture (mainboard/CPU/GPU) present in each console. PC games need to be coded to be compatible with multiple different configurations.
passages: Section::::Platform characteristics.
  
  Section::::Platform characteristics.:Fidelity.
  
  In high-end PC gaming, a PC will generally have far more processing resources at its disposal than other gaming systems. Game developers can use this to improve the visual fidelity of their game relative to other platforms, but even if they do not, games running on PC are likely to benefit from higher screen resolution, higher framerate, and anti-aliasing. Increased draw distance is also common in open world games.
   BULLET::::- Tight integration between the OS and the hardware: Workstation vendors both design the hardware and maintain the Unix operating system variant that runs on it. This allows for much more rigorous testing than is possible with an operating system such as Windows. Windows requires that third-party hardware vendors write compliant hardware drivers that are stable and reliable. Also, minor variation in hardware quality such as timing or build quality can affect the reliability of the overall machine. Workstation vendors are able to ensure both the quality of the hardware, and the stability of the operating system drivers by validating these things in-house, and this leads to a generally much more reliable and stable machine.
   In response to the Real World Technologies analysis, Mike Skolones, product manager of PhysX, said that SSE support had been left behind because most games are developed for consoles first and then ported to the PC. As a result, modern computers run these games faster and better than the consoles even with little or no optimization.
   BULLET::::- "Soft" the usefulness of a result degrades after its deadline, thereby degrading the system's quality of service.
  
  Thus, the goal of a "hard real-time system" is to ensure that all deadlines are met, but for "soft real-time systems" the goal becomes meeting a certain subset of deadlines in order to optimize some application-specific criteria. The particular criteria optimized depend on the application, but some typical examples include maximizing the number of deadlines met, minimizing the lateness of tasks and maximizing the number of high priority tasks meeting their deadlines.
   However, if several of the Ps are set to run at the same time as several of the Qs, then a deadlock condition can arise. Note that the deadlock need not arise, but may.
  
  Now neither P nor Q can proceed.
  
  This is one kind of example where programs may demonstrate incompatibility.
  
  Section::::Examples.:Interface incompatibility.
   The console can monitor its internal temperature and adjust accordingly to prevent overheating; alongside increasing fan speed, additional measures can be taken, including forcing the hardware to run in a lower power state—a feature that was not present on Xbox 360. Restricting power consumption lowers maximum performance, but the setting would be intended as a last resort to prevent permanent hardware damage.
  
  Section::::Hardware.:Controller.
   Section::::Languages and tools.
  
  Most commercial computer and video games are written primarily in C++, C, and some assembly language. Many games, especially those with complex interactive gameplay mechanics, tax hardware to its limit. As such, highly optimized code is required for these games to run at an acceptable frame rate. Because of this, compiled code is typically used for performance-critical components, such as visual rendering and physics calculations. Almost all PC games also use either the DirectX, OpenGL APIs or some wrapper library to interface with hardware devices.
   Similarly, 3D games often rely on a powerful graphics processing unit (GPU), which accelerates the process of drawing complex scenes in realtime. GPUs may be an integrated part of the computer's motherboard, the most common solution in laptops, or come packaged with a discrete graphics card with a supply of dedicated Video RAM, connected to the motherboard through either an AGP or PCI-Express port. It is also possible to use multiple GPUs in a single computer, using technologies such as NVidia's Scalable Link Interface and ATI's CrossFire.
   Section::::PC gaming technology.:Software.
   In recent times popularity of online console games has grown, and online capable video game consoles and online services such as Xbox Live for the Xbox have developed. Developers can maintain their software through downloadable patches. These changes would not have been possible in the past without the widespread availability of the Internet.
  
  PC development is different. Game developers try to account for majority of configurations and hardware. However, the number of possible configurations of hardware and software inevitably leads to discovery of game-breaking circumstances that the programmers and testers didn't account for.
   Section::::Central processing unit.
  
  BULLET::::- CPU: MIPS III R5900-based "Emotion Engine", clocked at 294.912 MHz (299 MHz on newer versions), with 128-bit SIMD capabilities
  
  BULLET::::- 250 nm CMOS manufacturing (ending with 65 nm CMOS), 13.5 million transistors, 225 mm² die size, 15 W dissipation (combined EE+GS in SCPH-7500x: 86 mm², 53.5 million transistors) (combined EE+GS+RDRAM+DRAM in SCPH-7900x ended with 65nm CMOS design)
   A key characteristic of an RTOS is the level of its consistency concerning the amount of time it takes to accept and complete an application's task; the variability is 'jitter'. A 'hard' real-time operating system has less jitter than a 'soft' real-time operating system. The chief design goal is not high throughput, but rather a guarantee of a soft or hard performance category. An RTOS that can usually or generally meet a deadline is a soft real-time OS, but if it can meet a deadline deterministically it is a hard real-time OS.
   Conversely, the same holds true for the server. The frame rate (or tick rate) of the server determines how often it can process data from clients and send updates.
  
  This type of problem is difficult to predict and compensate for. Apart from enforcing minimum hardware requirements and attempting to optimize the game for better performance, there are no feasible ways to deal with it.
   Some monitors are designed exclusively for gamers, featuring higher refresh rates and improved response times at the expense of a lower resolution. E-sports, or competitive gamers, often favor higher framerates at the expense of reduced color accuracy, preferring TN panels over IPS panels.
  
  Section::::Hardware description.:Audio.
  
  Gaming PCs are usually equipped with a dedicated sound card and speakers in a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound configuration. The speaker setup or a set of quality headphones is required to enjoy the advanced sound found in most modern computer games.
   There are various methods for reducing or disguising delays, though many of these have their drawbacks and may not be applicable in all cases. If synchronization is not possible by the game itself, the clients may be able to choose to play on servers in geographical proximity to themselves in order to reduce latencies, or the servers may simply opt to drop clients with high latencies in order to avoid having to deal with the resulting problems. However, these are hardly optimal solutions. Instead, games will often be designed with lag compensation in mind.
   Section::::Overview.:Platforms.:PC.
  
  In common use a "PC game" refers to a form of media that involves a player interacting with a personal computer connected to a video monitor. Personal computers are not dedicated game platforms, so there may be differences running the same game in different hardware, also the openness allows some features to developers like reduced software cost, increased flexibility, increased innovation, emulation, creation of modifications ("mods"), open hosting for online gaming (in which a person plays a video game with people who are in a different household) and others.
  
  Section::::Overview.:Platforms.:Home console.
   With the release of the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book, cooling issues were resolved. Microsoft engineered the computers to dissipate 60% of their heat through the metal body using a combination of heat pipes and copper sinks. The fans only activate under load, allowing the computer to run cold and silent.
   In early use, hardware-based systems (da Vinci 2K, Pandora International MegaDEF, etc.) have historically offered better performance but a smaller feature set than software-based systems. Their real time performance was optimised to particular resolution and bit depths, as opposed to software platforms using standard computer industry hardware that often trade speed for resolution independence, e.g. Apple's Color (previously Silicon Color Final Touch), ASSIMILATE SCRATCH, Adobe SpeedGrade and SGO Mistika. While hardware-based systems always offer real-time performance, some software-based systems need to pre-render as the complexity of the color grading increases. On the other hand, software-based systems tend to have more features such as spline-based windows/masks and advanced motion tracking.
   As with Reliability, the causes of performance inefficiency are often found in violations of good architectural and coding practice which can be detected by measuring the static quality attributes of an application. These static attributes predict potential operational performance bottlenecks and future scalability problems, especially for applications requiring high execution speed for handling complex algorithms or huge volumes of data.
  
  Assessing performance efficiency requires checking at least the following software engineering best practices and technical attributes:
  
  BULLET::::- Application Architecture Practices
  
  BULLET::::- Appropriate interactions with expensive and/or remote resources
  
  BULLET::::- Data access performance and data management
   WLM's actions in moving aliases from one disk device to another take a few seconds for the effects to be seen. For many situations this is not fast enough. HyperPAVs are much more responsive because they acquire a UCB from a pool for the duration of a single I/O operation, before returning it to the pool. There is no delay waiting for WLM to react.
   Players can manage a game between teams from 14 different World Series contests, or enter in or load the statistics for other teams. For example, players can manage either the Brooklyn Dodgers or New York Yankees in a rematch of the 1955 World Series. Two players can manage against each other, one player can manage against a computer manager, or the computer can manage both teams.
  
  Game play is limited to managerial decisions: setting lineups, pitching changes, pinch hitters and other substitutions, defensive positioning, and offensive decisions such as when to bunt, steal or hit and run.
  
  Section::::Reception.
   Comparison of embedded computer systems on board the Mars rovers
  
  The embedded computer systems on board the Mars rovers sent by NASA must withstand the high radiation levels and large temperature changes in space. For this reason their computational resources are limited compared to systems commonly used on Earth.
  
  Section::::In operation.
   Players begin each game with a company whose assets include IT staff, hardware, projects and ‘events’. A small number of these assets are delivered to players at the outset of each game turn. They are tasked with building an increasingly complex and robust network infrastructure as gameplay proceeds. Points are gained by using staff to deploy hardware and then by running projects. More advanced projects generate more points but have greater hardware requirements, while more advanced hardware carries a greater staff cost to deploy.
   Currently only a few distributions of Xbox Linux will run on the version 1.6 Xbox (the third newest version, including 1.6b). Xboxes with modchips and the Cromwell bios installed can run more distributions than those with only a softmod. This is mainly due to issues with the video chip used in version 1.6 Xboxes that was developed exclusively by Microsoft and which has no source code available at this time. This can cause significant overscan on all four sides of the screen when a different kernel than the original is loaded.
  
  Section::::Softmod.
   The PC also supports greater input fidelity thanks to its compatibility with a wide array of peripherals. The most common forms of input are the mouse/keyboard combination and gamepads, though touchscreens and motion controllers are also available. The mouse in particular lends players of first-person shooter and real-time strategy games on PC great speed and accuracy.
  
  Section::::Platform characteristics.:Openness.
  
  The defining characteristic of the PC platform is the absence of centralized control; all other gaming platforms (except Android devices, to an extent) are owned and administered by a single group.
  
  The advantages of openness include:
  
  BULLET::::- Reduced software cost
  
presuppositions: Game consoles are comparable to PCs.
corrections: Game consoles are not comparable to PCs because game console games are coded to the architecture of the console and PC games are coded to be compatible with multiple configurations..
raw_presuppositions: Game consoles are comparable to PCs. Only PCs are powerful enough to create a smooth gaming experience.
raw_corrections: Game consoles are not comparable to PCs because game console games are coded to the architecture of the console and PC games are coded to be compatible with multiple configurations.. Games are coded to give a smooth experience that matches the architecture of the console.