For decades, graphics were the visible part of the evolution of video games. The leap from 8-bit to 16-bit in the late 1980s, the 3D revolution of the 1990s and the move to HD in the 2000s were night-and-day moments that transformed the look of the leading games. of the time.
But have video game graphics reached a plateau? It's a discussion I've seen come up again and again in recent years. If people are still asking the question, does it mean that advances in game graphics really have stagnated, or is it that our expectations of the best games consoles are unrealistic?
"Am I crazy or have games looked like this for 10 years now?" someone asked on X recently, commenting on an image from Battlefield 6. Within four days, the post has received over 15 million views, over 250,000 likes and 1,800 comments.
It's clearly a topic that people have opinions on, and many seem to agree that they don't see graphics advancing any more. Some go so far as to say that graphics haven't visibly improved since the PS3.
"Side by side comparisons have proven that graphics hasn't improved in many cases in 15 years. Yet, they are already pushing for the next-gen console production. The current gen isn't even close to maxing out its graphics," one person argues.
"You could name 20 games from 10–12 years ago and if they dropped today, folks wouldn’t call them dated," someone else comments.
Some suggest the perceived lack of evolution is inevitable due to the law of diminishing returns. If polygon counts have exceeded our visual capability to see improvements in fidelity, then visible advances become more and more incremental.
But perhaps we need to ask what we want or expect graphics to look like? Often we judge advances in graphics in terms of photorealism, but if games already look real, where can they go next?
The most recent advances in graphics have been in things like particle effects and ray tracing for lighting. These may seem relatively minor, particularly to casual observers, but they have a big impact on the immersiveness and believability of a game that aims for 3D realism. At the same time, we've seen advances to allow higher frame rates for smoother gameplay.
Some suggest that the details just take closer observation – one person suggests that those who can't see the difference are just getting old. "My parents can't tell the difference between all the Marios, even the 2D and 3D ones," they note.
"Watching videos of gameplay is one thing but if you actually play them, on a 4k monitor you do notice a big difference that doesn’t come across on videos," another person argues.
Some are debating where game graphics could advance. Some see the only way to go further is with physics and advanced AI for NPCs, while others see VR as the next leap.
Obviously, games have advanced massively beyond graphics too, and not every title has a game art style that aims for realism. We've covered a lot of the best indie games on Creative Bloq, including some brilliantly unique titles, some of which could have been possible with graphics from ten years ago but many which wouldn't.
What do you think? Have video game graphics stagnated and does it matter? Let us know in the comments section below.
