Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare console showdown: PlayStation 4 vs. PlayStation 3

By Adam Rosenberg November 5, 2014

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is here and, like so many generation-spanning releases that came before it, all eyes are on relative performance. How does X stack up against Y? In this case, X is a PlayStation 4 and Y is a PlayStation 3.

Related: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare review

You don’t even need to hit play here to know that the newer console delivers a stronger presentation. Much like our Xbox One versus Xbox 360 showdown, the difference is tremendous. The pre-rendered cinematic that occupies the first two minutes of the above comparison is obviously identical, since it’s pre-recorded video rather than live graphics processing.

Related: Some tips for getting the hang of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare‘s brand new campaign mode

You really see the difference once the mission starts, however. The PS3 version is certainly passable. It looks like a Call of Duty game, top to bottom. But the PS4 pushes out more detail on virtually every level: It runs smoother, textures capture even finer details, particle and lighting effects create a more convincing illusion, and reflective surfaces are more true to life.

Both games run smoothly enough. The PS4 is prone to occasional loading hiccups mid-mission and its frame rate isn’t quite as rock-solid, but these minor issues are more than made up for by the overall presentation.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies: how to complete Bad Signal

A soldier with a Pack-A-Punch weapon fires at zombies from behind cover.

Once Season 1 hit in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Zombies mode, a new Act was added for players to dive back into the undead masses to complete more missions. Since this Act takes place after all the prior ones, it's only natural that it puts players to the test.

The first mission in Act 4 is Bad Signal, which brings you to a new area that is more deadly than even the highest threat-level zones. If you're struggling to survive this mission, we'll give you clear instructions on how to complete Bad Signal.
Bad Signal guide

Gaming

The best weapons in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

A soldier standing in an armory.

To the layman, every gun in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 probably seems the same. They all shoot bullets, right? In reality, that couldn't be further from the truth. Even when you take player skill out of the equation, each gun has vastly different stats and applications that make some, even within their own category, just plain better choices for everyone. Each gun is broken down into various stats, including recoil, ADS speed, damage, and much more, which makes it hard to easily compare them. When you factor in just how many guns are available as you level up and keep unlocking more, the prospect of picking the best ones becomes overwhelming. If you're trying to build the ideal loadout to dominate the current meta, these are the best weapons in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for each weapon type.

We will detail the top picks per each class, and then list the rest in terms of how they rank.
Best assault rifles in MW3

Gaming

Our favorite PlayStation games of 2023: Spider-Man, Final Fantasy, and more

With the video game industry as busy as it is these days, there's rarely ever a "bad" year for any console. Even in a less busy year, platforms like Xbox still tend to have highlights in exciting indie games. That was true for PlayStation this year, which continued its strong momentum this generation despite only having a handful of big-ticket games.

While not every big PS5 exclusive thrilled this year, there were a lot of strong experiences to dive into. Developers got more mileage than ever out of the system's beefy tech specs, while PlayStation VR2 gave the platform some creative, immersive experiences. That's not to mention a handful of indies and third-party releases that Sony locked down as console exclusives for a time. That list of heavy hitters even included Baldur's Gate 3 for a few short months. In reflecting on another great year for PS5, we've highlighted seven games that stuck with us this year. Some were certainly divisive, but all of them helped give Sony's powerhouse system some extra depth in a crowded year.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2