Measuring the reverse salience of CPU utilization in video game consoles: The Performance Gap Ratio as a forecasting tool

This study applies and adds to the concepts of recent research revolving around reverse salience as a technology-forecasting methodology. A recent proposal for using performance gap and time gap measurements to determine the magnitude of reverse salience are applied to the disparity between hardware utilization in video game consoles and available hardware (in the form of the x86 central processing unit). Due to the exponential evolution of the principal comparison specification, clock frequency, we propose using a Performance Gap Ratio in addition to the Performance and Time Gap measurements for more detailed characterization of the Technology Gap between the two subjects. Determining the Performance Gap Ratio equation leads to a technology-forecasting device to assist analysts in determining the optimal time to launch a future platform and the specifications that should be included based on presently available hardware.