In a practical test to evaluate AI models' capabilities in building a Tetris game, Claude Opus 4.5 from Anthropic delivered a smooth, playable game on the first attempt, showcasing its efficiency and user-friendly experience. GPT-5.2 Pro from OpenAI, despite its high cost and extended reasoning capabilities, produced a bug-ridden game initially, requiring additional prompts to fix issues, yet still offering a less satisfying user experience. DeepSeek V3.2, while the most cost-effective option, failed to deliver a playable game on the first try but remains a viable choice for developers on a budget willing to invest time in debugging. This comparison highlights Opus 4.5 as the most reliable for day-to-day coding tasks, while DeepSeek offers budget-friendly solutions with some effort, and GPT-5.2 Pro is better suited for complex reasoning tasks rather than simple coding projects. This matters because it helps developers choose the right AI model for their needs, balancing cost, efficiency, and user experience.
Claude Opus 4.5 is highlighted as an enjoyable conversational partner, offering a balanced and natural-sounding interaction without excessive formatting or condescension. It is praised for its ability to ask good questions and maintain a friendly demeanor, making it preferable to GPT-5.x models for many users, especially in extended thinking mode. The model is described as feeling more like a helpful friend rather than an impersonal assistant, suggesting that Anthropic's approach could serve as a valuable lesson for OpenAI. This matters because effective and pleasant AI interactions can enhance user experience and satisfaction.