How many current gen console games actually run at 60fps and 1080p?

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Blue Knight

Gawd
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The thread title asks it all. I know I can google the answer (and I have) but it seems the lists I can find are outdated. I remember reading somewhere that most console games are upscaled from 720p or even something smaller - and they mostly don't run at 60fps either, but are locked lower to ensure smooth framerates.

Given that the consoles are 5 years into their lifecycle, I'm wondering if graphics are improving or not.

I'm also asking because of a unique situation. I have an older TV that was caught inbetween the 1080i -> 1080p transition. The HDMI inputs can accept 720p or 1080i inputs, but the TV outputs everything at 1080p via deinterlacing. :( So.....when playing games, I can either pick 720p @ 60fps, or 1080i deinterlaced to 1080p @ 60fps. You'll also probably need to know that this is a 61" TV - and I currently sit 5' from the screen (The living situation changed - I know, that's really close) - so I can see smaller details.

Sure, it will depend on the game, but as a general setting, I was thinking the 720p would be the better choice for games as less fps information is lost...but I'm not sure. What would you prefer?
 
Very, very few. Like, in the sub 1% numbers.

720p is the sweet spot this gen, for anything other than movies anyway.
 
maybe the odd xbox live arcade/playstation network downloadable game. as mentioned above, not many at all.

720p @ 30fps is the norm. some games render at even lower to try to pump more out of their graphics engine.

i'll game on my pc through my hdtv to get the console experience that should be :)
 
Let me just put it this way... I'm going through Fable 2 right now, and the game looks like shit on my 23" 1920x1080 display. I'm guessing it's barely pulling off 720p. There's so much going on in the game, so it's almost negligible. But gods damn I want this game on PC instead..
 
If you want 1080p at 60fps then you'll need to get yourself a mid ranged PC. There's barely any 1080p games on consoles (a google search will show you how many), let alone how many run at 60fps.
 
Tudz said:
If you want 1080p at 60fps then you'll need to get yourself a mid ranged PC. There's barely any 1080p games on consoles (a google search will show you how many), let alone how many run at 60fps.
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Yeah, funnily enough, almost all my 1080p60 gaming has been done on the PC. Two exceptions, Super Stardust HD and Geometry Wars 2.
 
Im going to say 0. Downloaded games don't count. If they did there are a handful.
 
i think we'll start seeing more and more rendering at 600p as graphic engines get more demanding.
 
Dirk13 said:
Downloaded games don't count
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Why? Anything that can be played should be. Just because it doesn't display a record amount polygons and cost the same to make as a blockbuster movie doesn't make them any less of a game.....
 
I'm pretty sure Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection does. It's a download, but it IS a full game that has all of the content of a game like Street Fighter 4.
That game running at such high resolution @ 60FPS is one reason Tekken 6 was so ugly by comparison.
 
When a PS3 says that it can support up to 1080, does it actually run at 1080p? Dante's Inferno is one such game that says it supports it.
 
CrimsonKnight13 said:
When a PS3 says that it can support up to 1080, does it actually run at 1080p? Dante's Inferno is one such game that says it supports it.
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no, most games say they support 1080p but don't... even fable 2 which like mentioned above, doesn't come near it, says i supports 1080p.. but there are games that can... so the ps3 can support 1080p, yes.
 
I said they dont count for a couple of reasons. The first is they are not considered in my mind in the category of true consoles games due to cost/method of delivery. I cant go and rent them, I dont pop in a disk, they don't cost 60 bucks (thankfully) etc. But yes they are games, and they are played on the console. They are not however the games that the general public think about when they hear the advertising lines of plays at 1080p. The arcade games are not the ones that sell the systems. The above Tekken 5 might be an exception though.

This is like comparing playing crysis at 1080p and 60fps and Super Mario Bros 3 at 1080p and 60fps. Can the consoles play a game like crysis at 1080p and 60fps? No Could they play SM3 at the same (disregarding liscensing issues) yes- but who gives a shit - how is that in anyway showing off the capability of the console. Just because the consoles can output in 1080 doesnt mean that it can play current games at decent settings - and that I think is the original posters question.

And again, like i said in the post you quoted, if you feel like counting the downloaded games, then yes there are a handful of games that play at those settings.
 
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WipEout HD is one of very few "full title" 3D games (though it is downloadable, yes) on the PS3 that actually runs at 60 FPS at 1080P, but it will drop resolution dynamically to maintain FPS if you get a lot going on on-screen. That's really a good thing considering the nature of the title, and it certainly never looks bad. I'm still waiting for the next "real" installment in the WipEout series, since HD just borrowed tracks and sleds from the PSP titles, Pure and Pulse, with a little bit of new content by way of the Fury expansion. WipEout 4 (or whatever they call it) should be amazing, if it ever actually sees the light of day...
 
silent-circuit said:
WipEout HD is one of very few "full title" 3D games (though it is downloadable, yes) on the PS3 that actually runs at 60 FPS at 1080P, but it will drop resolution dynamically to maintain FPS if you get a lot going on on-screen. That's really a good thing considering the nature of the title, and it certainly never looks bad. I'm still waiting for the next "real" installment in the WipEout series, since HD just borrowed tracks and sleds from the PSP titles, Pure and Pulse, with a little bit of new content by way of the Fury expansion. WipEout 4 (or whatever they call it) should be amazing, if it ever actually sees the light of day...
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All of the SCE Studio Liverpool projects were halted at the beginning of this year when they got restructured by Sony. If there is a return of WipEout, it will be a while. A long while...
 
naninani said:
All of the SCE Studio Liverpool projects were halted at the beginning of this year when they got restructured by Sony. If there is a return of WipEout, it will be a while. A long while...
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Fuck. There goes my reason for buying a PS3.
 
holinger said:
no, most games say they support 1080p but don't... even fable 2 which like mentioned above, doesn't come near it, says i supports 1080p.. but there are games that can... so the ps3 can support 1080p, yes.
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To clarify, lots of games output at 1080p but are internally rendered at a lower resolution. So technically they are 1080, but it's really smoke and mirrors. There are a few games, mostly (all?) downloadable games, that actually render and output at 1080p.
 
Dirk13 said:
I said they dont count for a couple of reasons. The first is they are not considered in my mind in the category of true consoles games due to cost/method of delivery. I cant go and rent them, I dont pop in a disk, they don't cost 60 bucks (thankfully) etc. But yes they are games, and they are played on the console. They are not however the games that the general public think about when they hear the advertising lines of plays at 1080p. The arcade games are not the ones that sell the systems. The above Tekken 5 might be an exception though.

This is like comparing playing crysis at 1080p and 60fps and Super Mario Bros 3 at 1080p and 60fps. Can the consoles play a game like crysis at 1080p and 60fps? No Could they play SM3 at the same (disregarding liscensing issues) yes- but who gives a shit - how is that in anyway showing off the capability of the console. Just because the consoles can output in 1080 doesnt mean that it can play current games at decent settings - and that I think is the original posters question.

And again, like i said in the post you quoted, if you feel like counting the downloaded games, then yes there are a handful of games that play at those settings.
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dumbest explanation ever of why downloadable games don't count lol.
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
dumbest explanation ever of why downloadable games don't count lol.
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This especially considering that downloadable games is where the industry is heading. Every video game manufacturer hates second-hand games and rentals because they don't see the money from those transactions. The current "warning signs" towards that direction is their destruction of the vintage market by reselling all older release titles via online marketplaces and of course all the download only games that don't have retail packaging (which is what we're discussing here...)

This of course doesn't include what Valve is doing with Steam. Steam is basically turning into exactly what the console market will want in the future. Direct to drive, no packaging cost, no manufacturing of disk cost, and significantly less employees in those sectors. Video game developers will only have to program games and not worry about distribution. At least not worry about distribution in the same sense that they have to now. More money in their pockets and significantly less hassle.

2 gens of consoles from now, I wouldn't be surprised if every console is download or streaming only.

(Also: does Dirk13 think that every game on the PSPgo doesn't count as a title? Is Steam just the biggest sham in the whole world? Or is the argument that you could buy PSPgo titles and Steam titles in disk form the only leg you have to stand on?)
 
Blue Knight said:
The thread title asks it all. I know I can google the answer (and I have) but it seems the lists I can find are outdated. I remember reading somewhere that most console games are upscaled from 720p or even something smaller - and they mostly don't run at 60fps either, but are locked lower to ensure smooth framerates.

Given that the consoles are 5 years into their lifecycle, I'm wondering if graphics are improving or not.

I'm also asking because of a unique situation. I have an older TV that was caught inbetween the 1080i -> 1080p transition. The HDMI inputs can accept 720p or 1080i inputs, but the TV outputs everything at 1080p via deinterlacing. :( So.....when playing games, I can either pick 720p @ 60fps, or 1080i deinterlaced to 1080p @ 60fps. You'll also probably need to know that this is a 61" TV - and I currently sit 5' from the screen (The living situation changed - I know, that's really close) - so I can see smaller details.

Sure, it will depend on the game, but as a general setting, I was thinking the 720p would be the better choice for games as less fps information is lost...but I'm not sure. What would you prefer?
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Graphics have improved, but what's happened is that developers have opted for better effects at the expense of rendering resolution.

Most games will render internally at a maximum of 1280*720 (what you call 720p). Very few games outside of the odd PSN downloadable game or Xbox Live Arcade game will run above this resolution. In fact, most games run below it.

Microsoft had initially mandated that all games run at 720p, yet one of the console's first titles (Project Gotham Racing 3) ran below it. By the time they removed the "restriction", it was just a formality... since games like Halo 3 and Call of Duty were all running below the required resolution. I personally prefer crisp, sharp images over grotty, dull images with fancy effects, but that puts me in the minority. At least I have a capable gaming PC.


The Xbox360 has an internal scaling chip that will convert any rendered frame to the video output setting specified in your system options. As a rule of thumb, you should set your console to your display's native resolution. IE, if you have a 1080p television, set your Xbox360 to 1080p. If you have a 720p television, set your Xbox360 to 720p instead of 1080i. If you don't, you're forcing the 360 to upscale and interlace your image, then asking your television to downscale and de-interlace the image again to display it on screen (and losing 50% of your frames in the process, since 1080i runs 60 half-frames for effectively 30fps)

The PS3 does not do any scaling by default, and relies on the developer to utilize hardware accelerated scaling or the television. As long as your TV supports 720p you will be fine (older CRT-based HDTVs don't support 720p, which caused a ruckus at launch)
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
dumbest explanation ever of why downloadable games don't count lol.
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Well, if he's referring to pub games (i.e. jewel games, puzzle games, and such), I would disregard them simply because 1080p has no bearing there. On the other hand, there are plenty of downloadable games on the market places that are graphically respectable where 1080p actually means something (Fat Princess, Toy Soldiers, BF 1943, and tons of games on Steam for that matter).
 
More and more we're seeing full games show up as downloadable options. XBL has several "Greatest Hits" games as downloads. The PSN+ is starting to as well.
Not to mention some of of the larger downloads from previous years like Tekken, Wipeout, Warhawk, or Shadow Complex.
Those are just as much "real" games as most disk-based ones. Hell, some of those rival the Wii's biggest/best.
 
Dirk13 said:
I said they dont count for a couple of reasons. The first is they are not considered in my mind in the category of true consoles games due to cost/method of delivery. I cant go and rent them, I dont pop in a disk, they don't cost 60 bucks (thankfully) etc. But yes they are games, and they are played on the console. They are not however the games that the general public think about when they hear the advertising lines of plays at 1080p. The arcade games are not the ones that sell the systems. The above Tekken 5 might be an exception though.

This is like comparing playing crysis at 1080p and 60fps and Super Mario Bros 3 at 1080p and 60fps. Can the consoles play a game like crysis at 1080p and 60fps? No Could they play SM3 at the same (disregarding liscensing issues) yes- but who gives a shit - how is that in anyway showing off the capability of the console. Just because the consoles can output in 1080 doesnt mean that it can play current games at decent settings - and that I think is the original posters question.

And again, like i said in the post you quoted, if you feel like counting the downloaded games, then yes there are a handful of games that play at those settings.
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So they aren't true console games now? Well I can play it and it is on my console....therefore they are not only games....but also console games....

Just because you can't physically hold it etc does not mean it is any less of a game!! In that respect I guess my downloaded copy of Burnout Paradise or the digital copies of LBP & Infamous aren't real games? I'd be interested to hear your views of Socom, Warhawk & GT5p too, along with the entire catalogue of the PSPGo! Granted, they are mostly 720p but the point still stands.

Going back to 1080p games....Super Stardust HD still is one of my fave downloadable games on PS3 and very addictive....1080p and download only. Ooops.
 
PSN has some games that are native 1080p. Of course the graphics are not nearly as good as you will see at retail releases. Neither system simply has the power yet. Next gen though, the PS4 and 720, will probably be native 1080p @ 30fps w/3d support.
 
Perhaps my explanation was a little unclear. I am not saying they are not console games, they are games, and you can play them on the console. This has nothing to do with steam either. I am saying I personally do not count the majority of games available to download on consoles as being relevant to the main topic. Both the xbox and ps3 are simply not powerful enough to render a game that claims to have modern graphics and features. Those are the games that you generally have to go to the store and buy for 59.99 etc. Show me GTA4, Halo, CoD, RDR, BatMan AA , BioShock, MassEffect 2 etc.. for download on the xbox market place and then yes I might start considering the downloadable games in the same category.

The majority of games you download are much smaller in size and much simpler graphically. One exception that someone mentioned was a Teken game - I think that would count. They also take a hell of a lot less power to run as well. I was trying to get that point across comparing crysis and SM3. This is all about advertising. When we hear that such and such system can play games at 1080p and 60fps we think of the AAA titles, not the arcade downloads. Who gives a shit if they can play world of goo at 1080p and 60fps, when games like GTA4 barely run at 720 at low settings.
 
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MGS4 is sub HD, running at 1158 x 665. As previously mentioned, that back of the box stuff doesn't really mean anything more than what TV you can use to display the game.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.

With the lack of game support, it seems like generally I can keep my 360 at 720p then with no ill affects. The PS3 I'll have to debate though, as I do watch blu-ray movies with it. I'll have to run some tests and see if I can tell the difference in quality...
 
Few console games are rendered at 1080p (let alone 60fps). Most are rendered at 720p but a year or two ago, MS took that requirement out so now many new ones are rendered at lower resolution 600p and 620p seem to be the most common.
 
Darkstar 1 on 360 is 1080p at 60fps. Looks and runs great in a 'clean' sort of way.
 
dishwasher may be 1080p but when you run the game at that res it shows tearing.
 
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