Tech Report: Nintendo 3DS Hardware Analysis

We first took a look at how powerful we thought the 3DS might be right here, and then again here, just after we learned which GPU would be powering the system. Now it’s time to do this once again, as a few days ago IGN appeared to accurately reveal the complete 3DS spec sheet, with information encompassing everything from CPU type and final GPU clock speed, to the amount of memory on board, both for system and graphics use. In short, the complete picture has been unravelled right before our eyes.


The full specs list for the 3DS is as follows: the machine is powered by two ARM11 CPUs running at 266MHz, and a DMP PICA200 GPU clocked at 133MHz. It features 4MB of VRAM dedicated to graphics (textures, framebuffer, effects? That’s not clear yet), 64MBs of RAM, and 1.5GBs of flash memory for storage.

Looking at the above, we can see that the 3DS appears initially to be rather underpowered. The GPU speed is incredibly low for a modern handheld device, and the ARM11 CPU was last featured in the original iPhone and iPod touch, and certainly more than a fair bit weaker than the A4 Cortex powering the new iPhone 4. However, when looking closer at the hardware itself, the resolution it runs at, and just what graphical features will be running, and how they will be implemented, it is also clear that the hardware isn’t quite as stillborn as you might expect.

Current game demos like Resident Evil Revelations, and Metal Gear Solid 3 both showcase the machines strong graphical capabilities despite the on paper limitations. And it is also important to point out that Nintendo’s hardware, unlike that of the iPhone and other multimedia / general handheld devices, the 3DS isn’t likely to feature a performance sapping OS powering it, or a restrictive high-level API limiting what you can do graphically. Nope, it’s almost certain that with the 3DS it will be possible for developers to code directly to metal, thus ensuring that they get ever last drop of juice from what the hardware is capable of.



Taking into account the small screen size, and small screen resolution itself (800x240), then you find that the system’s overall performance is perfectly suited to this type of environment. There’s no point for example, in rendering dozens of millions of textured, layered, and complexly shaded polygons per-second on a small screen in which at such a low resolution - most of that will almost certainly go to waste. Instead, like we have said before Nintendo seems to have taken a balanced, economical approach to their next-gen handheld hardware. And this looks to be the right choice. Cost/performance wise, it looks set to get the job done comfortably, and when looking at the individual make up of the system’s internals we can see why.

The CPU for example, an ARM11 running at 266MHz, is unlikely to be doing any complex physics calculations, or highly advanced AI routines – these aren’t really needed for small doses of on the go gaming, so appears to be low spec, but entirely adequate for the task in hand. Of course we can expect basic physics, and the illusion of advanced AI with the chip – seeing as it is rated roughly in line with an Intel 486 CPU, then scripted AI events, and arcade-like physics are more than possible, and satisfactory.

Looking at what was achieved on the original iPhone, and the fact that developers were still hindered by Apple’s domineering software API, then you can easily expect a substantial improvement when coding direct to metal, or much closer with a less restrictive development environment. Better collision routines, AI etc. All that is possible when taking into account the chip in context of how the 3DS works in comparison.

The decision to downclock the GPU is a rather interesting factor, not least of all because the standard PICA 200 running at 200MHz is very low spec by today’s standard – trailing way behind the iPhone 4’s SGX535, but also because it’s unlikely to be that much less cost effective. Instead, like in our original assumptions, we assume that this downgrade was done in order to preserve battery life, whilst also providing a small, but altogether beneficial decrease in overall system cost.

Even with GPU’s downclocking to 133MHz, it still packs plenty of punch. The original PICA-200 running at 200MHz can push around a maximum of around 15.3 million polygons per-second in a best case scenario, although that is unlikely to be in a real-world game environment (30 or 60fps with full effects etc).


In the 3DS, where the clock speed has been lowered to 133MHz we can expect a further drop in performance. From what we can see with current game demos, is that the systems peak polygon performance (on first-gen software at least) looks to be around the 3 to 6 million mark per-second – just over that of the PSP, and equalling the mid-range table of what the PS2 can do. Of course this is assuming optimised conditions, seeing as none of the software looks like it pushing anything more than around 4, maybe five million polys per-second.

However, such low geometry counts seldom makes a big difference these days, especially where advanced shaders, and multiple texture layers are concerned. And this is where the 3DS shows us its trump card. With the addition of advanced fixed-function effects which simulate the use of programmable shaders, along with actual vertex shader capabilities, Nintendo’s handheld can do a lot more with less, polygon wise, thus negating what can be seen as a lack of overall polygon pushing power. Also on such a small screen, huge amounts of geometry is always going to be less beneficial than a string of useful visual effects.


In terms of memory, the system is pretty much on par with the PSP. The 3DS has 64MB of main memory, and 4MB of video RAM - basically the same as the PSP Slim & Lite (bar VRAM in which the PSP S&L has 8MB). Initially, the inclusion of only 64MB of memory for the overall system to use may seem limiting. However, when you consider that the 3DS is a cart-based system, and that large amounts of data can be streamed in real-time from the format, then 64MB appears to be a suitable amount given what’s expected of it.

The same could also be said of the system’s 4MB of video RAM. Although it does seem rather limiting at first - it’s not yet known whether it is simply being used as framebuffer memory, or to hold the entire rendered scene, complete with textures and fixed-function texture layers - it should be enough for most games given the overall make up of the system's architecture. Determining its impact on performance though, is somewhat guesswork at this point.

Saying that, assuming Nintendo has included an efficient texture compression system then 4MB should be more than enough to fit in both the framebuffer and graphics data as an all-in-one solution. At the 800x240 resolution games are rendering at, you’re not really going to need that much more space for decent image quality anyways.

Obviously we don’t know the bandwidth numbers for the system’s graphics memory, although current game demos clearly demonstrate performance beyond that of the PSP, and the PS2 with regards to visual effects. And that’s with pushing around a lot more through the graphics pipeline. The standard PICA-200 GPU running at 200MHz has a pixel fill-rate of around 800 million pixels per-second (more than the GCN but less than XB and Wii), so we can comfortably say that the downclocked 3DS revision features noticeably less that. Although by how much, we can’t really say.

Surprisingly, when looking at the raw numbers of the 3DS’s specifications, you can actually see that the machine isn’t all that much more powerful that Sony’s PSP, with the amount of memory being the same, and geometry counts being very similar, albeit a little closer to the low end, mid-range of the PS2. What gives the 3DS its visual edge it seems, is simply down to its GPU’s capacity for rendering loads of advanced fixed-function effects on screen in lieu of having proper pixel shaders. Per-pixel lighting is supported, as is bump-mapping, specular and diffuse reflections, refraction mapping, procedural texturing and soft shadowing.

All of these add serious clout to the final images the 3DS produces in its games, and is exactly why the likes of Resident Evil Revelations and Metal Gear Solid 3 looks so good. The former looking closer to current 360 and PS3 games than most titles on the original Xbox.

Lastly, the system also features 1.5GBs of flash memory, used primarily for user-based storage. We can expect this space to be occupied by downloadable content, and various music and media files the user has transferred onto the console. Interestingly, it appears that the system actually features a 2GB flash memory chip inside, leaving 512MB solely in the hands of the OS. It is likely that this will be used to upgrade the machine’s firmware further on down the line, adding new functionality to the unit and who knows what else.


With the final specifications of the 3DS revealed (minus the odd bit of info here and there) it is clear that the system is, at first glance, not blinding more powerful than the PSP as it originally appeared. Much of what makes the 3DS games graphically so impressive comes from cleaver implementation of layered texture effects, and some impressive texture compression. Obviously, stuff like total system bandwidth is still up in the air. Although we can see that Nintendo's machine is working smarter, rather than harder.

However, this just might be enough. From what we’ve seen of the software, the machine has no problems in overshadowing DC and PS2 games, even bettering some Wii and Xbox 1 titles, so the lacking nature of the machine’s raw specifications are certainly not the be all and end all of the story.

Like with the N64, GCN, NDS, Wii, and pretty much every games console they’ve ever done, Nintendo have always been clever in selecting cost-effective, but capable performing parts, ones which get the job done without needing as much raw grunt as its competitors. And this is exactly the case here with the 3DS. They could have gone with NVIDA’s Tegra 2 solution (and evidence points to the fact that they originally were going to), however, for what is likely to be either cost or power efficiency issues, decidedly to switch to the DMP PICA-200 chip instead.

The decision, however silly it might seem in the face of vastly superior smartphone tech, and the rumoured PSP2, makes sense when you consider that the main draw of their system is it’s ability of deliver a solid 3D experience without the need for the user to wear glasses, and at what is likely to be at a reasonable price. The fact that games for the system currently impress, despite paper limitations, is just another sign that the company has done the right thing, especially given the circumstances of the ever-increasing cost of having cutting edge hardware in the home.

Balancing impressive graphics hardware and a low entry price with mass-market adoption is usually not an easy task. But Nintendo has shown time and time again that it definitely knows what its doing in this sector. And the 3DS looks like being another shining example of just that.

3D Blu-Ray Support And More in Firmware 3.50

You can already play 3D games on your PS3 assuming you have a 3D ready TV: an update released a few months ago made this possible, although the playback of 3D Blu-Ray movies was strictly out of the question. Until now.

Earlier today Sony released firmware update 3.50 across the globe. This latest update now allows users to be able to watch compatible Blu-Ray films in stereoscopic 3D for the first time. Sony originally enabled the PS3 to play games in 3D way back in the summer, and at the time mentioned that movie playback in the format would arrive shortly after.

The company commented on the update by saying:

"In 2010, only Sony can deliver a full "lens to lounge room" 3D experience from content capture, content creation such as films to games, to device delivery that provides the ultimate 3D enjoyment in the home."

Of course this was only in regards to the 3D portion of the update. However, the firmware adds much more than that to your PS3.

Here is a full list of features that the 3.50 upgrade will provide:

- 3D BluRay support
- Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity - adds a new icon to the Music category, linking to the new service that should become available in this quarter.
- Browser update with Playstation Move 'direct pointer' support
- Improvements to the Playstation Plus user interface in the Playstation Store
- A 3D logo for 3D enabled content
- The Move (re)calibration screen in the XMB is available from within games
- You can report people from the friends menu
- 14 of the most common errors have received better descriptions
- Access your Facebook profile from within Account Management on XMB

The most significant changes, other than 3D Blu-Ray support, appear to be a proper integration of Facebook with the XMB (or at least accessing your main profile), and the ability to use the Move’s pointer ability to navigate the XMB menu screens. Sadly there is no sign of the rumoured, brand new web browser, or the option to have cross-game chat – a feature that is constantly at the top of most users most requested lists.

Feature: PlayStation Move: The Verdict

There is no doubting the Wii’s initial success; it was the right time, and the right place for motion controls to really start to take off. Promises of life-like, eventual 1:1 motion, combined with that feel-good, family fun factor when people come together to play were all jostled about like F1 cars battling for that coveted no.1 spot. However, amongst all the hype, the potential to change the face of traditional gaming forever, was the hard reality that, for all Nintendo’s promises the Wii had largely failed to deliver on them as a whole.

The lack of true 1:1 motion control led to what is known as the ‘waggle’ factor being included in games; a series of predefined moves in the game where by the data from the Wii remote and sensors would be processed and interpreted by the Wii console into these actions. The result: a mere illusion of proper motion control, in which you were simply waving your arms around (or the flick of a wrist) in order to do what seemed like a number of overly flashy button presses.

Nintendo finally brought in the Motion Plus upgrade to alleviate the problem, finally delivering on that original 1:1 promise. And although it did, by and large succeed, it was far too late, and the end results were less than impressive. There was still some form of waggle being present, and the lag in titles which actually used full 1:1 tracking was noticeably high. Suffice to say the Motion Plus was too little, too late, and by that time both Sony and Microsoft were eying up the market for them selves.


Whereas MS are clearly aiming themselves at the casual gaming market with their completely controllerless solution in Kinect, Sony, with PlayStation Move, are in fact attempting to cross over into the best of both worlds; luring gamers with the incredibly high-precision of their device, whilst also catering for the mainstream via a selection of highly accurate mii-too sports and entertainment titles.

Unlike Nintendo, who in the beginning promised accurate 1:1 motion tracking and a fast, responsive solution, Sony have actually delivered on just that. The sheer accuracy and precision of the Move is simply incredible. Not only is true 1:1 tracking fully available, along with advanced depth perception, it is also able to operate with in just 1 or 2 frames of latency (that’s between 66ms and 132ms of lag), with just an additional 22ms stemming from the Move device relaying data to the PS3 itself.

If those numbers at first seem a little high, remember that most 60fps titles operate with 66ms latency at standard, with 30fps titles hitting around the 100ms mark. Interestingly, both Halo 3 and the forthcoming NFS Hot Pursuit operate at 100ms, whilst Killzone 2 is around 150ms. Incredibly, that puts the Move right up there with standard controller response times in an average to best scenario. This completely overshadows Microsoft’s Kinect, which on average operates at around 200ms latency when using full body tracking.

Indeed, a few of the Move’s launch titles show off the device’s unflinching precision when it comes to movement tracking. Pin-point accuracy is commonplace in the best titles, whilst latency is noticeably well below levels found on all the best Wii games. What this means is that the most accomplished launch titles for the Move don’t suffer from having that bolted on, or artificial ‘waggle’ feeling to them.

Case in point: Sports Champions demonstrates uncannily realistic 1:1 motion tracking in it’s Table Tennis game, carefully replicating nearly every subtle movement of the player onscreen. Granted, the demo does seem to feature some kind of additional assist function auto-enabled, though this can be turned off in the final game for exact precision tracking.


All this is only made possible because of the unique make up of the Move hardware itself, and it’s relationship with Sony’s own PlayStation Eye camera. Whereas Nintendo went for a combination of infrared tracking, and built-in accelerometers to detect motion and positioning, Sony on the other hand have used a whole array of extra sensors, including LED marker tracking (by far the most important) in order to replicate true 1:1 mapping in a 3D space, whilst also using the PS Eye camera for a simpler form of full body tracking like seen in MS’s Kinect.

The combination of Move’s motion sensors, LED light, and PS Eye camera is just what gives its incredible accuracy. The glowing orb on the end of the controller is tracked by the PS Eye camera, which in turn uses both the data from the internal Move sensors, and the LED light on the front, to intricately track the position of the controller in full 3D. Effectively, it uses the size of the orb within its viewpoint as a guide to determining the distance of the Move, and thus tracking it accordingly.

It’s only when the Move is obscured behind various objects (people, furniture, etc) does the precise nature of the tracking go off-kilter, instead briefly, for a moment reverting back to Wii methods of determining position and movement. When this happens the precision is temporarily lost, resulting in less accurate tracking and an increase in controller latency. However, the Move quickly corrects this as the LED orb on the front of the controller comes back into view.

From a technical standpoint then, the Move offers not only the best of both worlds; precision 1:1 motion control, and full body tracking as well, but also manages to clearly be the most responsive and overly accurate of all three current motion solutions.


Onto the actual hardware itself, and you can see that both the Move and the Navigation Controller (Nav Con) have been lavished by Sony’s high-end design expertise. Both are very comfortable to hold, and benefit from their ergonomically crafted, curved and rounded shape. Compared to the blocky Wii Remote, the Move remains comfortably in your hand for far longer, weighing less, whilst providing better grip and control. The same principles apply to the Nav Con, which feels weighty, but light at the same time.

The fact that both controllers effectively almost weigh the same, and pretty much feel the same, is a big plus. Where as Nintendo went for the most iconic handheld device in the home (the TV remote control) as the base of it’s Wii motion controller design, complementing it with a more traditional feeling Nunchuck, Sony have instead unified their design in a more succinct, albeit stylish manner.

Both the Move and the Nav Con are wireless, working off bluetooth like with the Dual Shock 3 controller, and feature rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Charging is done via the same USB cable that the Sixaxis and DS3 use to connect up to the PS3, and you can expect each full charge to last between seven and eight hours; which isn’t at all bad considering what the Move has to do, although far less than a regular Sixaxis pad.

Seeing as Sony doesn’t provide any additional USB cables with either the Move or the Nav Con, you might want to invest in one of the few double charging stations that are available. The Sony one in particular features a similar high build quality to that of the Move itself, although more expensive than the lesser third-party solutions available.


In terms of button placement and functionality, both Move and the Nav Con provide ample options as a replacement to the standard Dual Shock controller. The Nav Con features an analogue stick closely matching that of Sony’s DS3 and Sixaxis pads, whilst also having both an L2 analogue trigger and the L1 button (feeling much like the ones on a DS3) slightly beneath the front of it. The Move itself features a new custom T-Trigger on its underside (more like a trigger from a gun than the one from the DS3 pad, it has a softer resistance to it compared to the L2 trigger on the Nav Con) whilst also having the standard four face buttons situated around the brand new Move button, which serves as the units main action/start button.

Furthermore, the PS home button is featured on both the Move and the Nav Con; indented into the controllers to prevent accidental presses from occurring, and on the Move, the Start and Select buttons from the DS have also been lowered into the plastic casing for the same reason.

Annoyingly, the main face buttons feel rather small, and have a cheap, but strong resistance to them. Pushing down on these feels like it requires more effort than it should, as it also does with both Start and Select buttons, making using them slightly uncomfortable. It would have been better to not only make these buttons (the main four face ones) bigger, but also giving them a softer click when pressed.

Thankfully, the rest of the controller is a complete joy to use with no more such mishaps; a quick pull on the T-Trigger, a move using the Nav Con’s analogue stick, or a push of the Move button is quite satisfying, reiterating the high build quality of both devices.

Perhaps the only real downside is that the Nav Con is lacking any kind of motion tracking at all in its innards, making its use somewhat limited compared to the Wii’s Nunchunk. Instead, games that may well work best with two motion controllers require the user to have two Move’s, thus limiting the experience in other areas as the Move doesn’t feature either a d-pad or an analogue stick.


Another, is that the PS Eye is maybe a little too basic in its spec for advanced full body tracking without lag, and that its relatively low resolution display (640 x 480) sometimes makes tracking the LED sphere on the Move difficult in brightly lit areas. I personally found the bright morning sun shining through a window behind me, to the side, mildly affecting its overall performance.

The onscreen image produced from the camera is also very grainy. It’s not so bad in daytime conditions, but in low light situations clarity is replaced with plenty of grain and some digital noise. Having the camera’s lower resolution feed upscaled to match the output resolution of the software using it doesn’t help much either, and the difference in sharpness between the two images (game and camera feed) only provide a disconnect from the experience. Having a HD camera would have been far more beneficial, giving not only better image quality, but also more accurate bright light and body tracking as well.

Saying that, outside of these issues there’s very little, if anything to complain about, and Sony have clearly produced something that is as functional as it is stylish. The accuracy and lack of any heavy latency in accomplished games is obviously the Move’s main talking point, secondary to it treading old ground where early ideas are concerned.


However, all this is in vein if the software doesn’t accurately represent what the tech is actually capable of, and this is one area where the Move is distinctly let down. Out of the Move specific launch titles there is only maybe one of two games worthy of your attention, with some of the best ones being PSN-based download titles.

For this reason alone, I decided not to purchase any games off-hand for review purposes, instead opting to playtest the various demos available via both the Starter Disc that comes packaged with the Move and the PS Eye, and from the PSN.

Sports Champions is clearly the main draw out of all the games and demos available. It is the game which really showcases the Move’s potential over and above that of both the Wii and Microsoft’s forthcoming Kinect. On the Starter Disc two separate games from this title are available for demonstration: Table Tennis, and Disc Golf. Both are incredibly accurate in terms of the way they play, the kind of 1:1 tracking expected, and with regards to their extremely low latency.

In Table Tennis pretty much all of my movements were accurately mapped using the Move, from the angle of my shots, to the speed in which I was moving. The amount of lag that was detectable was minuscule, practically absent, and better than most normal games in framerate dropping situations. To word it better: it WAS like using your arm as an instant controller. The only downside with the demo, is that it had some kind of assist function activated so that hitting the ball was made easier, though its reactions weren’t always as realistic as they could be. Apparently this doesn’t happen in the higher difficulty modes (demo is on easy) as no assist takes place.


Disc Golf was also very accurate and responsive. I could make both drastic and subtle changes to how I wanted to throw the disc by naturally throwing it differently each time, and the Move would pick up on this. The delay was slightly higher than in Table Tennis, with you needing to let go of the T-Trigger just a tad earlier to get the desired effect. Even then adjusting to this took only moments, and the result was still far in advance of anything comparable on the Wii.

Tiger Woods was a huge let down. Although the quality of the actual motion tracking seemed pretty good, there was still a noticeable amount of lag going on – not as much as say Motion Plus Tiger on the Wii, but still more than expected.

Thankfully putting fared much better than on the Wii title. Unlike with Motion Plus Tiger 10, the delay in my movements to the actions on screens was relatively small, and I could see my character’s club moving almost as the Move controller was. On the Wii I had to swing harder than I needed to for the game to respond to my movements, but not so here with the PS3 Move version. This meant that I could accurately gauge both my position and power of my shots quite easily in comparison.

Sadly, the controls are let down by having to hold down one of the face buttons in order to put spin on the ball, and that you need to use a Dual Shock in order to start the game and navigate the menus.


Start The Party was pretty much an enhanced Eye Toy affair, with the player using a virtual fly swatter to hit various insects that appeared on the screen. Video feed of the player is projected on screen, along with the image of the swatter you are holding in place of the Move itself. Control was really poor, lag was instantly apparent, and on many occasions it felt like the game wasn’t registering all of my hits. It was also difficult for me to determine distance in a 3D space on screen when 3D graphics are laid over a video feed, leading to missed shots and bouts of frustration. Despite the novelty of seeing you hold a virtual racket on screen, Eye Toy Play’s Kung Fu was a far better game.


EyePet: Move Edition seemed a little pointless. Although it uses the Move quite well, it’s also made redundant by the fact that the game is far more fun by simply using your hands to interact with your creature. Having Move support didn’t add anything to the overall experience, not when you can already touch and play with your virtual pal without it. The new stuff is a nice diversion for a short gaming (if you can call it that) session or so , but that’s about it.


Interestingly, my favourite game out of the bunch of demos that I played, was the PSN game, Tumble. The concept is very simple: the idea is that you have a certain number of blocks that you have to stack up onscreen, each having different properties such as size, shape and weight. The starting block at the bottom has to be touching the pressure pad on the floor, and you can only build on top of this. Obsticales are also presented to the player, such as avoiding moving objects, and another challenge sees you blowing up an existing tower seeing how far away you can blast the blocks.

The control seemed to me to be pretty accurate, although the cursor speed didn’t react quite as fast a my movements. This can be remedied by upping the Move’s sensitivity in the XMB menu however, so not really an issue. You can turn and flip blocks using a quick flick of the Move in any of the four main directions (left, right, up and down), and navigate the onscreen pointer around the on screen environment by literally Moving the Move controller around the room. The best part however, was both the simplicity and fun of the whole concept; the demo had me glued for about an hour repeatedly trying out new things. It’s hardly revolutionary, but lots of fun.


Other than the Move specific game demos found on the Starter Disc and PSN, there are a few other titles with added Move functionality worth considering. Ruse looks especially suited to the device, and the new Move controls in Heavy Rain are quite well thought out, definitely bringing the player even closer to the game than before. There’s also Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition, which has Move support enabled in the latest download patch, although its implementation leaves a lot to be desired. But more on that in another report if I get the time.

Overall, the range of software for the Move is decidedly a mixed bag of sorts. On one hand, you’ve got the likes of Sports Champions clearly showcasing just what Sony’s motion controller can do, Ruse and Heavy Rain showing genuine improvements over the standard DS3 controller. On the other, there’s shovelware type rubbish as seen with Start The Party, and missed opportunities with the latest Tiger Woods, neither of which really make you feel that the Move was a worthy investment. Even the impressive Sports Champions suffers from a total lack of personality. It feels bland and completely soulless like many of the other Move-specific offerings. At least the art style doesn’t try and patronise you like say Start The Party or anything.

So software-wise the Move doesn’t quite deliver on all accounts. Despite some genuinely impressive flashes of brilliance, there’s a lot that needs serious improving. Nothing out of the current line-up of titles screams of being an essential purchase, a real reason to own the Move. Hardcore gamers are likely to enjoy downloading and trying out the various game demos that are available on PSN, especially Heavy Rain and Tumble, whilst casual gamers may well wonder just what all the fuss is about.


Going back to the hardware though, and it is apparent that Sony have absolutely succeeded in delivering something that not only works as promised, but also something manages to offer a level of precision and accuracy not found in other motion control solutions. Sure, the full body tracking capabilities of the Move + PS Eye camera may not be able to match the Kinect in this area, but the tracking of the Move itself and the upper body is easily as good, with overall accuracy being to a far higher standard with vastly lower latency.

Certainly, the experience of proper 1:1 tracking with precise depth perception is undeniably impressive, and seeing it implemented here with minimal latency – were talking about 1 to 2 frames as standard (66ms to 132ms) - is arguably Sony’s coup d'état against both Nintendo and Microsoft. But it remains to be seen if that’s really enough.

There’s no question that for a variety of experiences, from family party games, to high-end hardcore FPS’s that the Move unquestionably provides the strongest baseline to work from; you’re going to need an additional control device for some types of game to work on kinect, but not with Move. However, the issue is whether or not Sony can convince developers to spend the extra time in crafting advanced AAA Move experiences. Unlike Kinect, there doesn’t appear to be the same amount of processing overhead when using the device so I don’t see why not. But time, and consumer spending will dictate whether or not that uptake will happen.

For the time being then, PlayStation Move is definitely worth a look. The technology is clearly up to scratch, and there is a fair amount of free content to try out if the likes of Sports Champions isn’t quite your thing. It’s just a shame that some of the software fails to live up to the Move’s potential, failing to expand outside of the mii-too clone market and into something a little more polished and unique.

So, at this very moment the Move represents an impressive technological demonstration, but lacks any true must have titles to really back it up. The promise of what it was supposed to be able to do has been fulfilled. All that’s left is for more games to do the same thing.

Tech Analysis: Halo Reach - Final Game Update

Up until now, the Halo series on the Xbox 360 has always been somewhat lacking in the graphics department. Halo 3 ruthlessly cut back on the high levels of image quality and texture detail expected from a title this generation in order to include what was, and is still, arguably the most advanced HDR lighting solution we’ve seen in any game so far. Whilst ODST merely added a brief lick of paint to the proceedings, upping the quality of the texture filtering slightly, and bringing in a post process blur effect to smooth out the upscaled framebuffer.

For Halo: Reach Bungie have completely gone back to the drawing board, stripping out, and rewriting most of the engine with alarming success. So much so, that the game now ranks as one of the prettiest on the 360 – no meant feat when considering the series dwindling reputation for graphical prowess.

We first took a look at the tech behind Reach in our analysis of the Beta way back in May. But now, as we blast our way through the final game, we take an updated look at the title, now focussing on the Campaign and the drastic graphical upgrades that are apparent over the ones originally seen in the game’s impressive range of multiplayer modes.


Now while multiplayer in Reach looks pretty much identical to the Beta version – still representing a true current-generation look over Halo 3 and ODST- it’s absolutely nothing compared to the visual majesty of the Campaign mode. Here the game ramps up its graphical polish considerably; textures are noticeably more detailed, bump-mapping has been expanded and hugely refined in the process, the full range of Bungie’s trademark HDR solution is not only evident, but also combined successfully with a new, real-time, dynamic lighting system, complete with baked shadow maps and much improved use of local lights (like in the beta each projectile has its own light source).

Furthermore, you’ve also got improved smoke and particle effects, which don’t appear to be rendered using vastly lower res alpha buffers. In fact both of these effects have been expanded with far more in the way of alpha transparencies than before. Plus, adding to this is a range of impressive post process effects; including object-based motion blur, and different screen distorting filters, used in varying scenarios throughout the game.

Most of these have been seen before in the multiplayer beta, just not quite to the level on offer in the Campaign mode – and that includes the online co-op campaign as well.


The title’s use of SSAO (screen-space ambient occlusion) – previously only used for indoor areas of the beta – can now seen in both inside and outside spaces accordingly, adding an extra layer of depth to the scene and its already high-end approach to lighting.

Evidence of this is very subtle however, although you can definitely tell that its there when seeing the game running in real-time. The most obvious places where it appears are near buildings and bespoke areas of scenery. The look that the effect provides is reasonably recognisable, if not also a little inconspicuous at times in Reach.


Amongst all the accomplishments, there is one compromise. In order to conserve on bandwidth the game does use an A2C blend on foliage. As you may be aware this is a process of rendering certain alpha effects in an interlaced-style, half-res manner, but without simply downing the overall resolution of the buffer.

The effects can be seen in the screenshot below. Just about. For most of Reach the usual side effect of using A2C (dithering and a screen door look) is largely inconspicuous unless you actually go look out for it. And when you do, you’ll se that the effect is far better implemented than in most other games that use it.

Thankfully, you’ll find that it is only the foliage that suffers from this; other key visual elements like water and fire are rendered in full resolution using proper alpha blending – none of that low res stuff there.


Outside of the additional polish applied to the game’s use of visual effects and advanced rendering make up, the basic framebuffer and method of anti-aliasing remains the same as the Beta.

Halo Reach renders in in 1152x720 for both single and multiplayer modes, and uses a custom form of temporal anti-aliasing, though the effect is most visible on static objects. The reduced horizontal resolution, and use of a non-standard form of anti-aliasing is required for the game’s framebuffer to fit into the 360’s 10MB of EDRAM without the need for titling.

Effectively, using regular 2xMSAA would mean that parts of the frame would have to be broken up and rendered using tiles, which results in an additional geometry processing cost due to the large amount of triangles needing to be rendered multiple times across different tiles – not helpful in maintaining performance, whilst also taking up more in the way of overall memory outside the FB.

Instead Bungie’s custom solution works extremely well, and just about fits into the tight memory constraints given to the framebuffer by the machine.

However the use of the temporal AA solution does have some drawbacks. For one, only objects that are static get the majority of AA. And this mostly disappears immediately when you start moving – some AA is still present, just not as effective. Plus none of the 2D, sprite-based foliage gets any edge smoothing either, making some jaggies apparent regardless of whether the AA is working or not. In reality however, this seldom makes a large difference at all, with the game’s use of post processing effects (like motion blur) keeping the overall image clean and smooth.

The temporal AA also has some odd, but extremely subtle side effects. For example, there are times when only parts of the screen receive any AA. Though this is only visible on a frame-by-frame basis (not during actual gameplay), and doesn’t happen all the time. Well-trained eyes can see the bizarre occurrence in the screenshot below.


Another is a blurring, or rather what looks like ghosting of the image while fast sideways movements or sharp turns occur. In still frames you can notice what looks like a double image, but with no AA. This is basically caused by the way Bungie’s AA solution actually works. Two separate frames are combined to form the anti-aliased image, although a successful blend only happens in still scenes due to a time delay between both frames being blended. The result: the aforementioned double image ghosting that manifests itself in these situations.

However this particular issue now only seems to affect the surrounding environment, and not the weapon you are holding. Other than that it is exactly the same as in the beta, and can be found in both multiplayer and the campaign mode of Reach.


Performance wise, Halo Reach is pretty impressive, enabling an almost constant use of v-sync and hardly ever deviating from its targeted 30fps update. However, there are times when the game does drop frames quite badly, and this is perhaps the biggest discrepancy between both the Campaign mode and the multiplayer.

In multiplayer, like the beta, reach holds to an almost constant 30fps with only very minor, small deviations in performance. Screen tearing is also kept to a bare minimum, practically never occurring at all. Campaign mode however, is a largely different story.

Interestingly, this mode is also v-synced, pretty much solidly so. And this can, and will on occasion severely impact on performance. Like with the multiplayer, and the beta, Campaign mode runs at 30fps for most of the time, only dropping frames in the most strenuous of situations. Small dips happen here and there, but nothing but the slightest blip. Until, that is, all hell breaks loose.

In the first encounter you have in the game, the framerate drops below the 20fps mark, becoming a temporary slideshow. While this is all going on your sense of control is adversely affected; latency spirals, and all attempts at getting a steady aim go out the window. It’s hardly the best of starts, and would be a rather constant annoyance if it wasn’t for the fact that examples like these are few and far in between.

Quite why these occasional, heavy dips in performance weren’t optimised out is unknown to me – when they happen they’re worse than anything Halo 3 had to offer in this regard. Perhaps Bungie thought it best to try and maintain v-sync as best they could in these types of situations. Although in practice, having a little screen tearing is better than a large increase in latency in the middle of battle, and that’s without the intrusive eradication of a smooth framerate.

Despite this Halo: Reach performs incredibly well, with very little in the way of large overall framerate drops, and almost no screen tearing in either the campaign or multiplayer modes.


Cut-scenes fair a little differently though, with Bungie freely upping the level of detail on characters and objects safe in the knowledge that performance can be more tightly controlled. And in that respect, with the additional load that it is pushing, does so quite admirably, though not without faltering slightly.

In many of the game’s real-time cinematics tearing was clearly visible across the entire screen, with different tears appearing on screen for different lengths, and the frame rate also took quite a few steady dips below the 30fps mark. On some occasions the framerate drops I witnessed were almost as bad as those in the minus 20fps sections of the single-player campaign. However, as the action isn’t controllable the effect it has on the game is far less important.

Ultimately, what IS important, is that the game performs smoothly for the majority of the time with only minor dips here and there. And in that sense Bungie have succeeded with Halo: Reach. What’s even more impressive is that the developers have been able to do this whilst upping the game’s framebuffer resolution, along with stringing out more intensive graphical effects, all the while still including their trademark HDR lighting system without compromising it.

On top of that you’ve got the inclusion of SSAO, a mix of dozens of dynamic light sources perfectly complementing the use of plain old, baked light and shadow maps, and a mildly tweaked version of their custom temporal AA solution. All of this manages to not only be rendered in a final framebuffer image which fits into the 360’s EDRAM, but also a game that from both a visual, and a tech perspective, is right up there with the best titles on the system.

The debate on whether Reach is the best Halo game yet is still ongoing – I myself still prefer Halo: CE’s campaign to this one’s so far – although the undeniable fact that it is by far the best looking is not.

For the first time in nearly ten years Bungie have produced a game that once again can be used to show off the graphical capabilities of a flagship console, devoid of the restraints of the past, and the rushed development cycles that once impacted on past performances. Sure, the slightly plain, angular, and almost barren style of the series’ architecture may look tired or stylistically unimpressive, although in a raw technical sense, without fail, it commands your complete attention.

For those of you who either don’t like Halo, or have grown tired of the series many attempts to match the raw brilliance of the original, there may not be much to tempt you back into Bungie’s world of Spartan soldiers and religious alien zealots. But at least now the franchise truly looks great again, and that definitely counts for something. At the same time that classic Halo gameplay seems to have been refined down to a fine art, and a few campaign issues aside, Reach as a whole may well be the best game in the series since the original.

Thanks go out to Mr Deap for the screenshots, while AlStrong once again counts the pixels.

Team Ico Collection Officially Announced

Rumours have been circulating for a while now that a HD collection containing two of gamings most artistically beautiful releases was on the cards, although today at the Tokyo Game Show that became a solid reality.

Announced earlier this morning by none other than Fumito Ueda himself (who if you didn’t know is the Director behind the legendary Team Ico) was that a collection featuring both Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus would be heading to PlayStation 3’s in time for spring next year.


Like with the recent God Of War Collection, the one from Team Ico will be rendered in HD, with a few graphical upgrades in order to keep things looking good with the boost in resolution – including being framed correctly in a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. Texture work is being tweaked and redone where necessary (seeing low res art stretched upon higher res geometry doesn’t make for impressive viewing), and both games will now be locked at a constant 30fps. Expect full v-sync to be easily maintained, with no slowdown or tearing – or so we hope.

Whilst some of you might be disappointed that the magical 60fps number wasn’t thrown around, in the sake of accurately keeping the original ‘feel’ of both games in tact, the decision to use a lower framerate I think, was the right one.

On a plus note, Team Ico also announced that the collection would also feature native 3D support, which will be rather interesting to see. If it is anywhere near as well implemented as in the likes of Disney’s Up or Toy Story 3, then it should deliver us an even more immersive experience than before. Hopefully, with little out-of-the-screen pop, and with more depth perception.

Interestingly, the collection will also mark the first time US gamers will see the complete version of Ico, which now makes it’s worldwide debut with its longer ‘intended’ European ending.

The Team Ico Collection (tentatively titled) will make its debut sometime next spring (rumoured April 2011 for North America, and June 2011 for Europe). It will come packaged on a single Blu-Ray disc, and is expected to retail below the usual full price RRP of new release titles. I imagine £29.99 like with the GOW Collection sounds about right. But of course, we shall see.

Review: Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker (360)

When the Mass Effect franchise was first announced back in 2006 the fans who grew to love the universe were promised dlc which would ever expand that universe. Unfortunately, Bioware failed to properly deliver on the first game, with two very different dlc packages, both of which frankly didn't offer very much in terms of expansion. Since then Bioware have gone back to the drawing board with Mass Effect 2, learning from the mistakes of Mass Effect by releasing a combination of free and premium content which has way surpassed the scant offerings featured in the first game.


The latest offering though, Lair of the Shadow Broker is probably the best and most satisfying piece of dlc I have ever played, expanding on the Mass Effect story in ways fans would have been hoping for. The dlc continues the story of Liara T'soni, a former team mate of commander Shepherd, and ties directly with the Mass Effect mini series, Mass Effect Redemption; a four issue comic series published by Dark Horse Comics.


Concluding a story arc which was started in Mass Effect redemption, in which Liara is desperately seeking payback against an entity known as the Shadow Broker, this expansion finally gives us the chance to confront that mysterious foe. The adventure you have getting to that point however, is not only challenging combat wise but also features all the elements which have made Mass Effect 2 possibly the best RPG of this year.

The story is of course, emotionally compelling - so much more so if your Shepherd had a relationship with the Asari doctor in Mass Effect, as you have an opportunity to continue their relationship, and the combat suitably polished.

With two satisfying boss battles, one especially so if your character class is Vanguard, the dlc rivals segments from the main Mass Effect 2 story. As for fan service, other than rekindling a relationship with Liara there is a ton of Mass Effect references that more than once caused me to laugh out loud, especially the part about the omni-gel.


Overall, as far as Lair of the Shadow Broker goes, this in imho is the best piece of DLC yet released by any publisher or developer so far, and the cost is spot on. At 800 Microsoft Points you wouldn't expect a full expansion, but with the play time coming in at around 3 hours, and plenty of end game tid-bits to laugh over, this is an essential download for any Mass Effect 2 owner.

VERDICT: 9/10

Leon Goldstone, Contributor