Welcome to part three of the biggest DF Retro episode we’ve ever produced – a year-by-year look at how 1080p gaming fared on the PlayStation 3. Launched in 2007 with its then-exclusive HDMI digital interface, Sony created layers in Full HD. games on top of its Cell processor and RSX ‘Reality Synthesizer’ as key selling points for its third-generation console. Of course, we all know how that turned out: both Sony and Microsoft machines routinely ran the most advanced titles at resolutions below 720p, often with questionable performance, so what happened to the 1080p dream?
In the first two parts of John Linneman’s investigation, we covered the first four years of the Triple’s life cycle, and in 2010 the PlayStation 3’s overall fortunes continued to improve. The platform support launched – what was then – the most advanced motion controller in the console space, supported by experiments with stereoscopic 3D, which proved to be a short-lived but still formidable pairing. Combined with a good E3 presentation, PS3 looked good.
However, it’s fair to say that it was a fallow year for 1080p games on the system, with only Scott Pilgrim Saves The World’s crisp pixel art upscaling, the 3D/FMV styles of Castle Crashers and Soldner X2 allowing a Full HD output, along with a wonderful output. Monkey Island Remastered.
The third segment of DF Retro’s biggest project to date, featuring games in Full HD on PlayStation 3, covering the period 2010-2012.
However, the dream of 1080p would not die, kept alive by the release – finally – of Gran Turismo 5. Half a decade in development, there was a feeling that Polyphony Digital pushed hard with this one – perhaps too hard. Beyond the whole premium car/standard car divide (the latter being essentially slightly upgraded PS2 models), Polyphony’s ambition wasn’t matched by the console’s power. 1080p rendering was performed at 1280 x 1080 with horizontal scaling, screen tearing was ever-present on demanding tracks, while scenarios with dynamic weather and lighting looked ugly with transparency and shadow effects low resolution An alternate 720p mode, accessed via the console’s video output settings, increased the resolution to 4x MSAA from its 2x equivalent and boosted performance.
It’s fair to say that it was a fallow year for 1080p gaming, but 2011 saw a huge improvement, even as Sony itself suffered from the massive PSN hack and subsequent shutdown. Of course, the quality varied: Spliter Cell Trilogy’s HD mode was an embarrassingly low frame rate, in stark contrast to the brilliant conversion work on Ready at Dawn’s God of War Origins collection, which it remastered its PSP titles in Full HD resolution at 60 fps, with optional stereoscopic 3D modes, no less.
The second part of DF Retro’s retrospective on the PlayStation 3’s Full HD library includes a look at WipEout HD, among many other titles, but how many did all the P’s have?
The quality didn’t stop there: Rayman Origins saw a brilliant rollout of 1080p60 2D art that still looks brilliant today, while Daytona USA delivered a near-definitive full-resolution, frame-rate remaster of the classic machine arcade, spoiled only by poverty. mip-mapping implementation. Pixel Junk Shooter 2 and Pixel Junk Side-Scroller continued Q-Games’ streak of outstanding 1080p60 titles, while Bluepoint’s Ico also impressed, let down only by a 960×1080 rendition of Shadow of the Colossus (perfectly understandable , if you think about poor performance). it was on the PS2 original).
Our third chapter of our journey through the PlayStation 3’s Full HD library covers 2011, and the beginning of change. Sony itself led the charge with the exceptional, if not wildly successful, PlayStation Vita, with Nintendo following with its “rebooting” Wii U console. The new hardware didn’t stop there, with Sony updating the PlayStation 3 with the its third and final “Super Slim” iteration, an upgrade that history has not been kind to, due to its cheaper construction, ugly looks, and cheap BD disc loader.
Part one of John Linneman’s larger DF Retro project, covering the first two years of the PlayStation 3’s Full HD library.
The machine’s full HD offerings started to taper off, mostly covering smaller-scale games with less ambitious visuals, but bucking the trend we had Motorstorm Apocalypse embracing 1280×1080 rendering at 30fps, with a optional and technically impressive stereoscopic 3D mode (see our full Motorstorm). retrospective for more on this brilliant series).
As far as smaller scale projects go, there was still plenty of quality to enjoy, most notably the arrival of Capcom’s Okami HD. At the time there was talk of internal 4K rendering, downscaled to 1080p, but based on what we’re seeing today, our contention is that we’re actually seeing Full HD rendering with 4x MSAA used to deliver an exceptionally clean presentation. It’s also 60fps, albeit with some minor drops and resulting screen tearing. Also worth checking out are Sega’s remasters of arcade classics Model 2 Virtua Fighter 2, Fighting Vipers and Sonic the Fighters all presented in Full HD resolution, albeit with a 4:3 aspect ratio.
Next week, we’ll present the final chapter of its high-definition journey, spanning the final years of the PlayStation 3, with 1080p offerings covering 2012 to 2015, well into the PS4’s lifecycle. However, if you enjoy this series and want to support our continued expansion of retro DF, please consider the DF Supporter Program. Frankly, it is the support of supporters of John’s work that makes these expansive projects possible. In addition to the main episodes, there’s additional retro content including interviews, retro Q&As and special pickups, all in addition to the early access, bonus materials and more offered by the standard and premium support tiers. Join us!