AMD planning Xbox 360 graphics on handhelds
By Darren Murph 
posted Mar 10th 2007 10:09PM
posted Mar 10th 2007 10:09PM
No, this isn't another rampant portable Xbox 360 rumor, but the somewhat indirect linkage is indeed notable. Reportedly, AMD is planning to bring "Xbox 360 quality graphics to handheld devices" by utilizing the company's next-generation mobile graphics technologies. Although no real specifics were handed out, AMD is purportedly "working with content developers now in preparation for the arrival of phones" powered by the forthcoming set, and should be made available to handset manufacturers through "discrete media processors as well as through IP licensing agreements with semiconductor suppliers." Already released is a developers toolkit that includes support for both the OpenVG 1.0 and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics standards, and it will incorporate the same Unified Shader Architecture that's behind the scenes in your Xbox 360. Sadly, we've absolutely no idea which companies (if any) are already on board with this promising technology, but we just have to wonder if Dell won't reconsider its handheld gaming system considering the already amicable relationship with AMD.[Via TGDaily, thanks smash_linux]
I didn't know AMD did vaporware!
bleh. I can get xbob360 'graphics' on my handheld already. Yep, playing at 4*3 pixels is sweet.
Explanation: There is a big difference between playing at 720p and playing at 40*30p.
*sniff, sniff* i smell a new Microsoft handheld around the corner besides Zune :-).
Very messy post, Engadget. I'd highly reccomend revising the title before the fanboys start pouring in. First off, the Read link goes to a site that is shady at best - it's covered with trainers and No-CD patches. This site is the only one making claims that we'll have Xbox 360 quality graphics on mobile devices any time soon, and they provide no source. The much more respectable TGDaily makes no mention of the Xbox 360 - it only announces that AMD/ATi have launched a new toolkit (and eventually, a new chipset) that will make graphics development on mobile devices standard across the board.
The only connection this has to the Xbox 360 is the Unified Shader approach. Unified Shaders doesn't mean you're going to have a 360 in your pocket. It means that they have shaders that can process vertex and pixel shaders depending on the situation. That's it.
Are they mad? They have managed to come up with some mystical way to make a graphics processor as powerful as an xbox 360's smaller than as a cell phone and run without a huge power brick, so instead of using it to blow Integrated Graphics from the hell whence it came, they plan on sticking it into a blackberry.
I'm not a fanboy by any stretch of the imagination but damn AMD that's the worst marketing crap I've heard in a while. I doubt they meant it. They probably mean that they are going to make a modern, 3d graphics chip for portable devices and then marketing said "What can we compare this to so that it sounds really awesome"
Cell phones don't have 360 graphics already? huh, they look the same to me right now..
Boy, battery life is going to be the pits. It's gonna be like a iPod Video; none.
(Not necessarily saying that AMD are mad, but I think either they or megagames.com have a less than standard definition of reality. I'm just still annoyed at the GMA chipset in my macbook).
LMFAO @ #1
what the fuck is the point? who really takes cell phone games seriously? its just like little games to play when you cant bring your DS/PSP/Whatever and your bored.
Motorola and others (watch AMD's site, for Xsake http://ati.amd.com/products/handheld/onboard.html) have already implemented such tech, and are 'on board'. So there's no mistery here. You can watch the demos round there and they look pretty amazing for being for handheld devices. I thought they were more like PSP processors, but wait to see the water/particles demos!
Anyways, Unified shader means less coding to make ports of games for PC, XBOX and these handhelds.
Ati's been working on this one BEFORE AMD's merge, and that's one of the main reasons for the takeover.
Vaporware is what you spread from your backyard, dude.