AMD achieves Open GL ES 2.0 compliance, brings Xbox 360 graphics to mobile platform

A few months ago, AMD promised Xbox 360 graphics on handhelds, and as of today it's delivered on the concept. AMD announced it has achieved Open GL ES 2.0 mobile graphics technology compliance with hardware that cranks out the same AMD Unified Shader Architecture as the Microsoft gaming console. The new graphics standard will no doubt butt heads with NVIDIA's Tegra platform, which also promises serious mobile graphics. Meanwhile, AMD's comparison of their new certification to the Xbox 360 may just be a way to wow us, but we gotta wonder if this could bring some hope to a mobile Xbox 360, whether Microsoft says they're into it or not. Good times.

[Jimmy @ Jun 11th 2008 7:51PM]

thats really cool. good news AMD. good news FOR AMD as well. glad to hear that they are still innovating. hopefully they step up their desktop cpu offerings as well and force some innovation from the big players (ahem intel) in that market. :)

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Jun 11th 2008 7:54PM]

"good news AMD. good news FOR AMD as well"

[Juaquin @ Jun 11th 2008 8:06PM]

Just wait until your mobile device burns a whole through your pocket, what with the 360's massive overheating problems (partially due to the GPU). Did they manage to reduce the heat output or are they expecting massive heatsinks on handhelds?

[Juaquin @ Jun 11th 2008 8:07PM]

That's hole. I feel like this is a waste of my time since it's been years now, but can we please have an edit feature Engadget? Just for a minute after the post or something?

[Jimmy @ Jun 11th 2008 8:09PM]

its not the same chip. its smaller. draws less power. thus creates less heat. problem solved. so what was your point?

[Jimmy @ Jun 11th 2008 8:50PM]

^someone is thinking VERY far in the future. wait until america gets 4g networks rolled out. then give apple another couple of years to recognize the fact that 4g exists. a couple to work out the hardware/software interaction until it is just right. so maybe 6 years from now? This same logic applies to blu-ray: first it needed to become dominant. then widespread. now apple needs to realize it exists (even though they were one of the original consortium partners). eventually they have to make it work in their products (mac pro, mbp) and eventually we will see blu-ray apple products. we are about half way down that road right now. ;)

[Killer @ Jun 11th 2008 8:51PM]

Wait a minute! GEARS OF WAR on my cell phone? My god can we just make an addiction worse then it already is for me? It's like making crack free on the side of the street for drug addicts. O;O

[Kurian @ Jun 11th 2008 11:12PM]

Don't get your hopes up. Its just the same "architecture". Which means it can only execute the same graphics operations like OpenGL.

The fuck up is, it'll do it at 1/20th the speed.

[Shinigami @ Jun 12th 2008 6:32AM]

Yay! 360 graphics on a phone!
GTA4 on my phone! Yays! Who cares its just 0-1 fps?? Its on the PHONE!!!

Get real, people. Like Kurian said, the speed will be different. Nvidia may be able to play Q3 on the phone but I'm not too happy about seeing 30+ fps with all the high settings on Q3 with only 2 players. If it made 60+ fps with 64 players on the screen, I'd say WOW.

In either case, both techs are quite promising. Lets just wait and see :)

[Thomas @ Jun 12th 2008 8:10AM]

It might be slower, but mobile screens have lower resolutions so it won't matter as much. maybe?

[AJ @ Jun 12th 2008 11:07PM]

XBP (Xbox Portable) anyone?

[ryan @ Jun 11th 2008 7:56PM]

Open GL > Direct X

[loosely_coupled @ Jun 11th 2008 9:40PM]

I wouldn't say that. They are really very different, as OpenGL is at a lower abstraction level than Direct3D. I would really like to see a completely open source abstraction layer software that can use either depending on the OS/device that is in use. I know there are probably libraries that translate between OpenGL and Direct3D shading language, but they need to make an entire seamless abstraction layer with simplified shader language.

[rektide @ Jun 11th 2008 10:32PM]

There are 56 engines listed in DevMaster's game engine database that support OpenGL and DirectX both. Take your pick ginger.

[Ace b @ Jun 11th 2008 7:57PM]

"AMD promised Xbox 360 graphics on handhelds, and as of today it's delivered on the concept"


"and as of today the PSP is officially fucked."

[deyanimay @ Jun 11th 2008 9:12PM]

How old is the psp?
Its about time for a psp 2 anyways.

[Ace b @ Jun 11th 2008 10:00PM]

the psp was officially released in america march 2005.

And give it 2 more years at the most.Honestly I think by next year we're gonna hear about the new psp anyway.

[Steve ballmer @ Jun 11th 2008 7:59PM]

but can it play Crysis?

[ryan @ Jun 11th 2008 8:00PM]

it might actually haha,(intel atom processor, nvidia or amd graphics) I could see it pulling it off since the screens are tiny and the resoultions not going to be great

[Flashpoint @ Jun 11th 2008 10:39PM]

Technology has gotten alot further since the Nokia NGage.

Microsoft should take this as a time to release an Xbox cellphone. The time is perfect...they already have public opinion on their side thanks to the 360. But, why let apple get further with the iphone when they could put their own into R&D.


I'd have mobile Halo and mobile GoW and maybe even R6 Vegas.

8 players maximum - online - cellphone --- nuff said.

[Peter R. @ Jun 12th 2008 10:42AM]

WTH.....(-_-)..aren't you guys misunderstanding something here? No where in the articles from AMD or engadget did I see anything that indicated the Open GL ES 2.0 mobile graphics technology will produce the same graphics as the Xbox 360 on mobiles. The articles said that the Open GL ES 2.0 mobile graphics technology has the same Unified Shader Architecture as the 360( that doesn't mean it will produce the same graphics). READ THE ACTUALLY ARTICLES, NOT JUST THEIR TITLE!!!! SERIOUSLY!!

[BobfromVegas @ Jun 11th 2008 7:59PM]

Thats nice, but can it play Crysis?

And seriously-it will, but how well?

[Bryan @ Jun 11th 2008 7:59PM]

Give me a handheld that can pump out 360 level graphics and I will buy it in a heartbeat.

[Skullgrl @ Jun 12th 2008 7:54AM]

Me too. I would love that. I've always prefered handhelds to consoles just because of their portability (same reason why I like laptops more than desktops). So if I could get the same sort of graphics from a console in a handheld, well, suffice to say it would be awesome. Plus I have a 360, I know what it can do and I love it. (I am an acheivement junkie...) When I first got my hands on a psp it was like a breath of fresh air (3D portable gaming?!). I think if they will come up with something it will be good.

[Sime @ Jun 11th 2008 7:59PM]

A mobile Xbox 360 would be cool, but there would be the problem of burning u to a crisp

[BobfromVegas @ Jun 11th 2008 8:01PM]

And killing your sperm count

[mphayvanh @ Jun 11th 2008 8:05PM]

Oh yea, can't wait to carry around a device with the RED CIRCLE OF DEATH! :P

[Richard @ Jun 11th 2008 10:53PM]

Wow mphayvanh... wow to spell "Red Ring of Death" wrong.

[mphayvanh @ Jun 12th 2008 4:15AM]

Hahaha...I stand corrected. You must be fun to sit behind in school * wrong.

[Alexander The Best @ Jun 11th 2008 8:04PM]

I wouldn't mind seeing this come to an iPhone. I can only fathom what could be achieved with it being jailbroken.

[Juaquin @ Jun 11th 2008 8:08PM]

Award for first only-vaguely related iPhone post in the thread goes to: Alexander!

[Alexander The Best @ Jun 11th 2008 8:32PM]

Please point me to the 'other' actually functional multi-touch display telephone that has had past attempts at decent games and I'll be happy to use that phone in my next comment. I'm no Apple fanboy, just liked what I saw as far as graphics in the games released at WWDC using the current iPhone GFX Processing. I'm starting to wonder if people hate Apple just because it is so popular as of late. I dunno.

[t3_slider @ Jun 11th 2008 8:48PM]

"Please point me to the 'other' actually functional multi-touch display telephone that has had past attempts at decent games and I'll be happy to use that phone in my next comment."

Do you really want to do serious gaming on a touchscreen-only device? The little hackish hardware addon mentioned previously on Engadget would be great for gaming on the iPhone, but your comment here is ridiculous. Touchscreen+Fingers+Serious Gaming=Fail. There are countless other phones that would be, and are currently, better for gaming than the iPhone. And there have been other graphics-intensive games on other platforms (like WinMob and even Palm), just not at the level that this chip would allow. Using this chip in a nice HTC device would kick ass -- but not on an iPhone with no real tactile response, in my opinion.

But fanboys will rank me down, I'm sure.

[De @ Jun 11th 2008 8:58PM]

go to the develop of kroll's site (digital-legends.com) and see the other big company besides apple they are working with

[Alexander The Best @ Jun 11th 2008 9:04PM]

Who said ANYTHING about 'serious' gaming? Last I checked, serious gaming is reserved to Consoles and PCs... I'm just talking about playing games that don't look like crap... That's all. The second i saw the iPhone I wanted to play DDR on it...

[Sime @ Jun 11th 2008 10:23PM]

Neonode maybe?

[kccboy2004 @ Jun 11th 2008 10:43PM]

We are all quite sick of these stupid comments from Apple afficionado's.

In the words of the great clak,(paraphrased) "It is what it is".

If you want a machine that is primarily to be used for editing video and surfing the web then buy an Apple.

If you want a machine for business, processing, development, gaming, broad application integration, then buy a Windows PC.

There is very little difference in the basic operation of the machines themselves. It is a decision based upon usage. I personally think that Apples are great for arts students and most young girls (who generally don't like to game).

But when you start to talk about migrating non-proprietary functions on to an Apple product, that is where you have hit the wall. That is not why you bought an Apple product. You bought an Apple product because like everything being locked down by Apple.

It is what it is. Clak is right on this one point.

The decision is yours.

BTW, did James Bond control that BMW with a Nokia running windows or was it Linux ? Well, I suppose it does not matter, Nokia I suppose is a bit loose (whorish) on that front, it will let anyone under the sheets.

Oh.. sorry, one last point, that'll be great when Slingmedia software is running on the iPhone. I hope that I can get it on my Windows phone soon....Oops, actually I got it already, had it for the past 2 years. It'll be big when it comes out on the iPhone though.

[Ike Turner @ Jun 11th 2008 8:07PM]

Now that took a while!
That's the chip formally know as the Imageon LT (maybe it's not LT but it's something similar) and was "announced" at GDC back in March 2007 (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070308-amd-brings-xbox-360-tech-to-handhelds.html) and later announced again as the AMD Z460 in Feb 2008.
AFAIK Qualcomm licensed it so it's part of their SnapDragon chipsets. So you can expect to see it (and probably nvidia Tegra aka APX) in HTC's futur line of Windows Mobile 7 devices in Q1 2009

[Ike Turner @ Jun 11th 2008 8:16PM]

Here's a old Qualcomm pdf with lot's of specs regarding the Imageon LT aka AMD Z460..grab it while it's hot!

http://dl.free.fr/faUGYrXUV/Tech-303_Ligon1.pdf

[Bobs @ Jun 11th 2008 11:35PM]

MY HANDS!!! IT BURNS!!!

[Hotrod @ Jun 11th 2008 11:52PM]

Whats love got to do with it?

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 11th 2008 8:09PM]

Is there ANY way to add this on a macbook i sound like a noob

[Zach @ Jun 11th 2008 8:18PM]

no.

[Tom Reinke @ Jun 11th 2008 8:18PM]

Yes, you do.

Why and how would you want to add it to a macbook? You can't do anything but edit videos and pictures on there anyways. :P

[Ace b @ Jun 11th 2008 8:28PM]

maybe to make the macbook air a usable gaming ultra lite notebook....that can cut cake.

[fourthletter @ Jun 11th 2008 9:11PM]

You don't sound like a noob you just sound like a typical technically ignorant mac user.
You can add it to the underside of your macbook with some double sided sticky tape I'm sure it would like very nice [pats head in patronizing manner]

[Hamidxa @ Jun 12th 2008 1:05PM]

Haikbutsu (and other Apple fanboys),

What fourthletter failed to tell you though is that not just any sticky tape will suffice, but you have to use iTape to integrate this chip into your existing Apple based products.


(Apple fanboys, you gotta love them and their technical ineptitude :) )

[Mr. Biggz @ Jun 11th 2008 8:24PM]

I might as well start throwing my PSP away and save up huh?

[mike @ Jun 11th 2008 8:46PM]

yes, save up to buy a microchip you fscking twat.

[Ian @ Jun 11th 2008 9:38PM]

my god mike are you that fucking stupid?