Carmack says iPhone is "more powerful than a Nintendo DS and PSP combined"

We already knew that Id Software co-founder John Carmack was on board with the iPhone to some extent, but at the now-happening QuakeCon 2008 in Dallas he's revealed just how impressed with the device he really is. According to Apple Insider, while Carmack admits that graphics memory could be a limiting factor, he describes the phone's hardware as equivalent to a Dreamcast and almost on par with a PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox. He also sees it as far superior, at least in terms of raw specs, than the two big dedicated handheld consoles out there, saying that is "more powerful than a Nintendo DS and PSP combined." Unfortunately, he didn't have any actual games to show off, but he did at least confirm that Id has two "tentative titles" in the works, including a "conventional mobile game," and one that pushes the iPhone's graphics capabilities.

[Steve Gates @ Aug 1st 2008 4:41PM]

It'll be interesting to see how Sony and Nintendo react with their next iterations of their devices.

[kinshadow @ Aug 1st 2008 4:51PM]

Apple will go nowhere in the 'gaming' market unless they add some analog sticks and buttons. Conventional handheld games just don't work in the iPhone for factor. That said, they may easily take the crown in the cell phone gaming genre (Nokia just isn't trying hard enough).

[Carl Vitullo @ Aug 1st 2008 5:00PM]

somehow i doubt that apple will target nintendo with the next ipod touch...

but if you're a fanboy, anything's possible, right?

[fontendet24 @ Aug 3rd 2008 5:54AM]

PEOPLE! Don't be silly!
The gaming ADD-ON will be presented by Apple LATER.
Current new iPhone 3G is already ready for it.

Have you seen 2 little holes near dock-connector with screws?
Apple never made anything so ugly like that holes with visible screws.

This holes was made for gaming keypad add-on and they're help to hold the device in it securely.
The add-on will be like PSP without screen - you'll need just to insert the iPhone inside it (with connecting DOck connector) - and you will have a real gaming device!
THAT'S ALL!
This Gaming add-on will be announced SOON!

[Joe @ Aug 1st 2008 4:41PM]

First, LOL,

London, U.K - Islington

More powerful??? The proof is in the pudding

[phinnvr6 @ Aug 1st 2008 4:42PM]

Wtf I had no idea this old iPhone had power. Now why the hell can't they fix the stupid text messaging bug in the new firmware. I gave up jailbreking (for now) for this stupid slow text input??

[O2 @ Aug 1st 2008 4:59PM]

How can you know your old iPhone had power? You have no software to play with other than the build in ones.

[KEROLiUKAS @ Aug 1st 2008 4:42PM]

FAIL, Apple fanboy.

[Techie @ Aug 1st 2008 4:44PM]

Can I see some god damn proof because all he does is claims.

[Homeboy @ Aug 1st 2008 4:45PM]

More powerful than the original Xbox??? Who is this guy kidding?

[Fatima @ Aug 1st 2008 4:49PM]

Thats not what he said, idiot.

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 1st 2008 4:54PM]

He said it was almost on par with the PS2 and original Xbox.

As in, your reading comprehension is almost on par with a 4 year old child.

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 1st 2008 4:58PM]

I never mentioned Apple.

Your narcissism immediately reminds be of people who should be strapped to a chair and beaten with hammers.

[TomFox @ Aug 1st 2008 5:57PM]

@Lowest Ranked

Was that a George Carlin Reference? Awesome!

[neofolklore @ Aug 4th 2008 11:11AM]

hm wait. on par with the original xbox?


okay DS yes, PSP yes, PS2 mayyyybe

but the original Xbox? 733mhz, Geforce 3.5

versus an arm processor UNDERCLOCKED to 412mhz ??? omfg this guy is on that ganja weed!

Show me the iPhone playing BLACK with some antialiasing.

[Eric B. @ Aug 1st 2008 4:46PM]

Apple sucks. It can't play GTA while on an airplane so it can't be better

[MaGiXX @ Aug 1st 2008 4:46PM]

No, it's not.

[kinshadow @ Aug 1st 2008 4:46PM]

FYI: Imagination Technologies (PowerVR) makes the GPU in the iPhone and the Dreamcast.

That said, I don't think they are quite on par and Mr. Carmack is using a bit of hyperbole. I do believe the DS + PSP assertion.

[kinshadow @ Aug 1st 2008 4:58PM]

After thinking about this a minute, I'll have to revise my statement. What Mr. Carmack is actually saying is that you could similar visuals on the iPhone as the last gen consoles. Given that the iPhone is half VGA (half the screen needs roughly half the performance), this interpretation is more correct that a straight graphics performance comparison and much less of an overstatement.

[Chuckles McGee @ Aug 1st 2008 4:46PM]

Sounds better than most conventional mobile games.

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 1st 2008 4:46PM]

Fail, LOL,

Orange, California - USA

Neccessary??? See how annoying that is

[Alan Partridge @ Aug 1st 2008 4:46PM]

What a silly thing to say

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 1st 2008 4:48PM]

I can honestly say, but I don't speak for everyone here:

You annoy the fuck out of me.



Enjoy your weekend.

[Boynamedsue @ Aug 1st 2008 4:48PM]

All the power of a PSP, all the gaming possibilities as one of those wooden mazes with the steel balls.

[ijyt @ Aug 1st 2008 4:49PM]

Stick to PC's Carmack.

[The Dude @ Aug 1st 2008 6:08PM]

Oh hai there.

Get back to me when an iPhone can play any game at a res higher than 480x320 with 35+ FPS.

Enjoy driving your battery life into the ground and enjoy eating that non-user replaceable battery, as well.

[Steve Gates @ Aug 1st 2008 4:49PM]

Dude, you make apple fanboys like me look bad.

Just shut up.

[Minilap @ Aug 1st 2008 4:49PM]

And you is is fanboy is.

[kojo87 @ Aug 1st 2008 4:50PM]

could you be anymore of a tool?

[Mario @ Aug 1st 2008 5:12PM]

Well Carmack is a jackass

[Boyprodigy1 @ Aug 1st 2008 4:50PM]

I don't feel like this is a fair comparison, at least in the ds's case because it is in a completely different price range. As far as the PSP is concerned though i can't really speak because i don't know.

[dmsc @ Aug 1st 2008 5:12PM]

The iphone costs more than the DS and PSP combined... $170 for the PSP, $120 for the DS, $600 for the iPhone (not subsidized). Even the cheapest iPod Touch is more expensive, at $300.

[TJ @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:53AM]

hahaha if he admits that the iphone is "graphically limited" than how is it more powerful at all? he's trying to compare it to gaming systems that have their main focus on graphical power....
i would liek to see the iphone run halo 2 as smoothly as the original xbox does... or gta san andreas...or far cry...

[Loonie @ Aug 1st 2008 4:52PM]

I am skeptical.

[Darth Abe @ Aug 1st 2008 4:55PM]

While the hardware is certainly capable, this comparing the iPhone to the PS2 and the Xbox is just hyperbole, plain and simple. It's not like the iPhone has a unique super powerful CPU and GPU that no one else has access to, it's using commodity PowerVR stuff that can be found all over the place.

[MK3782 @ Aug 1st 2008 4:57PM]

It's far from a fair comparison, but he may be on to something. The PSP has a processor that can be OCed to 333 mhz whereas the iPhone is at something like 412?
It's not based solely on that, but in terms of pure power, the iPhone may win there.
Of course, have fun playing games with JUST the touchscreen. That's all I'm saying.

[Carl Vitullo @ Aug 1st 2008 5:22PM]

that's like saying that a 3ghz pentium 4 is more powerful than a 2ghz core 2 duo.
faster clock speed means nothing.

[Michael @ Aug 1st 2008 4:57PM]

Looking up specs, the iphone is 412 mhz:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iphone#Specifications

The PSP has two processors, 333mhz and 166mhz :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Portable

The DS is the lowest, two processors at 67mhz and 33mzh:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_DS#Technical_specifications

Maybe not "correct math" but the PSP is 333 + 166 = 499 mhz. I think carmack doesn't really look at the specs. The PSP is a powerful hand held and I don't think the iphone is "so much more powerful". Soudns like a good sound byte to help Apple.

[MK3782 @ Aug 1st 2008 4:59PM]

I believe the second processor in the PSP isn't used, technically. I can't remember exactly, but it's a (quote) Media Engine that's not used in typical gaming. Correct me if I'm wrong...

[Michael @ Aug 1st 2008 5:01PM]

The second one is the graphics processor, read the specs! They are both used and designed for gaming.

[kinshadow @ Aug 1st 2008 5:04PM]

Computers don't work that way.

The PSP is MIPS processor and the iPhone is a ARM11, which do NOT have the same MIPS to MHz rate. The second 'processor' on the PSP is part of the GPU. I don't know what the iPhone's GPU frequency is, but it is not directly comparable. Either way, the only way to really compare thes is to run platform benchmarks, which I'm sure Mr. Carmack already has.

[MK3782 @ Aug 1st 2008 5:05PM]

Sorry, I think you're right. Maybe I was thinking it couldn't be used for homebrew apps because they didn't have access to it. Idk.

[aznofazns @ Aug 1st 2008 5:21PM]

The 2nd 166mhz refers to the graphics memory frequency, not a processor at all.

[dmsc @ Aug 1st 2008 6:01PM]

The two processors of the PSP clock at 333MHz, see here:
http://www.edepot.com/reviews_sony_psp.html

The graphics accelerator clocks at half that, 166MHz.

[HunterXI @ Aug 1st 2008 6:21PM]

FAIL.

Oh, and the PSP's CPU is actually clocked at 222 MHz (for most games; a few will OC it to 333).

[Kaiser-Machead @ Aug 1st 2008 4:57PM]

What a weird comparison. Truth is not really in the megahertz. The DS and PSP have lower clockspeeds on their processors (by about half I believe), but both will be vastly superior devices for gaming, because...well...they're FUCKING DESIGNED FOR IT. If you want to compare power and performance, why not compare it to devices that actually fit into the same arena, like.....a smartphone?

[The Dude @ Aug 1st 2008 5:57PM]

B-b-but Carmack says the truth is in t3h megahurtz, so it must be true.

Moar megahurtz ain't shit if it isn't optimized for the arithmetic required of for gaming. It's like...let's take a CPU and pin it against a GPU and say it's not only faster, but holy fucking shit it's better. This is what this asshat is doing.

[SINNN @ Aug 1st 2008 4:57PM]

Wow! Eat that pc users. Put that in your windows iinferior phones and smoke it. My 3g iphone is far superiot that anything you Non 3g iphone users have. I only wish i-sheep was around yo approve this.This 3g iphone Not only is it the Best phone in the world... but its the most werfull phone on mars.

[Michael @ Aug 1st 2008 5:00PM]

How about you go back to mars with your iphone. Your crap fanboy posts are polluting the air here on earth.

[Carl Vitullo @ Aug 1st 2008 5:05PM]

wait.
the iphone is *allegedly* more powerful than things designed by sony, nintendo, and microsoft, with the one from microsoft being the least likely to have been beaten, and yet you're only acknowledging the fact that microsoft was "beaten"?
not to mention that PC and Xbox are two unrelated markets.
and the fact that you're an idiot who believes anything they hear.

do you watch fox news by any chance?