Zune HD 3D games video hands-on

It took us a tick to get our Zune HD loaded up with those new 3D games that were released this morning, but we thought you might want to check out a quick hands-on. That Tegra chip is no joke -- the graphics in PGR: Ferrari Edition are easily on par with the PSP and quite possibly better, with intricate textures, high-quality reflections, and smooth framerates. The other games aren't nearly as intense, but they're just as smooth. Best of all? They're free -- although you will have to look at a Zune ad while they load. Not the worst tradeoff in the world, but we'd love to see what paid app developers could do if Microsoft would open this beast up. Check the video after the break.

[MarcusMaximus Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:33PM]

I head iPhone/iPod Touch will soon have games that look anywhere near as nice as these.
2012

[cswright Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:37PM]

well if youre giving them away i will provide a loving home

[cswright Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:40PM]

why do you keep calling it zine? does the Zune HD bother you that much that you have to change its name slightly like a schoolyard insult, or are you actually unaware of the correct name

[fieldcar Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:41PM]

Did you eat your 'U' key?

[fieldcar Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:43PM]

@Colin: He doesnt have a U key anymore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTwgNhX4BSo

[Dafrety Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:44PM]

Word stuffed it up his nose. Just like Homer Simpson, it's pushing aganst his brain, keeping him from being the award winning software designer he once was.

[TheOtherJames Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:47PM]

I'm pretty sure this joker is using an iPhone or iPod Touch to post comments. It probably keeps "correcting" Zune to Zine and he had no idea how to fix that.

[cswright Posted Nov 11th 2009 3:00PM]

he's baaaack

[fieldcar Posted Nov 11th 2009 3:03PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTwgNhX4BSo

[N900 Posted Nov 11th 2009 3:47PM]

Yeah, man, what the fick is wrong with yoi?

[broli Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:00PM]

Dead video.

[TechHedz Posted Nov 11th 2009 3:11PM]

I would trade my iPhone in for a Zune Phone in a second. Looks like Apple is going to have quite a bit of catching up to do. I hope they release one soon. I know Nvidia has been talking about a Tegra Phone forever.

[TechHedz Posted Nov 11th 2009 3:12PM]

Wrong person.

[NikAmi Posted Nov 11th 2009 4:44PM]

Forget about seeing the games in action...watch the video to get an up close glimpse of Nilay's forehead!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:01PM]

Zune HD FTW !!!!!!! Now thats a complete entertainment device.

[bri1232001 Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:14PM]

If you are looking for a gaming device...why not just get a PSP or DS?

Sure this is great and all but lack of controls is a big let down for me. I own an iphone and I hate gaming on it. Controlling them involves blocking my view of the screen with my fingers. Not Ideal.

I will admit though, these graphic look great and I am interested to see what direction Microsoft is going to take the Zune.

[Jorvay Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:23PM]

@Brian, in fairness, he didn't say "Gaming" device. He said "entertainment" device. Devices like this and the Touch do a great job of balancing different forms of entertainment.

[iDavey Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:23PM]

@Brian

What this does for me...it doesn't really make me go "wow" at the Zune HD (I do have one). Because for me...it's a MP3 player first and foremost. And I have the same gripe about all touchscreen gaming. Obstruction of view and too much screen taken for controls or the lack of.

But what this does get me excited about is the rumor of the next DS iteration using the Tegra chipset. if it's looking this good in the beginning stage...on a MP3 player. Just imaging a full fledged gaming device taking ability of it. I get chills...

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:40PM]

@ Brian

I'm not too terribly up-to-date on the Zune HD, but supposing it has Bluetooth (which I'm sure it does) they could always make peripherals for it. Still, not as ideal as controls on the phone I suppose, but it'd be better than on-screen.

[ale Posted Nov 11th 2009 3:05PM]

a Zune Phone would be a complete everything device

[Dustin F Posted Nov 11th 2009 3:16PM]

The Zune looks pretty good, but I think comparing this to the PSP is ridiculous.

Megarace, a CD PC game, looked a lot better than Gran Turismo 1. But was it? No... it was on rails instead of a simulation, and just wasn't nearly as much fun or advanced. Graphics alone are not even close to enough to make this game as entertaining as Gran Turismo on the PSP. The controls simply are not there to make this thing a competent game machine. That's a shame, because with a dpad and two buttons, I think this would be kickass.

Though free games sound great, and I want more all in one devices, this is not as good an all in one as a PSP.

[Slick Posted Nov 11th 2009 3:52PM]

@ iDavey

Assuming these can be played without internet connection.

-Ever been stuck on a 4 hour layover in an airport? Suddenly, even the most mundane games are very VERY fun.

[JeremyBenthem Posted Nov 11th 2009 3:54PM]

I agree, the graphics look great, but I won't take this seriously as a gaming device having played games in the iPhone,
It was really stupid for Microsoft to compete directly with the iPod Touch and still not fix one of the biggest complaints people had with it; no controls

[pax copia Posted Nov 11th 2009 4:25PM]

Jorvay, the PSP is an "entertainment device" it does everything, it has a web browser with flash, rss, remote play, location free, audio video photo players, visualizers, skype, so on and so forth.

I'll also add that psp games from its 2004 launch were far superior to this "pgr: ferrari edition" (ridge racer, wipeout, burnout, etc) and contemporary psp games are laps and bounds better than its launch titles.

[highest ranked Posted Nov 12th 2009 11:17PM]

Microsoft: Make a Zune HD Phone, dont put WM on it (even though 6.5 dosn't stink like the rest), get a larger app store.
If that happens, i can see microsoft really competing with you know who.

[raysfan81 Posted Dec 1st 2009 4:15PM]

@(Unverified) AMEN!

[Mmmm Donuts Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:01PM]

I feel sorry for you. Really, I do. -100000000000000000000

[hpdarkness Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:03PM]

Definitely don't mind seeing ads if the games are free. As long as they don't popup in game I'm down. Audiosurf looks so good for the Zune HD.

[Delta Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:25PM]

Audiosurf is fantastic. I'd be perfectly willing to pay for content like this, and getting it for free is even better.

I just really hope that this is another Vista Ultimate Extras afair. If they don't keep pushing content out every 5~6 months, they should just open up development for us programmers.

Now if we could only get an email client and maybe an MSN Messenger program, then I'd be perfectly happy.

[SirSpam Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:27PM]

@Delta: As soon as they open up their SDK, you'll have your MSN Messenger client...

[Blacknimbus Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:37PM]

http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/game-requests/23971-audiosurf.html

Lol...guess things change.

[ch3burashka Posted Nov 11th 2009 4:06PM]

Audiosurf is a perfect fit for the HD, but I would appreciate better controls, especially for more intense songs. Clicking on the individual lanes would be a better way, I'd think. The video was short, so perhaps those controls exist, and if so, w00t.

[Wwhat Posted Nov 11th 2009 4:15PM]

Don't have a zune but when I saw that ad yet again right at the end of the vid, well if I had one I'd throw it through the wall at that point.
Some don't mind, some certainly do.

[fernandez21 Posted Nov 11th 2009 11:22PM]

i agree, and those ads are not bad at all, i cant belive thats what everyone was complaining about. i was imagining a minute long clip like on hulu or something with the way people were talking about it.

[Templarian Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:03PM]

Those graphics are really nice. Wasn't really expecting them that nice actually. Probably once they mess around some more they will get even more graphically rich content on it.

[Mmmm Donuts Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:17PM]

Yeah, but without it speaker, gaming won't progress as far as it did on other devices.

[Dafrety Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:39PM]

That's what headphones are, and have always been for. I don't really want to hear what you're playing unless I'm playing with you.

[Martin C Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:55PM]

Well, some people want the option to play without headphones. Not all gaming takes place in a public place. Different strokes for different folks.

[Dafrety Posted Nov 11th 2009 3:10PM]

You could hook up a small speaker then.

[Cyrs Posted Nov 11th 2009 6:30PM]

@Templarian
I totally agree, the graphics are really nice. Now I'm hoping that next-gen DS with 2nd gen Tegra rumor comes true. If launch titles for zune HD on 1st gen Tegra look this good, I can only imagine what next-gen DS games based on 2nd gen Tegra would be like.

[iDavey Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:03PM]

Yes. I'm upgrading my firmware as we SPEAK!
I can not WAIT to try these games out. I'm not even going to look at the vid. It'd ruin the experience.

[cjschrissouth Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:03PM]

lol...as soon as he said there were some ads engadget ads popped up over the video!

[Satz Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:11PM]

Yes , I noticed too. lol

[Dafrety Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:31PM]

They seem to have gotten rid of the video ads so far, which is nice.

[dMn Posted Nov 11th 2009 8:15PM]

@Dafrety

Nope. Just saw the video Kia Soul ad right when I launched Audiosurf: Tilt.

[Snackie Onassis Posted Nov 11th 2009 8:59PM]

@ mhwwdman: I think he meant the 10 second video car ads. I have not seen those since 4.3. They were the ones that bothered me the most. I can deal with a 5 second static image.

[FallenArms3 Posted Nov 11th 2009 9:23PM]

Nope, sorry, the Kia video ad is still there, intrusive music and all. It's the only one that bothers me.

[Satz Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:05PM]

There are ads on viddler too :|

[sweet greggo Posted Nov 11th 2009 3:46PM]

Nice.

[iDavey Posted Nov 11th 2009 2:07PM]

Was the Bowling game already on there when the article first was posted?