How WipEout maintains 60fps and 1080p
Maintaining 1080p and 60fps is no easy feat. In fact, many games in this generation can barely pump out 720p graphics, as seen by upscaling tricks used by titles like Haze, Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV. However, WipEout HD is one of the few games that maintains 1080p at a silky smooth 60fps. How were they able to do that?
Inside the Digital Foundry once again examined the pure pixel count of WipEout HD. What they found is interesting. The game does, for the most part, run in full 1080p. However, when the action becomes too intense, the game will downscale the resolution. It appears the PS3 figures out exactly what resolution the game needs to run at frame-by-frame to ensure the game's 60fps count is never broken. "Rather than introduce dropped frames, slow down or other unsavoury effects, the number of pixels being rendered drops and the PS3's horizontal hardware scaler is invoked to make up the difference. It's an intriguing solution that works with limited impact on the overall look of the game"
It appears the lowest resolution WipEout can render in is 1280x1080, which is still a 50% increase over 720p. The end result is something gamers, regardless of their AV tech knowledge, can truly appreciate.
[Thanks, kzin!]
