Xbox360 vs. PS3

明天北美就可以買到xbox360...
剛好做了個報告關於game console...
前幾天也在電玩店玩到展示機...
越研究越有趣...預感一定會大賣...
英國Juniper Research公司估計in 2008...
全球遊戲產業總值有200億美元...
呵呵...賺翻了阿...
下面是我assignment一部分...
比較xbox360與ps3硬體...
這裡有2台詳細規格...
都使用了最新的CPU,GPU和DVD技術...
還有無線網路,硬碟,藍芽,網路對戰...
只能說...MS和Sony真他媽的變態...
這裡可以看很多xbox360的影片介紹...
對了Nintendo的revolution把手也超屌...
真不敢想像明年PS3出來的遊戲畫面是怎樣...

1. Xenon vs. Cell:
Xbox360 is much easier to program for 3 symmetric processors than an asymmetric processor. The multithreading is difficult to program for but not near as hard as for the cell. It is strong single thread performance, but can only run limited number of threads
The PS3 cell is a massively parallel vector processor. It is excellent for running multiple floating point tasks such as game engine, encoding and decoding video.
But the cell is difficult to program because all software has to be optimized. There are no hardware Branch prediction and extremely poor at running complicated branch code (like A.I. code)

2. ATI vs. NVIDIA:
The Xbox360's GPU has a unique architecture to unified vertex, shader and pixel pipelines. It has 48 of these units that are automatically assigned a function. It is easier to program for but has a less high theoretical peek than independent pipelines. There are10MB frame buffer that allows for free anti-aliasing but limited resolution to 720P.
PS3’s GPU officially stated to have 300 Million transistors with fixed pixel and vertex pipelines. The independent pipelines are faster but are harder to program.

3. 512MB vs. (256+256)MB:
The flexibility is the obvious advantage. Game developers can split the memory any way they like 50:50, 30:70 etc, but they have to be shared.
PS3’s advantage is that the each has its own faster memory but each is limited to 256mb. While the CPU in the X360 can have a max of 512mb, the cell is stuck with 256mb.

4. HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray:
HD-DVD is support by DVD FORUM and capable of holding 30GB or a full-length high-definition movie, plus extras, on a prerecorded double-layer disc (compare that to today's limit of 9GB for standard double-layer DVDs).
Blu-ray will go up to 50GB at launch and support mandatory managed copy. Sony is reportedly working on a quad-layer 100GB disc.

5. DVI vs. HDMI:
Xbox360 has a single DVI-output that supports all HD resolutions (including 1080P and 1080i).
PS3 has dual HDMI (copy-protected DVI that combines audio) so that you can hook up two HDTV at the same time.

6. Others:
PS3 has dual Ethernet, built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Blu-ray, and multi-types of flash memory slots (SD, CF, and MS). Those are more attractive to the players but the above probably adds $100 US dollar extra to PS3.

7. Conclusion:
Xbox360 and PS3 are about the same in power but approach it with different philosophy. PS3 is theoretically more powerful but less flexible and harder to program.