PlayStation 3: chasing the 1080p dream, part three – Gran Turismo 5 and the indie explosion

Welcome to the third part in the biggest DF Retro episode we’ve ever produced – a year-by-year look at how 1080p gaming fared on the PlayStation 3. Launched in 2007 touting its then-exclusive HDMI digital interface, Sony layered full HD gaming on top of its Cell processor and RSX ‘Reality Synthesizer’ as key selling points for its third generation console. Of course, we all know how that turned out – both Sony and Microsoft machines routinely ran the most advanced titles at sub-720p resolutions, often with questionable performance, so what happened to the 1080p dream?

In the first two parts of John Linneman’s investigation, we’ve covered off the first four years of the Triple’s lifecycle and moving into 2010, the overall fortunes of the PlayStation 3 continued to improve. The platform holder released – what was then – the most advanced motion controller in the console space, backed up by experiments with stereoscopic 3D, which turned out to be a short-lived but still formidable pairing. Combined with a strong E3 showing, PS3 was looking good.

However, it’s fair to say that it was a fallow year for 1080p gaming on the system, with only Scott Pilgrim Saves The World’s razor-sharp pixel art upscaling, Castle Crashers and Soldner X2’s 3D/FMV stylings accommodating full HD output – alongside a wonderful Monkey Island remaster.

However, the 1080p dream would not die, kept alive by the release – finally – of Gran Turismo 5. Half a decade in development, there was the sense that Polyphony Digital pushed hard with this one.- perhaps too hard. Beyond the whole premium car/standard car divide (the latter essentially being slightly enhanced PS2 models), Polyphony’s ambition was not matched by the power of the console. 1080p rendering was realised at 1280×1080 with horizontal scaling, screen-tearing was ever-present on demanding courses, while stages with dynamic weather and lighting looked ugly with low resolution transparency effects and shadows. An alternative 720p mode, accessed via the console’s video output setting, increased resolution to 4x MSAA from its 2x equivalent and increased performance.