An original Xbox can do Doom 3 at 720p natively with extra RAM

Thats no shock it came out over 1.5 years after the ps2, remember the pace of hardware improvement is decreasing since moores law fell.
Its like comparing either the ps5 or xbox series X to a console coming out in 2024 and going, wow the one in 2024 is a lot more powerful
 
Thats no shock it came out over 1.5 years after the ps2, remember the pace of hardware improvement is decreasing since moores law fell.
Its like comparing either the ps5 or xbox series X to a console coming out in 2024 and going, wow the one in 2024 is a lot more powerful

I didnt say anything about timeframes. The OG Xbox was a beast compared to the PS2/GC, probably due to it coming 18 months later yes. Anyway, a P3 733/GF3/64mb system is actually not far off from the PS2's worldwide release.
 
Just for fun.

How much longer would a simple RAM increase have extended the Xbox's lifespan? What would a 512MB of RAM look like with an original Xbox with only 128mb could run Doom 3 at native 720p with no developer optimization.

I dont understand how did they achieve a ram increase? They added memory modules on the OG?
 
I think you will eventually run into areas that will just be too slow. That's a lot to ask of that GPU and its shared memory pool's bandwidth.
 
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GC showed nice things. Rogue Leader/squadron blew my mind at the time. Wave Race Bluestorm too.
And PS2 had its own strenght of course...

I felt the 3 machines were pretty unique tbh. One of the last time that hardware differences were interesting...
You didn't think Xenos+Xenon and Cell+RSX was interesting?
 
You didn't think Xenos+Xenon and Cell+RSX was interesting?

Cell was nice (in a "curiosity" kind of way), the Xénon cache/edram too, yes, you're right. But already things look more and more the same, and Nintendo gave up. So it was interesting, but not as much as the previous generation, for me of course.
 
Thats no shock it came out over 1.5 years after the ps2, remember the pace of hardware improvement is decreasing since moores law fell.
Its like comparing either the ps5 or xbox series X to a console coming out in 2024 and going, wow the one in 2024 is a lot more powerful

Xbox came out a month after GC though.

Tell that to MGS2 :)


I mean that's a port. Throughout the history of gaming sometimes the weaker machine gets the better port because of development constraints and back then they were doing a lot of ports.

95% of the ports from ps2 to Xbox weren't just better, they were a lot better. It could even run some Ps2 games that were 480i at 720p native on Xbox natively on a stock machine.

I think you will eventually run into areas that will just be too slow. That's a lot to ask of that GPU and its shared memory pool's bandwidth.

But, what about a target resolution of 480p? That's the machine's main target and still serviceable in the early 360 days and way less taxing.
 
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that size difference though


Xbox had an actual Harddrive and a real DVD player. Big difference.When you crack it open though it doesn't even look that stuffed.

Even demanding games of that time can be upgraded to native 720p with a RAM increase and nothing else.


Morrowind can do 720p native. No developer optimization and it even helps the framerate.






Same with Riddick, 720p native. With 64mb the game would drop to 480i dynamic resolution, it holds 720p.





Again, in this case it seems like not only is the resolution dramatically increase, it seems the framerate is even better with just RAM

 
The OG xbox was quite far ahead of PS2 and GC, it also launched later as opposed to the PS2 and was rather big for a console at the time (and probably very costly for MS sourcing NV and intel parts with alot of ram for a console).
 
The OG xbox was quite far ahead of PS2 and GC, it also launched later as opposed to the PS2 and was rather big for a console at the time (and probably very costly for MS sourcing NV and intel parts with alot of ram for a console).


Yeah and I feel like even though it launched later, it was crazy powerful even considering that. The videos above show it hitting 720p is insanely demanding for a 2001 console especially with no developer optimizations. I feel like it could have had many PS3 and 360 ports for a couple of years so long as the games were dropped to 480p or some middle ground resolution under 720p. As one developer stated they were just getting used to Xbox's GPU when the 360 came along.
 
A cross-6th gen developer here on the b3d forums explained how much more powerfull the xbox was over its competitors. The PS2 had some fillrate advantage over the xbox though (but needed it aswell).
Its nowhere near what it is today where consoles are basically the same, 6th gen was the most intresting generation regarding hardware, games and innovations.
On the MGS2 xbox comment, its quite impressive considering that game was designed towards the PS2's strengths and it will ran quite well on the xbox with it having some advantages aswell, konami wasnt either well known for great ports.

The lack of the PS2 controller for MGS2 xbox was a bigger problem i think.
 
But, what about a target resolution of 480p? That's the machine's main target and still serviceable in the early 360 days and way less taxing.
Well yeah that's what Doom3 XBox normally runs at. You can see in these 720p videos that some games are not playable at 720p. Some games already had it at its limits at 480p. It's not just a memory capacity thing.
 
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