1050°

The PS3 rendering architecture explained

Originally Posted by LADev

"The PS3 rendering architecture is designed to be used like this:

The PPE functions as a controller for the entire system.

The SPEs function as the heavy lifters for game logic, physics, and dynamic vertex work. They also are used for some pixel work.
(I've been saying the exact same thing folks)

The RSX functions as the main pixel painter, but it is also used for static geometry.

A PS3 engine will start off with the PPE spawning off tasks to the SPEs and acting as the central control point for the engine. Static geometry is put onto the RSX. PPEs start cranking through tasks in parallel, usually setup to double buffer the data they operate on. A SPE will have its code uploaded, then it starts a DMA fetch for its initial data into to one half its local memory, and then it starts ping ponging back and forth: work through one half the local memory while the second half is being DMAed in, then swap. Ideally you have it setup so that you are effectively hiding almost all of your data loading latencies with the double buffer setup and chaining SPEs together where you do animation, deformation, physics, transformation, lighting all going on in parallel.

The heavy vertex work being done, that data is then sent off to the RSX to be rasterized along with the resident static vertex data. So in effect the PS3's Cell RSX combo is one giant unified rendering system. Depending on the nature of your game, your division of labor between the RSX and Cell will be different. It is entirely possible to do all vertex work on Cell or none. And the same for pixel painting.

What the design of the PS3's rendering architecture brings to developers is the unification of your physics, collision, dynamics, and geometry. On systems like desktop pcs or the 360 you have a division between your geometric data and collision/physics data with each of them sitting in GPU and CPU space respectively. The latest Factor 5 interview talks in general about this design of the PS3 and the Lair engine.

The RSX does exactly what it was designed to do, have the pixel painting power to handle 1080p output. The extra vertex power is a nice addition. The RSX in isolation is not very interesting to talk about. Or is a comparison to standard desktop graphics cards or the Xenos."

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ps3forums.com
TriggerHappy6922d ago (Edited 6922d ago )

RSX specs are in and Teamxbox and Ps3forums ( BIGGEST GAMING) rivals are at it again. Extreme fanboyism and facts.

snoop_dizzle6922d ago

here comes another flame war! :(

gta_cb6922d ago

hmmm you seem to be right lol
but then again if you was a fanboy and an article like this came up then wouldnt you expect yourself to want to go deffend your console?
im not defending fanboys just kinda saying yeh duh! (about the flamewar coming) lol =)

gta_cb6922d ago

also just want to say that i havnt read past your comment as there are 62 comments so far ... (prob more now) and there isnt much chance of having a decent convo so... cya in another thread =) lol

rusgreim6922d ago

Your assumption is based on the idea that the PS3's graphics are better, and thus far, head to head titles prove otherwise.

JasonPC360PS3Wii6922d ago (Edited 6922d ago )

Couldn't have said it better myself.

TriggerHappy6922d ago (Edited 6922d ago )

nice song, lol, will definately sell if published, almost every "FANBOY" like you would get a copy

tehcellownu6922d ago (Edited 6922d ago )

wrong..Every single multiplatform looks the same..The only game so far that showed a crappy port was ubisoft fear..even oblvion on the ps3 runs and look better then xbox360 version..also the games that xbots got that is really great lookin is only gear of wars nothin else..and how long you guys waited for it? one year..if you really want to compare wait till mgs4 and final fantasy viii comes out..and what i dont get is that a lot of devlopers came out and say the ps3 is more powerful but xbots continue to ignore it.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 6922d ago
ITR6922d ago

Flame War waiting to happen..

kdawg2226922d ago

This was posted by a developer, because of this i think is important that it was posted. But this is a good question though, if the xenos or however the hell you spell is so powerful, why does the ps3's gfx look better ?

JsonHenry6922d ago

I really (HONESTLY!!) do not see where the PS3 looks better in any game that is mutliplatform. Not a single one. Show me some screens to prove me wrong, please.

Show all comments (195)
40°

15 Years Ago, Mortal Kombat (2011) Saved Gaming’s Biggest Fighting Franchise

A brutal reset, a smarter story, and a return to what made it great—Mortal Kombat (2011) revived the series.

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fortressofsolitude.co.za
italiangamer3d ago

"Gaming’s Biggest Fighting Franchise"

Press X to (seriously) doubt.

DarXyde1d 17h ago

Underrated comment. I used to hate that game so much that any time my siblings asked me to play it, I just picked Hom and shut myself down mid-match.

Soy2d ago

And then MK1 killed it again.

DivineHand1251d 17h ago (Edited 1d 17h ago )

15 years went by so fast. I remember playing through the story mode at launch.

90°

PlayStation legend Shuhei Yoshida says Jim Ryan fired him because he didn't listen to him

Why did Sony push Shuhei Yoshida out of his role leading PlayStation's first-party games? He'd overseen some huge successes. Well, apparently, he didn't listen.

Read Full Story >>
eurogamer.net
Relientk773d ago

Yeah I can see that for sure. Shuhei Yoshida should have been in charge not Jim Ryan.

Cacabunga3d ago

It should be free highway for him now.. but Sony are too stupid to see this, especially that moron Hulst

S2Killinit2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Wtf why all that anger. PlayStation is dominating on every level. Besides I think there is a little more to hiring a CEO than just who is available. Its not like its a athlete your team wants to buy.

neutralgamer19922d ago

S2Killinit

live service failures, chasing trends, closing studios. yes dominating

Cacabunga2d ago

Sony is Dominating because competition is not existing. Compared to previous gens this is the poorest in terms of software offerings.

Last gen we got Uncharted 4 Lost Legacy and TLOU2 from ND alone.

This is so far a remasters gen, with no competition to lift up the quality

1nsomniac2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

..."PlayStation is dominating on every level"....

...Really???

PlayStation are soon heading into a new generation in the not to distant future. They currently have the worst customer satisfaction they've ever sustained as a company. The company is heading for a huge crash while at the same time they'll need to be planning how they are going to try and win back that favour and the build up to their new releases.

Yes financially they're winning but they're going to have to ride out this complete public corporate disaster. No one has faith in the company or the product anymore. They've damaged their public image so much this generation. Greed can kill anyone.

medman2d ago

Hulst is a disaster......

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 2d ago
blacktiger2d ago

He would've done the same thing and fire Jim Ryan and Shuhei would be the villain. Why?
Because Elite creates the narrative and distraction for gamers, users and citizens.

Outside_ofthe_Box3d ago

More confirmation that Jim Ryan is the culprit for what has happened to Sony. Hulst needs to go too. What sucks is that a lot of the good top heads at Sony are no longer there. I wish that guys that were forced out prematurely by Dumbo Jimbo like Shuhei and Layden came back.

robtion2d ago

Yep. Yoshida was responsible for bringing one of the best games of this generation to playstation (Stellar Blade). He is an actual gamer and is in touch with what gamers want (creative, fun games, not GaaS and agenda pushing). He also seems like a genuinely nice guy if you watch some interviews. Of course they got rid of him.

darthv723d ago

Makes you wonder if MS even thought about hiring him after Phil and Sarah were leaving. He certainly couldn't make their situation any worse.

Agent752d ago

Microflop. After Windows XP and Xbox 360, it all went floppy.

S2Killinit2d ago

Floppy 😆
No pun intended

badz1493d ago

Yoshida for President! Jim Ryan was and always be a hack! Sony should get Shu back

Lightning773d ago

All the gamer/consumer lead heads are gone across PS and Xbox. shuhei gone phil's gone (questionable) but gone. The future of gaming is somewhat uncertain across the board.

Show all comments (29)
50°

Ex-Naughty Dog Dev: Big Studios Are 'Forced' to Hire Like Factories

Former Naughty Dog artist Gabriel Betancourt explains why the "sweet spot" for game teams is under 200 people and how AAA "factories" kill creativity.

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powerupgaming.co.uk
3d ago
phongtro123_com2d ago

There’s definitely some truth to this. When teams get too large, coordination starts to outweigh creativity—layers of approval, risk aversion, and tight deadlines can turn bold ideas into “safe” ones. Keeping a team under ~200 people sounds ideal for maintaining clear communication and a shared vision. That said, massive AAA projects also come with huge technical demands and expectations, so scaling up isn’t always avoidable. The real challenge is figuring out how to keep that small-team creativity alive inside big studio structures.

DarXyde2d ago

More than that, it's logistically untenable. Inevitably, when teams get too large, how do you keep tabs on accountability? I suspect this massive team size is a consequence of the perfectionism streak Naughty Dog has.

I wish we could have so many people working on something and it turns out great because I'm all for collaboration in spirit - the problem is too many people as part of the larger team and smaller units. Suppose for example that you have too many people in the art department; you will very often come up against fiercely competing visions for how things should look. That competitive vision will cause friction between team members, team doesn't work as a unit, the back and forth can further delay parts that the other departments are waiting for, etc etc.

A 200-person team says, to me, that we need to scale back game development. Even if it means we go back to PS2 era costs and scale, why not? Those games are still great fun, the budgets were in check, and you could literally break the 200-man team into like 10 20-man teams working on different projects.