Joystiq

PlayStation 4's DualShock 4, Eye camera detailed

Jordan Mallory — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:33:00 EST

Sony has revealed some more specifics regarding the PlayStation 4's new DualShock 4 controller, as well as the new, double-camera PlayStation 4 Eye peripheral announced during tonight's event.

Six-axis controls return in the DualShock 4, as do the familiar array of face/shoulder buttons and direction inputs. New additions to the unit include a PlayStation Vita-esque touch pad on the front of the device, which is capacitive and can register two points of contact at a time. The pad itself can also be clicked as a button, from the sound of the press release tucked away after the break. Start and Select buttons have had their functionality reassigned to a new "Options" button.

Meanwhile, a "Share" button allows the player to access the PlayStation 4's wealth of social options, which include live-streaming through services such as Ustream and the sharing of videos on social networks. Additionally, an LED "light bar" on top of the controller illuminates to communicate various information to players, such as a character's current health status, for instance.

That light bar also communicates with the PlayStation 4 Eye, the latest version of Sony's storied camera peripheral. This time around, the Eye features two cameras capable of a maximum resolution of 1280 x 800 each, in addition to a four-channel array of microphones. The cameras have the ability to "cut out the image of the player from the background, or to grasp players' position in front and behind," which sounds rather familiar if you ask us. Users can use the Eye to log into their PlayStation 4 via facial recognition, in addition to the PlayStation Move implementations you'd expect from the device point.

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PlayStation 4's DualShock 4, Eye camera detailed originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii U browser runs on NetFront, doesn't support plug-ins

Jordan Mallory — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:30:00 EST

The specifications for the Wii U's internet browser have been made public, and it's no surprise that the software shares its technical underpinnings with the 3DS' browser. Specifically, the Wii U's window into the web is actually NetFront NX, which is a WebKit-based browser designed for smart TVs, mobile devices, game consoles and the like. NetFront, in one form or another, has powered the 3DS, PSP, PlayStation 3 and Vita's browsers.

Like some other first-party applications, the browser can be pushed to the WiiPad's screen and used from there, freeing up the television for other activities. Since the WiiPad's resistive touchscreen doesn't support multitouch, however, familiar tablet maneuvers like pinch-to-zoom will not be present. It also won't be possible to save any images found while browsing, or conversely to upload anything saved in local memory.

Flash support is a no-show, as is compatibility with any other plug-in, although HTML5 is supported and in fact, the browser renders HTML5 websites more efficiently than any other console (and even IE 10 on PC), according to this benchmarking site.

Wii U browser runs on NetFront, doesn't support plug-ins originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sleeping Dogs PC has high-res texture pack, multi-monitor support

David Hinkle — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:30:00 EST

Sleeping Dogs on the PC has some exclusive graphical bonuses - and not like stickers to slap on your rig, mind you. United Front Games' PC port will launch with a high-resolution texture pack for those crisp visuals, and support for multi-monitor displays. (But will it run on Batman's setup?)

If you pre-order Sleeping Dogs through Steam ahead of its August 14 launch, you'll get 10 percent off the final asking price, bringing it down to $44.99. Finally, Square Enix has also released the minimum and recommended specs for Sleeping Dogs, which we've gone ahead and published below the break.

Gallery: Sleeping Dogs (PC Features)

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Sleeping Dogs PC has high-res texture pack, multi-monitor support originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wikipad specs revealed, will run Android 4.1 games on a 10.1" screen

Mike Schramm — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 01:30:00 EST

The Wikipad is a gaming tablet device revealed at CES earlier this year, and it's slowly moving from idea to reality. The company behind the tablet (also known as Wikipad, go figure) has announced the final specs for the design, and they're hot: The display will be 10.1 inches with a 16:10 1280x800 resolution, the tablet will be powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 T30 1.4 GHz processor, and it will run with 1 GB of DDR2 RAM, and at least 16 GB of internal Flash memory storage. Android 4.1 will power the OS, and an onboard 23.46Wh battery will go for six hours of gaming and eight hours of video playback.

There will be an 8 megapixel camera on the back, as well as a 2 megapixel camera on the front. An early model this year featured a 3D display, but the final version will opt for 2D.

For the casing itself, Wikipad is going with a flat-backed shape with rounded corners, both slightly thicker, but also lighter, than the iPad 2. The controller add-on, which you can see above, is similar to a current-gen gaming controller (complete with triggers and buttons on the back) and will come with the unit.

A price and release date haven't been officially announced yet, but Wikipad is planning to have its namesake device out later this year.

Wikipad specs revealed, will run Android 4.1 games on a 10.1" screen originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dark Souls PC requirements make sure you're prepared to die

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 18:15:00 EST

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition is set to hit Steam on August 24, but before you ready your deathbed, make sure you actually can expire. Steam lists the following PC requirements for Prepare to Die Edition:

OS: Windows XP , Windows Vista, Windows 7, or newer
Processor: 2.6 GHz Dual-Core
Memory: 1 GB (XP), 2GB (Vista/7)
Hard Disk Space: 4 GB
Video Card: 512 MB RAM, ATI Radeon 4850 or higher, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT or higher
DirectX(R): 9.0c
Sound: Direct Sound Compatible

Steam also says "multiplayer requires microphone headset support," but that isn't true, Namco Bandai tells Eurogamer. Prepare to Die Edition will not support in-game chat at all, it turns out.

The PC version comes with a new expansion, Artorias of the Abyss, which features an untold chapter in the world of Lordran. The expansion will be sold as DLC for PS3 and Xbox 360 versions this winter.

Dark Souls PC requirements make sure you're prepared to die originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Faux PS4 built based on rumored specs, gets rumored results

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST

The fine people at Official PlayStation Magazine UK trust the PlayStation 4 spec rumors enough to build the entire next-gen console with the assumed parts, which are all off-the-shelf PC pieces. Rumors have the PS4 using an AMD A8 3850 processor and AMD Radeon HD 7670 graphics card, the latter of which is identical to a mid-range, year-old AMD graphics card, the HD 6670. The processor is a "cheap" CPU solution, OPM writes.

With that stellar introduction, OPM tested its fake PS4 against an Intel i7 2700K with Just Cause 2, and against the PS3 with Bulletstorm and Skyrim. OPM tracked rendering and frame-rate benchmarks for each system, and was underwhelmed with the results. Just Cause 2 was clocked at 21 frames per second, and the other two stuck around 30, but with barely noticeable graphics improvements from the PS3 version.

Again, these are only the rumored PS4 specs, and simply duct-taping them all together and popping in a game doesn't equate a true, finished console. Techradar's components editor Dave James offered some insight into OPM's test: "Sadly just benchmarking the relevant PC components in the current crop of Windows-compatible games wont give you much of an idea how a PS4 utilising those components would actually perform.

"Coding on closed-platform devices, like consoles, means you can squeeze every last drop of performance out of the hardware because you know that every one of those devices will be exactly the same."

Sony may use newer versions of the graphics card and processor as well, James said. The moral of this story, then: Rumors are rumors.

Image credit: OPM

Faux PS4 built based on rumored specs, gets rumored results originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Double Fine made this bizarre and hilarious prototype for a Kinect adventure game

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:30:00 EST

Double Fine's Tim Schafer was the guest of honor last evening at New York University's Game Center, joining Zynga New York's creative director (and NYU professor) Frank Lantz for an "Inside the Gamer's Studio" conversation. Schafer, however, brought more than just good conversation. He showed off two separate versions of a prototyped game that Double Fine ended up shelving. The prototype, ~~for no reason at all~~, is dubbed "*Specs."

In the first video (seen above), rudimentary concepts for the game are introduced. Two convicts sit in a prison cell, a shiv on the floor between them. The player character isn't one of the two convicts, or even the shiv, but instead a possessed amulet that's using its power of influence to guide the actions of those around it (inanimate objects included). As it turns out, one of the two convicts has said amulet in his hand when the prototype kicks off.

The two emotions that the amulet can produce - love and hate - are represented by blue and red cursors on-screen, each mapped to one of your hands. With just two emotions, a handful of set pieces to interact with, and a Kinect, a variety of potential outcomes with varying levels of hilarity ensued.

*Double Fine senior gameplay programmer Anna Kipnis explained the name via Twitter. "We name prototypes after Chinatown bars at DF (running out of bars now)," Kipnis said, in reference to San Francisco's Chinatown. "Psychonauts was Li Po. Brütal Legend was my favorite bar in Chinatown, Buddha Bar." So there's that! This is "Specs."

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Double Fine made this bizarre and hilarious prototype for a Kinect adventure game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alan Wake alights on Steam in February, answers your FAQs now

Jessica Conditt — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:30:00 EST

Remedy Games is gearing up to launch Alan Wake on Steam this February -- the developer's first self-published title -- with a hefty FAQ session on its forum. Steam's Alan Wake will not be available on Mac, won't use Games for Windows Live and won't have a demo. It will use Steamworks, support keyboard and Xbox 360 controller input, and will include The Signal and The Writer DLC packs with the game.

Alan Wake on Steam can support stereoscopic 3D through NVISION 3D, although it is performance-intensive, Remedy warns. For normal (see: "unfancy") gameplay, the expected system requirements are fairly standard, as you can see -- no flashlight required -- just after the break.

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Alan Wake alights on Steam in February, answers your FAQs now originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mass Effect 3 PC system requirements blasted open by BioWare

Steven Wong — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST

With the announcement that the highly anticipated Mass Effect 3 demo will be hitting on February 14, BioWare has also revealed the PC system specs for the final chapter of Shepard's story.

The system requirements (found below the jump) are surprisingly modest, and very similar to those of Mass Effect 2. You might notice that the list shows a low hard drive space requirement (a measly 2.5 GB), but the line probably refers to how much space the demo will need. So, it looks like PC gamers probably won't have to upgrade to defend the galaxy from destruction... but it certainly couldn't hurt. After all, the Reapers won't be holding back, so why should you?

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Mass Effect 3 PC system requirements blasted open by BioWare originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Battlefield 3 beta system requirements

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:15:00 EST

Given the proximity of the Battlefield 3 launch, the beta system requirements shouldn't differ much (if at all) from the final game. Don't throw out your GTX 560 between now and October!

Continue reading Battlefield 3 beta system requirements

Battlefield 3 beta system requirements originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Make some room for the Rage PC specs

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST

After peeping the minimum PC specs required for id Software's mutant shoot-a-thon, Rage, we realize that our plan to duct-tape six Eee PCs together might not work out. Head past the break and see for yourself.

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Make some room for the Rage PC specs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii U is 1080p; has HDMI out, internal flash memory, SD and USB storage support

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST

While Nintendo was blowing minds this morning with the announcement of its new console, the Wii U, the company's Japanese press site was quietly releasing all the juicy specs of the upcoming machine that we hunger for. As mentioned during the presser, the console will output games in high definition, now revealed as ranging from 480i to 1080p. Moreover, the Wii U will output HD by employing HDMI.

As far as internal storage goes, it's still unclear whether or not the Wii U will come packed with an HDD, but the specs sheet does amorphously detail "internal flash storage," as well as an SD slot and the ability to use USB storage. Notably, the list points out that the USB storage will allow for external HDDs. And while the disc slot gives us the impression that Wii U games will be disc-based, Nintendo has yet to reveal its medium of choice.

Wii U is 1080p; has HDMI out, internal flash memory, SD and USB storage support originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Duke Nukem Forever's PC specs released

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 03 May 2011 22:30:00 EST

Gearbox has released the PC specifications for Duke Nukem Forever and, unfortunately, you won't quite be able to get away with a 14-year-old graphics card. PC players can squeak by with one gig of RAM and either an Nvidia GeForce 7600 or an ATI Radeon HD 2600. Sorry, but it looks like its finally time for an upgrade from that Voodoo Banshee.

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Duke Nukem Forever's PC specs released originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 May 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSP successor is official, codenamed 'NGP' (Next Generation Portable)

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:32:00 EST

Mock it up, talk it up and leak it out all you want, only Sony has the power to actually bring the so-called "PSP2" into the world -- and that moment has come. The "sequel" to the PlayStation Portable was made official today (like, just now!) during a press event in Japan, looking every bit as -- well, that thing looks like the PSP, doesn't it?

Codenamed "NGP" -- that's "Next Generation Portable" Entertainment System -- the device has been designed with five core ~~tenets~~ buzz phrases in mind, according to Sony: Revolutionary User Interface; Social Connectivity; Location-based Entertainment; Converging Real and Virtual; and PlayStation Suite Compatibility.

But what does that mean? For starters, the new hardware features dual analog sticks; a 5-inch OLED display (with 960x544 resolution -- four times the PSP's); a front touchscreen and rear touchpad (woah!); 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS; and, for good measure, the same six-axis motion system that propels the Move, plus a three-axis compass -- oh, and we can't forget the front and rear cameras (those come standard these days). Of course, the NGP plays games, too, which will be offered on new flash memory-based cards (so long UMD!) that feature added storage for DLC and game saves.

The NGP is coming this holiday season.

Update: Complete hardware specs, provided by Sony, are posted after the break.

Continue reading PSP successor is official, codenamed 'NGP' (Next Generation Portable)

PSP successor is official, codenamed 'NGP' (Next Generation Portable) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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StarCraft 2's PC and Mac system requirements announced

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Big Download has received the final retail system requirements from Blizzard for Starcraft 2, which will begin its real-time strategic war in stores July 27. Can you -- and your PC -- handle them?

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StarCraft 2's PC and Mac system requirements announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alleged Kinect hardware specs claim two active player limit

Mike Schramm — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST

During E3, PrimeSense, the company behind the Kinect hardware, told Joystiq that the system it had licensed to Microsoft could only handle a maximum of two active players at a time. PrimeSense couldn't confirm at the time that Kinect could only calculate two players, and Microsoft didn't comment further when we asked, but leaked Kinect technical specifications from a few UK retailers seem to match up with the two "active" player limit. The leaked technical specifications claim that the Kinect camera can recognize any number of human bodies, but can only calculate the movement and actions of two people at a time.

Other interesting specs have the camera pulling in a video view with a 640x480 resolution at 30fps, and an echo cancellation system in the mic that will make voice chat possible directly through Kinect. The information also explains what the original Xbox 360 will need for the device: 175 MB of memory for system drivers and an open USB port (to connect Kinect).

Of course, these specifications aren't yet official, and they're strictly for the hardware -- not every game will support camera output or voice chat.

Alleged Kinect hardware specs claim two active player limit originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple iPad unveiled, like, for real f'real

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:10:00 EST

It's finally over ... and it's just beginning! Apple has introduced the iPad to the world, ending a long-drawn-out development phase fraught with rumor and speculation. Today -- like, just now -- the iPad made its stage debut at Apple's "Latest Creation" event in San Francisco.

Quite the production, er, introduction, eh? Here's what we know right off the bat, courtesy of Steve Jobs:

"It's very thin -- you can change the homescreen to whatever you want"
"You can browse the web with it"
"Phenomenal for mail"
"Album, photos ... you can look at all of them, flick through them, it's a wonderful way to share. Calendar ... months ..."
"We have the iTunes store built right in. YouTube and YouTube in HD"
"And it's awesome to watch movies and TV"
"Even bigger than the DSi XL" (okay, so Steve didn't say that -- we did!)

Cool, but does it play games? Update: Yep, it does -- your old iPhone games! We even played a few in our hands-on preview.

Some additional specs: 0.5-inches thin; 1.5 pounds; 9.7-inch IPS display; multi-touch; powered by 1GHz Apple A4 chip; available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models; Bluetooth 2.1 plus EDR and 802.11n WiFi; speakers, mic and 30-pin connector; syncs over USB; and up to 10-hour battery life. First-party accessories include a standard dock (think: picture-frame mode), a keyboard dock and a case.

As for pricing, the 16GB model is $499 (or $629 with 3G compatibility); or 32GB for $599 ($729 with 3G); or 64GB for $699 ($829 with 3G). 3G-compatible models have an option between two data plans through AT&T: 250MB of data per month for $14.99 or unlimted data per month for $29.99. The data plans are prepaid and activated directly on the iPad -- there's no contract (so you can cancel anytime). WiFi models ship in 60 days (late March); 3G units in 90 (late April).

Gallery: Apple iPad

Apple iPad unveiled, like, for real f'real originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Assassin's Creed II PC specs, date revealed

Andrew Yoon — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:30:00 EST

Joystiq's #2 game of 2009 is finally leaping onto PC on March 16. Ubisoft doesn't seem too apologetic about the four-month delay, pricing the game at $59.99 (a higher price usually reserved for console releases) for both retail and digital versions. However, the PC edition of Assassin's Creed II will act as a pseudo "director's cut" of the game, and it will include two upcoming DLC episodes, Battle of Forli and Bonfire of the Vanities.

In addition to the standard PC version, Ubisoft has announced a special "Black Edition" of Assassin's Creed II for $64.99. The press release is incredibly vague about what extras it may contain, simply referring to them as "additional content." An Ubisoft representative remained cryptic about the bonuses, too, promising a "reveal in February," which suggests that the content could differ from the "Black Edition" released on consoles.

Check out the PC specs after the break.

Continue reading Assassin's Creed II PC specs, date revealed

Assassin's Creed II PC specs, date revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3D Blu-ray specs finalized, PlayStation 3 support confirmed

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST

The Blu-ray Disc Association this morning confirmed the finalization of "the Blu-ray 3D specification." What we're trying to tell you is this: 3D films are heading to your PlayStation 3 next year and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Sure, you probably don't own a 3D-ready television just yet, but that's okay, because we've been assured that nearly everyone will have one by 2014.

If you're like us and aren't quite ready to make the 3D jump just yet, the BDA thankfully notes that our quaint old "2D" films will still be supported. But don't let that lull you into a false sense of safety -- embedded within today's announcement is the fact that 3D technology "allows every Blu-ray 3D player and movie to deliver Full HD 1080p resolution to each eye [our emphasis]." That's right, folks -- they're targeting each eye individually! Sounds like a great time to invest in the burgeoning eye patch market.

3D Blu-ray specs finalized, PlayStation 3 support confirmed originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DSi XL FAQ: Sized up

JC Fletcher — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:22:00 EST

Early yesterday, Nintendo of Japan announced the DSi XL (DSi LL in Japan), a larger, larger-screened version of the DSi. It's a big system, and kind of a big mystery, given that the only advance notice we had of the thing was a Nikkei blurb two days prior. While we can't answer the big questions, like how long this idea has been in the works, and whether a bigger handheld is a good idea as an alternative to the DS's continual miniaturization, we can round up what we know and can reasonably speculate about the DSi XL -- right after the jump.

Gallery: DSi XL

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DSi XL FAQ: Sized up originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat irradiating PCs 'first quarter 2010'

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:57:00 EST

We've mused on the subject before, but we're still a bit bewildered that a third game set in the shadow of a two-time nuclear fallout zone is on its way in the form of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat. Sure, the series has twice proven itself to be an enjoyable blend of creepy atmosphere and technical prowess, but between all the guns and high doses of radiation, how is anyone left to talk about? The game's developer, GSC Gameworld, is busy figuring out that problem, effectively pushing back the game to a "first quarter 2010" release, according to the game page on publisher bitComposer's website.

In the meantime, to help sate your need for more S.T.A.L.K.E.R., the company has updated its thrilling PC requirements spec sheet for the game, which we've dropped after the break.

Continue reading S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat irradiating PCs 'first quarter 2010'

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat irradiating PCs 'first quarter 2010' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spore's system requirements

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, PC, Simulations

We're not exactly sure how long it's been up on the official Spore site, but below we've posted the basic system requirements for running the sim-everything title on PC and Mac. The "recommended" (read: real) requirements are not currently listed on the site. For the super-breakdown of supported graphics cards and other nit-picky details, check out the Spore site.

Windows XP:

2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
512 MB RAM
A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
At least 6 GB of hard drive space

Windows Vista:

2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
768 MB RAM
A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
At least 6 GB of hard drive space

Mac:

Mac OS X 10.5.3 Leopard or higher
Intel Core Duo Processor
1024 MB RAM
ATI X1600 or NVidia 7300 GT with 128 MB of Video RAM, or Intel Integrated GMA X3100
At least 4.7GB of hard drive space for installation, plus additional space for creations.
This game will not run on PowerPC (G3/G4/G5) based Mac systems (PowerMac).

[Thanks binturong]

Gallery: Spore

Continue reading Spore's system requirements

Spore's system requirements originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mass Effect PC requires 'processor,' 'memory' and 'video card'

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, RPGs

While scouring the Mass Effect forums for a guide on how to place our girl, Beyoncé, into BioWare's space epic (found one!), we stumbled across the "system requirements" of the PC version. Not only will you require a PC, but one filled with the following rams, gigabytes and geforces:

Minimum System Requirements

Operating System: Windows XP or Vista
Processor: 2.4+GHZ Intel or 2.0+GHZ AMD
Memory: 1 Gigabyte Ram (XP); 2 Gigabytes Ram (Vista)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 6 series(6800GT or better); ATI 1300XT or better (X1550, X1600 Pro and HD2400 are below minimum system requirements)
Hard Drive Space: 12 Gigabytes
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers

Recommended Real System Requirements

Operating System: Windows XP or Vista
Processor: 2.6+GHZ Intel or 2.4+GHZ AMD
Memory: 2 Gigabytes Ram
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX or higher; ATI X1800 XL series or higher
Hard Drive Space: 12 Gigabytes
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers - 5.1 sound card recommended

Mass Effect PC is out on May 28th.

Gallery: Mass Effect (PC)

Mass Effect PC requires 'processor,' 'memory' and 'video card' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Revolutionary: Respectable Specs

Mike Sylvester — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Revolutionary

Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.

Nintendo still hasn't confirmed any of the technical specs of the Wii hardware in detail, and we wouldn't recommend you hold your breath until they do. They don't want people making assumptions of what the system can or can't do based on arbitrary numbers and jargon. We do know that the Wii is much more than "two Gamecubes taped together." In addition to the revolutionary controllers, we get integrated Wi-Fi, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 48 MB more RAM, internal flash storage, an SD card slot, full-sized DVD disc capacity, and a new operating system and GUI that brings us software like Mii Channel, Photo Channel, Forecast Channel, and Internet Channel. Wii Shop and Virtual Console could not have been done on Gamecube, and with support for component output reintegrated, we can enjoy our old and new games in glorious 480p. That's a pretty long list of upgrades over the Gamecube, and it's in a smaller, more attractive package.

Continue reading Revolutionary: Respectable Specs

Revolutionary: Respectable Specs originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3 smoke and mirrors?: IBM stats

Ken Weeks — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 23:45:00 EST

Filed under: Console wars

I don't pretend to be an expert on matters technical, but reader Crimson Angelus sure sounds like he knows what he's talking about:

At this year's E3 (or thereabouts) Sony proclaimed that their processor could achieve 200GFLOPS! However, according to IBM's white paper, only 155.5 GFLOPS was actually achieved (Table 4). BUT, IBM's tests used all 8 SPEs. The PS3 will only use 7 SPE's, due to manufacturing yield issues.

The efficiency of the Cell is 75.9% (Table 4), with of a theoretical peak of 201GFLOPs (Figure 5)--running 8 SPEs at 25.12GFLOPS apiece (Table 2). Similarly, the theoretical peak for the PS3's processor will be 176GFLOPS, using 7 SPEs at 25.12GFLOPS apiece. Assuming the same 75.9% effieciency, we could easily interpolate the PS3's Cell to be capable of 133.6GFLOPS.

The take home message is that with the PS3 being cabable of 133.6 GFLOPS and the Xbox 360 being capable of 115.2 GFLOPS, the PS3 is not nearly as far ahead of the Xbox 360 as we were lead to believe. we should expect relatively similar power coming from both consoles, processor power, and ease of programming all considered.

Not to mention that one of the SPE's in the PS3 are reserved for the OS and the bottlenecking of the data transfer between the SPE's and the on board memory. I see the 360 hand in hand with a gaming Revolution taking home this next round at least, if not the whole cake over time.

He's working off this data, which has been around for a while.

So much for "twice the processing power," though I'm interested to learn just how many GFLOPS it takes to enter the fourth dimension. Any tech-minded PS3 fanboys care to argue, or are you still busy making fun of the Wii fanboys?

PS3 smoke and mirrors?: IBM stats originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 30 Apr 2006 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Revealed: Revolution CPU and GPU specs

David Hinkle — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 21:08:00 EST

Filed under: News, Tech stuff

Matt promised to post on the Revolution's "Hollywood" and "Broadway" GPU and CPU tonight, and he has delivered with the goods. Supposed sources possessing development kits of all shapes and sizes have confirmed what the final specs are.

"IBM's "Broadway" CPU is clocked at 729MHz, according to updated Nintendo documentation. By comparison, GameCube's Gekko CPU ran at 485MHz. The original Xbox's CPU was clocked at 733MHz. Meanwhile, Xbox 360 runs three symmetrical cores at 3.2GHz."

"Revolution's ATI-provided "Hollywood" GPU clocks in at 243MHz. By comparison, GameCube's GPU ran at 162MHz, while the GPU on the original Xbox was clocked at 233MHz. Sources we spoke with suggest that it is unlikely the GPU will feature any added shaders, as has been speculated. The 'Hollywood' is a large-scale integrated chip that includes the GPU, DSP, I/O bridge and 3MBs of texture memory."

Matt also goes on to write:

"Revolution will operate using 24MBs of "main" 1T-SRAM. It will additionally boast 64MBs of "external" 1T-SRAM. That brings the total number of system RAM up to 88MBs, not including the 3MB texture buffer on the GPU. By comparison, GameCube featured 40MBs of RAM not counting the GPU's on-board 3MBs. The original Xbox included 64MBs total RAM. Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 operate on 512MBs of RAM."

So it's pretty much confirmed that the Revolution is a direct extension of the GameCube hardware, just upgraded, without all of the bells and whistles Sony and Microsoft seem to think that are needed in their next generation of consoles. All the specs in the world don't matter unless you have engaging titles on your console and thankful that has never been a problem when it comes to the house Mario built.

Revealed: Revolution CPU and GPU specs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Mar 2006 21:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How the Xbox 360 works

Ken Weeks — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 23:45:00 EST

Filed under: How-tos, Hacks / mods

HowStuffWorks has a dumbed-down (and probably old) primer on the inner workings of the Xbox 360 console that doesn't tell you much more than what's on the packaging. Nothing new for the hardcore, but best to re-familiarize yourself with basics before wading into the technical minutia of DVD drive hacks.

[Thanks Nick M.]

How the Xbox 360 works originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 18 Mar 2006 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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