By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Gaming Discussion - Graphics: Gamecube vs. Xbox vs. PS2 vs. Dreamcast

the2real4mafol on 18 August 2012

all i know is there is little improvement between gamecube and wii based on those shots
also, i though the dreamcast was the most powerful

everything was better than ps2, that's for sure but it was still good for the time



Xbox One, PS4 and Switch (+ Many Retro Consoles)

'When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called the people's stick'- Mikhail Bakunin

Prediction: Switch will sell better than Wii U Lifetime Sales by Jan 1st 2018

Around the Network
Turkish on 18 August 2012

PS2 definetly had the best graphics. GT4, GoW2, FF12, Okami all look like early current gen games.



d21lewis on 18 August 2012
HappySqurriel said:
Sigh ... Sometimes I feel like I'm in 2002 all over again

A large portion of the Gamecube vs. XBox debate, as far as which produced better graphics, has centered on the differences between a fixed functionality GPU and a programmable GPU.

Back in the late 1990s most of the best GPUs had a fixed functionality pipeline that was augmented with pixel combiners. Many of these GPUs were able to produce many of the effects that were present in Gamecube/XBox games but game developers didn't take advantage of them because every GPU had a different set of features, and each manufacturer had different ways to take advantage of them.

The Geforce 3 was the first (IIRC) nVidia GPU that included programmable pixel and vertex shaders and Microsoft selected this GPU (and modified it) for the XBox, while Nintendo worked with a small GPU company that developed fixed functionality GPUs for flight simulators (ArtX).

The Gamecube was able to generate polygons that had 8 texture layers, each using a different texture effect from their built in pipline or using simple pixel combiners, and still render 10 to 12 million polygons per second. From what I remember, the XBox could only do 4 texture layers at a time but the programmable shaders allowed more complicated effects per layer.

If games were designed to take full advantage of the Gamecube's GPU they could not be replicated on the XBox because the XBox would require two texture passes and dramatically lower polygon throughput below what the GPU could do. At the same time, if games were designed to take full advantage of the XBox's GPU they could not be replicated by the Gamecube because the Gamecube's ability to produce advanced shaders was limited to the capabilities of pixel combiners.

Basically what I said earlier in the thread except that your post sounds like you have some idea what you're talking about.  BUT, how does the PS2 compare, hmmm?



Khuutra on 18 August 2012
d21lewis said:

Basically what I said earlier in the thread except that your post sounds like you have some idea what you're talking about.  BUT, how does the PS2 compare, hmmm?

PS2 had some really pretty games but it didn't really compare in terms of technical graphics



Attoyou on 18 August 2012
Turkish said:
PS2 definetly had the best graphics. GT4, GoW2, FF12, Okami all look like early current gen games.



Atto Suggests...:

Book - Malazan Book of the Fallen series 

Game - Metro Last Light

TV - Deadwood

Music - Forest Swords 

Around the Network
happydolphin on 18 August 2012
Navane said:
I love this thread. It's the best one I've read on here in quite some time.

Graphical debates are the best.

Salute!



hsrob on 18 August 2012
Khuutra said:
hsrob said:
I don't know, maybe I'm looking at the past through rose-coloured glasses but this thread makes me long for the previous generation.

A time when; developers seemed to make a greater effort to bring unique games to each piece of hardware, people were pleased when a game simply had good graphics by the standards of that system, there wasn't a constant pissing contest over which bit of hardware was the most powerful and plenty of good games were had by all.

But maybe that's just me.

I think a big part of it is that, last-gen, you probably weren't on a sale-oriented site which caters specifically to system wars pissing matches.

That's definitely part of it but it seems to me as the technology in games has gotten better we've all gotten more hung up on it.  Pixel peeping, side by side comparisons every time there is a major multiplatform release, only for one camp to claim 'victory' by the most insignificant of margins.

To me the converse should be true, as technology gets better it should become less important, taking a backseat to the creative process, allowing developers to fully realise their creative imagings without hindrance.



brendude13 on 18 August 2012
Attoyou said:
Turkish said:
PS2 definetly had the best graphics. GT4, GoW2, FF12, Okami all look like early current gen games.

I love the sudden burst of anger two seconds in. xD

I would shit myself if I was on the other end of that finger.



HiddenConcept on 18 August 2012

Power Stone.



DieAppleDie on 18 August 2012

every console had different architecture so a game built from the ground up for any console couldnt be replicated in the others without downgrades or excessive work