
Joystiq has some rather astounding news from the Tokyo Game Show today. A software update later this year -- we would guess the scheduled fall update -- will add full 1080p capability to your Xbox 360. Still no word of an HDMI cable, though. Right now this is only via component or VGA. Still, Microsoft is promising immediate upscaling of all existing games and DVD movies. Huh, it looks like the 360 is capable of "True" high definition after all. The question is: can it play games in 4D? Stay tuned to X360F and Joystiq for more breaking TGS info.
Update: Changed confusing image.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-20-2006 @ 10:22AM
The Hedon said...
Yup, upscaling existing libraries game and DVD to 1080p and native support for 1080p games as well as 1080p native support on their HD-DVD player. FREAKIN SWEET.
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9-20-2006 @ 10:41AM
DrHockey said...
Does anyone know if this update will allow the 360 to upscale DVD's to 720p/1080i without the add on HD-DVD player?
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9-20-2006 @ 10:58AM
munchie said...
This is truly amazing. DVD upscaling...sweet! 1080p upscaling for games...sweet. Native support for 1080p games is great as it takes away one of Sony's bragging points...but still not very important as developers aren't going to be making native 1080p games for the 360 or the PS3. It's just too much of a performance hit to get 1080p while still maintaining many of the fancy visuals.
All together great news!
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9-20-2006 @ 11:02AM
munchie said...
#2...according to Kotaku they quote Shane Kim as saying:
"If it is running at 720p we will up-res it to 1080p, if it it's already 1080p then we can display it in 1080p," he said. " This is a great example of our console's ability and the great advantage of being a software company."
"We believe 720p is the sweet-spot for high definition," he said, adding that Microsoft Game Studio titles will, for now, continue to be created at 720p."
and the Kotaku article states:
"they announced that the fall software update for the console will allow the console to output game and movie content in 1080p resolution. That's right I said movies and games."
http://kotaku.com/gaming/xbox-360/shane-kim-talks-360-1080p-game-output-201816.php
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9-20-2006 @ 11:07AM
munchie said...
This should really be noted as 2 seperate post.
1) Completely unrelated to the HD-DVD add on...the Xbox 360 will be able to Upscale normal DVD movies and support 1080p output both natively and via upscaling using both component cables and VGA adapter. That support for 1080p for games if developers should create content for it.
2) HD-DVD add on price news and of course will playback HD-DVD movies in 1080p via component cables and VGA adapter.
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9-20-2006 @ 11:43AM
Ciaran Gallagher said...
lol That's Microsoft's way of slapping Sony in the face with the whole true HD thing lol
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9-20-2006 @ 12:53PM
DanMacMan said...
Hell ya Microsoft. Now the $3500 1080p hdtv I bought can be justified a little more.
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9-20-2006 @ 12:58PM
Goose said...
I am all for 1080p, but it is useles for 99% of all HDTVs as they wont accept 1080p through component. If they would just add HDMI support then this announcment would actually be useful.
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9-20-2006 @ 1:59PM
romo828 said...
#8 Goose...1080p can be achieved through component cables. DVI and HDMI just produce better results.
Read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video#Analog_component_video
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9-20-2006 @ 3:52PM
Eradicator360 said...
Is there a patch to upgrade my Westinghouse from 1080i to 1080p too? Just kidding.
Are there 1080p TVs out there to buy yet and can anyone really tell the difference? Maybe on a huge 62" or 80" TV I'm guessing.
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9-20-2006 @ 4:10PM
Goose said...
#9 Romo,
I know it is possible to send a 1080p signal through component cables, but the promblem is that very few (if any) TVs accept 1080p through component. For example I have a Sony 1080p RPTV and can only get native 1080p with HDMI.
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9-20-2006 @ 4:26PM
ThorzHamer said...
This is amazing news.
If you remember back when the 360 launched there were quite a few people upset at the fact that the DVD drive was NOT an upscaling drive..... well to all of those that complained... maybe Microsoft was listening???
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9-20-2006 @ 4:36PM
Jay said...
Wooooo, that's awesome, the monitor I'm going to buy is ALMOST 1080p, it's 1050p (I guess). I wonder if there will be a performance hit, and if so.... how much?
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9-20-2006 @ 6:40PM
nitussi said...
This is a great tatic by M$, pretending in the begining not to care for either format. That way they would not have to compete with Sony price range.
Sony was hoping that M$ would have made the HD-DVD drive mandatory on the 360, thus playing Sony's game. Then the 360 would of went out the way of the Dreamcast. Because if the price of both systems are the same, even with 360's one year head start, its definite that the Ps3 would prevail. The third party support just would'nt be there for M$.
If Sony wanted a next gen video format war.
Well they got one. Good luck!
Oh yeah...1080p is cool.
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9-20-2006 @ 6:56PM
slacker said...
dang MS got some skills.
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9-20-2006 @ 8:17PM
Jimmy Venderbro said...
The Xbox 360 now has more 1080p features than the Playstation 3.
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9-21-2006 @ 1:43AM
DA360 said...
Nice, but even though most HDTVs still do not support 1080p and vast majority of games won't use it (this applies for both 360 and PS3). But this takes away one of Sony's major bloating points about the PS3.
Also, I wonder if there will be more resolutions for VGA due to this? Because for people using LCD Widescreen monitors, it would be great if the 360 will be able to support the native resolution of these monitors (such as most 19 inch widescreen LCDs have a native resolution of 1440X900, which the 360 currently doesn't go up to).
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9-21-2006 @ 4:50AM
rooot said...
according to boris schneider-johne, the upscaling for normal dvd's will only work with the vga-connector. upscaling with the component cable is forbidden by Macrovision's licence.
isn't that great? :p
http://www.macrovision.com/products/activereach_dvd/faq.shtml#b6
http://www.dreisechzig.net/wp/archives/549
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9-21-2006 @ 10:58AM
DanMacMan said...
#11, yes there are a few 1080p sets that accept 1080p signals over component, my Samsung is one of them, and I know Sharp has some as well.
http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/LCDTV/LNS4095DXXAA.asp?page=Specifications
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9-21-2006 @ 11:58AM
PrsRobster said...
When exactly is the scheduled fall update?
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