256bit consol

[tenchi86]

Ok I did a search and got to many ram results to get my answer. My question is tha before consols all went by bits I mean it was like the 8 bit, then 16, then 32, then 64, and now 128. So if are the next gen consols going to be 256 bit? Just wondering because I havnt heard anything aobut this, and I remember back in like the SNES days thats what mattered. No one knew the CPU speed they just cared about the bits.

[Prodigious]

bits are irrelevant anymore. That's all you need to know. ;)

Additionally, there isn't a single way to measure "bits". You could be talking about the processsor, the system memory bus, the graphics memory bus, etc. For all intents and purposes, the next gen consoles are technically 128bit consoles.

[shard]

mabye the graphics cards? like right now we have 256bit vidcards, maybe they are 256bit then

[>HyperlogiK<]

yeah i remember having an old atari that said 128 bit on it (no idea what was 128 bit).

[blueswitch]

xbox is 32bit it's a pentium III, and I would imgaine X360 would be 64bit since that's what the G5 chip is but Im just assuming I have not herd for sure...Im trying to stay out of the hype because nothing matters until it is released and we can see what it can do.

[LilBlackDemon00]

I believe that all the current-gen consoles are 128-bit. The bit level only has to do with the CPU, and more specifically the way the games are compiled. However, since newer consoles (N64, PSone, Saturn and up) are 3D-intensive, the bit-depth is less important than the 3D hardware, which is a dramatic turn from the Genesis/SNES/NES/Jaguar/3DO/etc days, where the CPU would handle both the game arithmetic and the rendering, while outputting to a simple display adapter/rasterizer chip so it could be displayed.

Pretty much, you don't need to worry about it anymore. Also, check out AnandTech, yesterday they had a good (Slashdotted) article about the next-gen console processors and graphical subsystems. IMHO, the overriding role that the graphical quality is taking in these consoles is kind of disturbing, as I'm tired of playing the same game over and over, and I would like some creativity (hopes Revolution will be good, meanwhile buys an N64 off Ebay).

[theMonster]

The bits ARE referring to the graphics. the Atari 2600 was originally a 4bit system, the ColecoVisionm, original NES and Sega Master System were 8 bits the SNES, TG16, and Genesis were 16 bit, the 3DO, playstation and Saturn were 32bit, the N64 and Atari Jaguar were 64bit the Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube were 128 bit. The Xbox360 and PS3 are indeed 256bit and the Revolution probably will be as well, but may still be 128. Any other consoles? Just ask.

[copper_top]

The current xbox, if im not mistaken, has a Geforce 3/4 level graphics chip. Every Geforce since the origional has been a 256 bit part hence the name of the origional Geforce: the Geforce 256. This would make the xbox a 256 bit system.

[Prodigious]

The bits ARE referring to the graphics. the Atari 2600 was originally a 4bit system, the ColecoVisionm, original NES and Sega Master System were 8 bits the SNES, TG16, and Genesis were 16 bit, the 3DO, playstation and Saturn were 32bit, the N64 and Atari Jaguar were 64bit the Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube were 128 bit. The Xbox360 and PS3 are indeed 256bit and the Revolution probably will be as well, but may still be 128. Any other consoles? Just ask.
Bit ratings for consoles largely fell by the wayside after the 32-bit era. The number of "bits" cited in console names referred to the CPU word size, but there was little to be gained from increasing the word size much beyond 32-bits; performance depended on other factors, such as processor speed, graphics processor speed, bandwidth and memory size.
The Sega Dreamcast, known as the first of the "128-bit" consoles, has a 64-bit CPU, GPU, and data bus although the geometry sub-processor GPU can perform internal math on 128-bit words. One of the PlayStation 2's many processors is known as the "128-bit Emotion Engine" but has a 64-bit core; the graphics synthesizer has a 2560-bit DRAM bus. Finally, the Microsoft Xbox uses a 32-bit CPU and 256-bit GPU, a configuration that is becoming standard in many desktop computers. The important of "bitness" in the modern console gaming market has thus decreased due to the use of components that process data in varying word sizes; for this reason, the sixth generation era is not commonly referred to as the "128-bit era".

[OC Noob]

IMHO, the overriding role that the graphical quality is taking in these consoles is kind of disturbing, as I'm tired of playing the same game over and over, and I would like some creativity (hopes Revolution will be good, meanwhile buys an N64 off Ebay).


Gfx will always be a factor, but thats not whats going to make this next gen great. Its going to be physics, AI, animations and everything else that makes a gaming world more realistic including sounds and visual effects.

The difference between Far Cry and HL2 are pretty noticable to me vs. something like Goldeneye or HL1 and its definitely not just gfx.

The more realistic interactions between your character (physics, interactivity, simulation) and the gaming world are, the more emersive the game is. Even things like the game world interacting with itself are things that couldn't be done well before, but the excess of CPU power will now allow. Pair that with great gameplay and story telling and you've got something that's much more than just improved gfx.

[Gro Harlem]

The bits ARE referring to the graphics. the Atari 2600 was originally a 4bit system, the ColecoVisionm, original NES and Sega Master System were 8 bits the SNES, TG16, and Genesis were 16 bit, the 3DO, playstation and Saturn were 32bit, the N64 and Atari Jaguar were 64bit the Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube were 128 bit. The Xbox360 and PS3 are indeed 256bit and the Revolution probably will be as well, but may still be 128. Any other consoles? Just ask.

Incorrect.

the TG16 was a dual 8-bit console. The "turbografx 16" was misleading.

Same with atari jaguar. I don't remember what it was either a 24 bit or a 32bit x 2 or something of the sort. It wasn't a true 64-bit console.

Neo Geo was 24-bit.

Gameboy was 8-bit as was the atari Lnyx, and game gear. I am not sure if the turbografx handheld was 16 or 8.

I'm also unsure of the neo geo pocket (probably 32) and gameboy advance (probably 16), or the current PSP or DS (probably both 128).