A few months ago, Sony finally unlocked the PSP's full processing capabilities. It was always locked to 222MHz, but since firmware 3.50, developers had access to 50 percent more megahertz of power. Ready at Dawn, developers of God of War: Chains of Olympus, found themselves relieved by the removal of the processor restriction. They were already hard at work on the game, optimizing for the lower clock speed -- but when they had access to the full power of the PSP, things got really interesting.
This video demonstrates the differences between a months-old version of the game, running at 222MHz and a newer build, running at 333. The differences are subtle at first. The game was never a graphical slouch, and would've been beautiful even with a restricted clock speed. However, you'll notice better lighting, more particles, and a few minor differences in the newer builds. Every minute difference adds up to create an experience that will be unparalleled on PSP for quite some time.
Posts with tag 333MHz
God of War: 222MHz versus 333MHz
PSP's new 333MHz clock speed limited while online
As they point out, this means that only single player games will use the 333MHz clock speed or else companies have to develop separate engines for the single player portion of the game and multiplayer portion. The restriction is assumed to be related to conserving battery life, but is obnoxious nonetheless. At least Beyond3D feels that the restriction will eventually be lifted (like all their previous clock speed restrictions), but until then developers are going to have to try to figure out how to deal with this limitation.
*Update*
Sony has confirmed.
[Via N4G]
Koller talks PSP to MTV: reveals US GPS plans, downloadable PSP games, and the fate of Dark_Alex
Bringing downloadable games to PSP is one of the next things to tackle for Sony. echochrome was originally meant to be a downloadable PSN game for PSP, but it became much larger than anticipated. "It was initially going to be a download-service-only game," Koller said. "We changed it to a UMD because it's a very rich game. That's where their mind is. They're developing that kind of game." Thankfully, other downloadable PSP games are in the works. When can we expect them? In the next six to eight months.
In regard to the homebrew scene, Koller says that there were no talks between Sony and Dark_Alex, saying that "I think he's taking a hiatus." For even more, please visit MTV News for more.
Syphon Filter infiltrates PSP's innards to enable full 333MHz
Chris Reese, Technical Director for SCEA's Bend Studio, has posted on the PlayStation.Blog to confirm that Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow will utilize the full 333MHz of PSP power. Reese claims the extra 67MHz will allow Bend Studio to create a look and feel that isn't possible using the original 266mhz. The increase in power will let them focus on adding detail and interactivity to the game's environments.
For those who are confused about 333mhz compatability, let us put your mind at rest. Games utilizing the 333 MHz clock speed will work exactly the same on a normal PSP as on a Slim PSP. The increase in power does mean that the battery in both models will drain more quickly than in other games, but for those who are picking up a PSP Slim you can use your old PSP's battery to lengthen the playtime. This does, however, come with its own problems.
Star Wars Battlefront may use 333MHz
If there's one upcoming game on PSP that needs every ounce of power the system can produce, it's Star Wars Battlefront. The upcoming online multiplayer game is ambitious, even by console standards. But, so far we've been underwhelmed by its lackluster graphics and sluggish framerate. The slow performance of the game could be a hindrance to actual gameplay, which is worrisome.
In a E3 interview with Gamespot, it appears that a Lucasarts representative confirmed use of PSP's full 333MHz capabilities. (Watch video at the 7 minute mark.) "Well, we're teaming up with Sony, so absolutely it's going to take advantage of that."
But ... did he appear not to fully understand what he was talking about? Watch for yourself, and you'll see his somewhat shaky response. We hope Star Wars Battlefront will take advantage of everything the PSP can do -- it certainly needs it.
[Thanks, Don!]
Confirmed: God of War to use 333MHz processing
It's incredible to think that Ready at Dawn was able to pull off such incredible graphics before the processor speed was unlocked. Now that the talented team of programmers has access to PSP's full power, it'll be interesting to see what else Ready at Dawn will be able to pull off.
Confirmed: Firmware 3.50 unlocks full 333MHz speed [Update]
According to QJ's "insider" at Sony, firmware version 3.50 allows UMD games to use the full 333MHz of the PSP. If true, this is great news but brings up a few questions. Using the total available processing power will potentially allow for smoother framerates and quicker load times. The problem, however, comes with the battery life. The reason games are locked to 266mhz (only one game has been allowed to use even that much - Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters) is due to the very limited battery life when the PSP runs at full speed.This would coincide with Kotaku's PSP redesign rumours, which claim to have a much heftier battery life due to a much more economic screen. If this feature really is already in the current firmware update, does that mean we will be seeing a redesign much sooner than we expected?
[Update: Developers have confirmed that new 3.50 SDKs allow for full clock speed use.]
[Andrew's note: Older games will not run at the higher clock speed. However, any new games developed from this point onwards will be able to utilize the full clock speed of the PSP. This is intrinsic to firmware 3.50, and any new games that require 333MHz will need firmware 3.50 or above.]
Ready at Dawn explains PSP's power; prepares PS2 Daxter?
Obviously, the talented team is unlocking even more of PSP's power in God of War. However, "the biggest frustration right now, in a way, is the limitation on the clock speed. We'd love to run our games at 333Mhz (we do internally just for kicks) because it does make a big difference in how much stuff you can push on the platform."
So, how does Ready at Dawn feel about being responsible for two of Sony's biggest franchises? "The truth is," Malenfant explained, "we built Ready At Dawn Studios to create original IP, but ... I don't think anyone here regrets working on two of the world's biggest franchises in the meantime."
The future is bright for this Santa Ana-based team. The single most wanted request the team receives, though, is a PS2 version of Daxter. "I think everyone here would love to do it, and it actually wouldn't be that hard because Daxter was never designed as a handheld game, we could even add a few things for the PS2 version."
[Via Gamasutra; Thanks, Joe!]
Did you know? 333MHz is officially unlocked
PSP owners have been hotly anticipating an official unlock of PSP's full capabilities. The system runs at 222MHz, 1/3 less than what the system is capable of. But, did you know that ever since firmware 3.0, the PSP has been running at 333MHz? Yes, it's true ... but the system only runs at maximum speed for emulated PSone games.
What? Didn't the original PlayStation run at 33MHz? Yes, it's true. So why does the PSP have to run ten times faster to run PSone games? Well, software emulation is pretty complex stuff (ask the people at Microsoft: they know a little something with Xbox 360's backwards compatibility). With Sony having unlocked the PSP's full clock speed, will wee see other games take advantage? I'm sure a studio like Ready at Dawn can do some truly amazing things.
[Via IGN]
See also:
Is 3.0 accelerating the PSP?
