Hardware Could a Wii U game run at 720p or 1080p depending on the controller?

[clark2k]

I was reading about Wii U 3rd party games like Assassin's Creed 3 and Batman to run at 1080p and thinking: "How can it be possible if even Nintendo couldn't do that?

So I was thinking: if a given game decides to not use the tablet controller, the spared power could be directed to the graphics and make it possible for a game to run at 1080p...

But... What about allowing the gamer to chose if he would play the game with the conventional (Wii U Pro Controller) and run at 1080p, or use the tablet (GamePad ) controller and its features at the cost of running the game at 720p? Do you think developers are able to, technically, do that?

 

[KingVamp]

If a game is built around the Upad completely, then just switching it wouldn't even be a option.
Nintendo is able to do so too, that because they said two controllers will decrease it, not one.

Link

 

[frogboy]

That would be like saying that using the Wiimote caused the Wii to run games at 30FPS instead of 60. Using one gamepad wouldn't even take a hit on the console performance. Heck, could you even PLAY a WiiU game without a WiiU Gamepad?

 

[VMM]

That would be like saying that using the Wiimote caused the Wii to run games at 30FPS instead of 60. Using one gamepad wouldn't even take a hit on the console performance. Heck, could you even PLAY a WiiU game without a WiiU Gamepad?

It's not the same.
Using WiiU gamepad consumes a lot more raw power than WiiU pro controller.

or a nunchuck.
This is why Nintendo didn't make possible the use of many WiiU gamepads.

But that's not the case in batman of OP question.
In Nintendo E3 press conference, they showed batman using WiiU gamepad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRr6JG15RK4

 

[DiscostewSM]

It's not the same.
Using WiiU gamepad consumes a lot more raw power than WiiU pro controller.

or a nunchuck.
This is why Nintendo didn't make possible the use of many WiiU gamepads.

It wasn't power consumption. It was the amount of data to transfer from the WiiU to the gamepad, which they have addressed about multiple gamepads and will be allowing 2 WiiU gamepads later on at half the frame rate the gamepads would usually run with.

 

[crono141]

This whole topic is full of fail and false assumptions.

First, both assassins creed 3 AND batman use the UPad. Screen and all. So 1080p is not exclusive to using the Upad or not.

Second, when using one Upad, it displays at 60 frames per second. The idea was originally that only one Upad would be used at a time, and designed the console with 60fps worth of external content in mind. They found they could use 2 pads at 30 fps, the difference of which will be mostly unnoticeable on the smaller screen.

3rd, theres nothing stopping Nintendo from having 1080p content in their titles, they just haven't for the few first party titles they've shown, which should be noted are still unreleased and have not gone gold yet.

 

[chartube12]

Huh 30 fps on tv is noticeable. I am fairly sure they meant when using two upads and the tv. When not using the tv at all the FPS should still be 60.

 

[crono141]

Yes, but you most likely will not notice the difference between 60 fps content and 30 fps content on the handheld, which is what they're talking about. Content on the TV is always full speed.

 

[The Milkman]

Anyone ever think that Nintendo doesn't put it in becase Mario really doesn't call for 1080p?

 

[KazoWAR]

Anyone ever think that Nintendo doesn't put it in becase Mario really doesn't call for 1080p?

sure it does

 

[The Milkman]

Anyone ever think that Nintendo doesn't put it in becase Mario really doesn't call for 1080p?

sure it does

How so? Other then really smooth polygons Mario games style lacks any real detail to begin with as far as textures so I don't see how 1080p would really change it all that much.

Now Pikman could use it pretty good since the leaves and grass are supposed to look realistic.

 

[Deleted_171835]

I don't know what half of the thread is going on about.

It depends on what's being shown on the controller. If a game is being rendered twice (on the TV and controller), then perhaps although I doubt that'll free up enough resources to render 2.25x the pixels. If it's simply a map on the controller, then no.

Second, when using one Upad, it displays at 60 frames per second. The idea was originally that only one Upad would be used at a time, and designed the console with 60fps worth of external content in mind. They found they could use 2 pads at 30 fps, the difference of which will be mostly unnoticeable on the smaller screen.

The whole two pads = 30FPS thing is because of the wireless bandwidth. They can't fit two 60FPS streams at the same time. Nothing to do with power.

How so? Other then really smooth polygons Mario games style lacks any real detail to begin with as far as textures so I don't see how 1080p would really change it all that much.

Now Pikman could use it pretty good since the leaves and grass are supposed to look realistic.

1080p would make that shit clear on 1080p televisions. There's no reason not to have it especially considering Mario is a simplistic game.

Then again, we don't even know what resolution it is rendered at yet.

 

[The Milkman]

I don't know what half of the thread is going on about.

It depends on what's being shown on the controller. If a game is being rendered twice (on the TV and controller), then perhaps although I doubt that'll free up enough resources to render 2.25x the pixels. If it's simply a map on the controller, then no.

Second, when using one Upad, it displays at 60 frames per second. The idea was originally that only one Upad would be used at a time, and designed the console with 60fps worth of external content in mind. They found they could use 2 pads at 30 fps, the difference of which will be mostly unnoticeable on the smaller screen.

The whole two pads = 30FPS thing is because of the wireless bandwidth. They can't fit two 60FPS streams at the same time. Nothing to do with power.

How so? Other then really smooth polygons Mario games style lacks any real detail to begin with as far as textures so I don't see how 1080p would really change it all that much.

Now Pikman could use it pretty good since the leaves and grass are supposed to look realistic.

1080p would make that shit clear on 1080p televisions. There's no reason not to have it especially considering Mario is a simplistic game.

Then again, we don't even know what resolution it is rendered at yet.

I might be confusing pixels with res again...

 

[10_0ARMY]

Doesn't graphics just boil down to design style? I've seen games run in 720p that look better than others running at 1080p because of the style of the textures used. I doubt I would mine if some games ran 720p vs 1080p, but I though the WiiU was capable of 1080p output regardless of the controller used. Remember that graphics doesn't make a game, the gameplay does :/

 

[DiscostewSM]

If the game is graphically heavy, then it may affect the quality at which it can steadily maintain itself. If too heavy, then it may require an extra frame to finish the job, reducing the frame rate, which they could instead lower the resolution to reduce the processed fillrate to bring the frame rate back up. Depending on how graphically heavy the render for the controller is, it too can affect the system's capability to maintain a steady rate at a specific resolution.

So yes, it can, but it is dependent on the game and how resources are used, as one game may lower the resolution when using the controller while another game may not have that problem.

 

[DeadlyFoez]

Huh 30 fps on tv is noticeable. I am fairly sure they meant when using two upads and the tv. When not using the tv at all the FPS should still be 60.

They specifically said that when using 2 tablets, each tablet will display at 30 fps, and thats only because of the wireless bandwidth.

 

[Tom]

Power has nothing to do with it , its the video game that controls whether it is 720p of 1080p , the processor doesn't have much to do with the quality , the video card does .

 

[Deleted_171835]

Doesn't graphics just boil down to design style? I've seen games run in 720p that look better than others running at 1080p because of the style of the textures used. I doubt I would mine if some games ran 720p vs 1080p, but I though the WiiU was capable of 1080p output regardless of the controller used. Remember that graphics doesn't make a game, the gameplay does :/

Power has nothing to do with it , its the video game that controls whether it is 720p of 1080p , the processor doesn't have much to do with the quality , the video card does .

So much misinformation in this thread.

For one power does dictate whether a game will run at 720p or 1080p. It's more demanding to run a game at 1080p.

Second, the fact that you seen games that run in 720p look better than another game you've seen in 1080p means absolutely nothing. It's just the resolution. I could just as easily render that game in 1080p.

To clarify,

Screen resolution = number of pixels on the screen


Having a game run at 1080p vs. 720p will not give you better "graphics". It will give you more detail and give you a more clear image.


And @10_0ARMY is confusing aesthetics with graphics. Just because a game is more technically advanced graphics-wise doesn't me it necessarily looks better.

Take Super Mario Galaxy for example, it may not be the most technically advanced game released this generation but it sure is more visually pleasing than a number of other games I've played (brown, brown and more brown).

The Wii U is capable of outputting 1080p just like the PS3 and 360 also were. Most games don't do it because it's much more demanding than running the game at 720p and will require you to scale back other aspects of the game.

 

[The Milkman]

Doesn't graphics just boil down to design style? I've seen games run in 720p that look better than others running at 1080p because of the style of the textures used. I doubt I would mine if some games ran 720p vs 1080p, but I though the WiiU was capable of 1080p output regardless of the controller used. Remember that graphics doesn't make a game, the gameplay does :/

Power has nothing to do with it , its the video game that controls whether it is 720p of 1080p , the processor doesn't have much to do with the quality , the video card does .

So much misinformation in this thread.

For one power does dictate whether a game will run at 720p or 1080p. It's more demanding to run a game at 1080p.

Second, the fact that you seen games that run in 720p look better than another game you've seen in 1080p means absolutely nothing. It's just the resolution. I could just as easily render that game in 1080p.

To clarify,

Screen resolution = number of pixels on the screen


Having a game run at 1080p vs. 720p will not give you better "graphics". It will give you more detail and give you a more clear image.


And @10_0ARMY is confusing aesthetics with graphics. Just because a game is more technically advanced graphics-wise doesn't me it necessarily looks better.

Take Super Mario Galaxy for example, it may not be the most technically advanced game released this generation but it sure is more visually pleasing than a number of other games I've played (brown, brown and more brown).

The Wii U is capable of outputting 1080p just like the PS3 and 360 also were. Most games don't do it because it's much more demanding than running the game at 720p and will require you to scale back other aspects of the game.

So the controller has nothing to do with it?

 

[Deleted_171835]

So the controller has nothing to do with it?

Where did I say that?