A big improvement in graphics already - what can we expect too see in the future?

[henrikrox]

So

I never thought the ipad 2 really could be so much better in the graphics department compared to the ipad 1. Well looking at this picture i clearly was mistaken.

And this was just a bump, done before they developers even had their ipad in hands.

This gets me to think, what can we see in the future. I mean infinity blade run great on the original ipad, what can they do with the new gpu and cpu.

 

[Pressure]

Better looking games.

Just look at how console and computer games evolved when paired with better hardware and software.

 

[bobbba]

"what can we see in the future?"

An iPad3 with the high res screen that they would have put in the iPad2 if Apple could have got hold of enough of the screens...

 

[jabingla2810]

impressive

I think the anti-aliasing is quite promising on the fonts and logo.

Would be good to think the home screen and OS might be given the same treatment.

 

[newdeal]

...

I have found with real racing 2 hd that there does seem to be occasionally stuttering...most of the time it is smooth but it does bog every once in awhile

 

[sanford]

"what can we see in the future?"

An iPad3 with the high res screen that they would have put in the iPad2 if Apple could have got hold of enough of the screens...

Yeppers. The performance improvements are to drive the higher res display in iPad 3. Although I'd throw even odds that even if supply were sufficient Apple would have still merely laid the groundwork in iPad 2 for developers to optimize their apps and develop new apps for higher res/graphics performance and saved the high res or so-called Retina display for the iPad 3. It'll take at least a year and more like 18 months before robust new games and graphics apps that take full advantage of higher res display and improved graphics processing can be developed, timing a slew of better games and graphics apps to be available at and a little after the iPad 3 ships.

 

[Piggie]

Sorry for asking but if the screen grab at the top of this thread iPad1 or iPad2 ?

I'm assuming iPad1 due to all the jaggies across the car's bodywork?

 

[fertilized-egg]

Sorry for asking but if the screen grab at the top of this thread iPad1 or iPad2 ?

I'm assuming iPad1 due to all the jaggies across the car's bodywork?

Yes, the one on the left is the screen shot from the iPad 1. If you scroll right, there's one from the iPad 2.

Speaking of games and graphics, what I really want to see is they get more ambitious and create games like Infinity Blade, but also an entirely different game. Instead of going through set movement points, a free roaming true-RPG like Infinity Blade would be very nice. Somewhere between Shenmue and Oblivion.

 

[jclardy]

Yeppers. The performance improvements are to drive the higher res display in iPad 3. Although I'd throw even odds that even if supply were sufficient Apple would have still merely laid the groundwork in iPad 2 for developers to optimize their apps and develop new apps for higher res/graphics performance and saved the high res or so-called Retina display for the iPad 3. It'll take at least a year and more like 18 months before robust new games and graphics apps that take full advantage of higher res display and improved graphics processing can be developed, timing a slew of better games and graphics apps to be available at and a little after the iPad 3 ships.

The problem with that thinking is this: Developers push iPad 2 to its limits, squeezing out every last polygon with 4x antialiasing.

iPad 3 comes out with retina (2x) display. The game should run fine at 1024x768, but to run at 2x the game would need at least 4x the GPU power to keep the same frame rate, probably more if you want to keep antialiasing at such a high resolution. Of course you can probably just turn AA off since the pixels will be too small to see, it won't give much of an advantage.

But Apple did go with a dual core GPU the SGX543MP2 in the iPad 2 so they could bump it up to the quad core version that Sony is using in the NGP. I'm not sure how much of a performance gain that would be, but it should be pretty substantial.

Then of course, there is battery life and heat. But this is Apple, so they may have something figured out.

 

[Piggie]

The problem with that thinking is this: Developers push iPad 2 to its limits, squeezing out every last polygon with 4x antialiasing.

iPad 3 comes out with retina (2x) display. The game should run fine at 1024x768, but to run at 2x the game would need at least 4x the GPU power to keep the same frame rate, probably more if you want to keep antialiasing at such a high resolution. Of course you can probably just turn AA off since the pixels will be too small to see, it won't give much of an advantage.

But Apple did go with a dual core GPU the SGX543MP2 in the iPad 2 so they could bump it up to the quad core version that Sony is using in the NGP. I'm not sure how much of a performance gain that would be, but it should be pretty substantial.

Then of course, there is battery life and heat. But this is Apple, so they may have something figured out.

I understand what you are saying and it's something that's crossed my mind also.

One could say, for example, do you want Retina display and iPad2 speed for iPad3, or would you rather have the same current display, but with a 400% speed up?

Perhaps this won't be so much of a performance hit as we are thinking, as Apple may be getting people to develop a special custom chip just to drive the higher resolution.

I don't know what they are going to do, Of course we all want a higher res screen, but what price will we have to pay to get it?

I guess it might not even come in iPad3 if the tech is still not ready without a performance hit. People will be expecting iPad3 to be quicker than iPad2 I'm sure.

 

[jonhcox]

I still think this is similar to the iPhone 3GS bump over the 3G version, which was more about speed than anything else. (I think) The iPad 3 will coincide with the iPhone 4 -as far as capability- with either a graphics engine bump or not, to go along with the Retina update. As powerful as the new processor and GPU are, that's a lot of pixels and that takes a lot of horsepower. Of course, knowing Apple, should the same engine power the iPad 3, everything will work just fine. What I'll be interested in seeing is just how much it'll cost with that fancy new screen.

As my wife would likely tell you, I've been proven wrong more often than right.

To the OP: there is certainly a difference between the two images. Nice to see it on screen.

 

[jclardy]

I understand what you are saying and it's something that's crossed my mind also.

One could say, for example, do you want Retina display and iPad2 speed for iPad3, or would you rather have the same current display, but with a 400% speed up?

Perhaps this won't be so much of a performance hit as we are thinking, as Apple may be getting people to develop a special custom chip just to drive the higher resolution.

I don't know what they are going to do, Of course we all want a higher res screen, but what price will we have to pay to get it?

I guess it might not even come in iPad3 if the tech is still not ready without a performance hit. People will be expecting iPad3 to be quicker than iPad2 I'm sure.

Apple did release the iPhone 4 retina without really improving the hardware. They had the a4 which was pretty similar to the cortex a8 in the 3GS. I think the 4 may have actually decreased in graphics performance compared to the 3GS when accounting for the increased resolution.

But retina would be nice on the iPad, and it would certainly blow away the competitions tablet screens.

 

[Bombermac]

Oblivion on iPad 2 = Win

Speaking of games and graphics, what I really want to see is they get more ambitious and create games like Infinity Blade, but also an entirely different game. Instead of going through set movement points, a free roaming true-RPG like Infinity Blade would be very nice. Somewhere between Shenmue and Oblivion.

Agreed. If Bethesda came out with an Elder Scrolls episode (or offshoot) optimized for iPad 2, I'd download it in a heartbeat.

One title that looks like it might be in this same vein is Aralon: Sword and Shadow HD. I haven't tried it out, but I've read very good things about it. Give something like that a graphics bump and I think you'd be pretty close.