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Tag: screen resolution

  • Microsoft: Some Xbox One Games Won’t Be Running At Native 1080p

    The Xbox 360 and PS3 introduced the world to high definition gaming, but rarely did any of the game actually display in full 1080p. In fact, some games were built in sub-HD resolutions, and then upscaled to 720p. We assumed that would be a thing of the past with the next-generation of consoles, but that’s not the case.

    Aaron Greenberg, Chief of Staff for Devices and Studios at Microsoft, recently tweeted out that Forza 5 would be running in native 1080p and that Crytek’s Ryse would be in native 900p. The news is somewhat of a shock considering many assumed that Microsoft would be targeting native 1080p resolutions in all first-party Xbox One games.

    So, is this is a problem? Not at all. Greenberg goes on to note that the Xbox One upscales everything to 1080p. Sure, it’s not native, but it sure beats what we were getting in the last generation of consoles. Considering how far away we sit from the TV when playing console games, there should be no discernible degradation in quality.

    Case in point – check out this recently released gameplay trailer for Ryse. The game looks absolutely stunning in a YouTube video, and you can bet that it will look even better when running on your HDTV set:

    The point being made here is that the next-generation of consoles are going to deliver some pretty games. You shouldn’t get hung up on resolutions, especially when one of the prettiest games on the Xbox One has only had its resolution reduced by a bit. That reduction will hopefully ensure that Ryse plays smoothly, and that’s always the most important factor.

    [Image: xbox/YouTube]
    [h/t: Eurogamer]

  • Windows 8 Might Be Coming to 7-Inch Tablets

    Windows 8 was obviously built with tablets in mind, but the OS only supports tablets with 1366×768 displays. That’s all going to change, and it could mean big things for Windows 8 going forward.

    In a recent Windows Certification Newsletter, Microsoft announced that Windows 8 now supports a minimum resolution of 1024×768. The company says the new rule is for “partners exploring designs for certain markets.”

    So, what does this mean? A lower resolution could point to Microsoft opening up to putting Windows 8 on smaller devices, including 7-inch tablets. The current stable of Windows 8 tablets all size in at either 9 or 10-inches, and the price reflects that. The high price commanded by the current stable of Windows 8 tablets has definitely been an obstacle for consumers, and a lower resolution, lower priced tablet may just be what the company needs.

    The possibilities don’t stop at 7-inch tablets either. ZDNet speculates that Microsoft may be using its partnership with Nook to create a Windows-powered eReader that would have access to Barnes & Noble’s extensive collection of eBooks. The 1024×768 resolution would be a perfect fit as it would finally allow Microsoft to sell cheap hardware.

    Of course, all of this is mere speculation for now. All we know is that Microsoft is relaxing its certification requirements. It’s too early to tell if OEMs will start making 7-inch tablets, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we start to hear something along those lines later this year.

  • World’s Most Popular Screen Resolution Now At 1366×768

    There’s something to be said about having a great screen resolution. I use a 16:10 monitor at 1680×1050 with my PC. Not exactly the enthusiast golden standard of 1920×1080 but it serves me well and looks great to boot. That’s why all the more distressing that most people in the world don’t really care about resolution as much as I do.

    For the longest time, people have been content with a paltry 1024×768 resolution. For the first time in three years, 1024×768 has finally fallen behind a competing resolution. The new most popular resolution worldwide is now a better, but still really small, 1366×768. This information comes from StatCounter who has been keeping track of global screen resolution trends since 2009. Surely this isn’t that important though, right? Wrong!

    “The data reflects a continuing trend of users moving to larger screen resolution sizes,” commented Aodhan Cullen, CEO, StatCounter. “The screen resolution size people are using is a critical factor for developers when it comes to web design, particularly in the case of fixed width web pages.”

    How do the actual numbers work out though? 1024×768 has decreased in global use to only 18.6 percent, while 1366×768 has risen above it to 19.28 percent. It’s not a big difference, but it’s significant for the Web development ecosystem.

    Source: StatCounter Global Stats – Screen Resolution Market Share

    On a similar note, the move from 1024×768 to 1366×768 shows a change in aspect ratio as well. The new standard is a resolution at 16:9. This means that more and more people are switching over to widescreen. Hmm… I wonder, what popular social media service drew the ire of users when it switched its design to a non-widescreen friendly version full of whitespace? Companies like Google need this kind of information the most so they can take advantage of that whitespace for the increased amount of people using wide-screen monitors.

    I was curious to see if this trend was being influenced by the types of PCs being sold. I highly doubt that many desktop monitors are being sold at that size, so the main culprit must be the all powerful laptop. Tablets don’t really come into question since the iPad 2 is at a 1024×768 resolution and the new iPad has a 4:3 aspect ratio.

    Looking at Newegg, the selection of laptops with a 1024×768 resolution is all but dried out. While there are other resolutions to choose from, the most bountiful selection is, you guessed it, 1366×768 with 378 laptops to choose from. It seems that hardware manufacturers have been pushing this as the new standard in entry level cheap laptops and it’s working.

    To recap, Web developers need to start building their applications with these resolutions in mind. While most will build their Web applications to take advantage of a large variety of resolutions, it’s good to keep the standard in mind.

    Are you still a 1024×768 diehard? Have you upgraded to 1366×768? Or are you like me and have an HD resolution? Let us know in the comments.

    [Lead Image: StatCounter]

  • iPad 3 Rumor: Apple Has Started Production of a 2048×1536 Display

    iPad 3 Rumor: Apple Has Started Production of a 2048×1536 Display

    A new rumor has began to circulate that Apple is currently producing a high-resolution 2048×1536 display for their next-generation iPad, commonly referred to as the iPad 3. Quite the leap in screen resolution, especially when you consider the iPad 2 is only 1024×768.

    In an interview with CNET, Richard Shim, analyst at DisplaySearch stated:

    “It’s happening–QXGA, 2048×1536. Panel production has started [for the next-generation iPad]. There’s three suppliers … Samsung, Sharp, and LGD.”

    The reason Apple is using three suppliers just highlights to issue of producing a 10-inch QXGA screen in high volume. “I would imagine there would be concerns about [adequate] supply given the resolution of the display but you’ve got three different suppliers at this point. They should have enough to launch the product,” Shim said

    According to MacRumors, Apple has been working on this resolution for some time, as they’ve seen evidence of background images of exactly 2048×1536 being found in early builds of iOS 5.

    The iPad 3 is expected to release sometime during the first half of 2012.