aubergine
01-02-2012, 07:07 PM
Let's say that Microsoft had put more RAM into the 360s than the previous model, and from that point devs could program games to make use of that increased RAM as an option (while also making it work with the old configuration.)
Would simply having more RAM available make a significant difference to the 360's graphical capabilities? I'm thinking mainly about texture resolution and draw-distance since they would be the most practical things to upgrade on a single-disc, dual-version basis. Maybe they would also bother having, say, improved atmospheric effects or other things I can't pronounce.
This question came up a few times in conversation over the years but I wouldn't know if the RAM is a major bottleneck or if the hardware as it stands could not make worthwhile use of it without also upgrading other components. For example, I had a stubborn friend who was convince simply putting more RAM in his computer should make a big difference with games graphics but he had no dedicated graphics card! I read a copy of PC Powerplay in the 90's which convinced me onboard graphics are rubbish compared to the worst video card available at a given time, but he builds his own computers and is therefore an expert. (once he relented and bought the cheapest graphics card he could get, The Witcher looks a thousand times better! Hooray for my one piece of PC "knowledge"!)
Would simply having more RAM available make a significant difference to the 360's graphical capabilities? I'm thinking mainly about texture resolution and draw-distance since they would be the most practical things to upgrade on a single-disc, dual-version basis. Maybe they would also bother having, say, improved atmospheric effects or other things I can't pronounce.
This question came up a few times in conversation over the years but I wouldn't know if the RAM is a major bottleneck or if the hardware as it stands could not make worthwhile use of it without also upgrading other components. For example, I had a stubborn friend who was convince simply putting more RAM in his computer should make a big difference with games graphics but he had no dedicated graphics card! I read a copy of PC Powerplay in the 90's which convinced me onboard graphics are rubbish compared to the worst video card available at a given time, but he builds his own computers and is therefore an expert. (once he relented and bought the cheapest graphics card he could get, The Witcher looks a thousand times better! Hooray for my one piece of PC "knowledge"!)