PlayStation 3's RXS is OpenGL based ?

[Zenoth]

Hi.

I just watched the long Sony's conference, when they unveiled the PS 3.

And, the representative for the Unreal Engine 3.0 said, at one point, how it was "easy" to program on the PS 3, due to a few things he mentioned, including OpenGL.

If I heard it right, he said "...based on OpenGL".

But I am not sure, if he meant that, they based their UE 3.0 on OpenGL, or if it meant that the PS 3's RSX is actually based on it ? Instead of some form of DirectX ?

What do you guys think about this ?

 

[Zenoth]

Just to let you guys know, I've watched it again. And it's indeed based on OpenGL ! I'm surprised by this.

The representative says it at 41 minutes and 50 seconds (approximately) into the video, which is more than a whole hour and an half long.

So, no one here got reactions to this ? Sony did not unveil such information in an official way though.

But coming from a well known developer is quite official.

So, seems like PlayStation 3's RSX is indeed based on OpenGL. Which version ? I guess 2.0, or an higher modified version, if possible to do so.

I wonder what is the XBOX 360's GPU based on. Certainly some sort form of DirectX, since that's the thing ATi works best on.

 

[Childs]

Well, its not like they could use DirectX. Nvidia has always had pretty good OpenGL support, so this is good news.

 

[DaveSimmons]

A GPU itself is not "based on" DirectX or OpenGL. Those are both APIs designed to abstract away elements of the hardware just like the GDI library used for normal Windows text and simple graphics.

Current nvidia and ATI PC GPUs each support both OpenGL and Microsoft's proprietary DirectX.

OpenGL is used for Apple and Linux desktops now because it is open and it also predates DirectX by many years.

In other words, absolutely no reason to be surprised that a non-MS console is not using a proprietary Microsoft Application Programming Interface (API).

 

[Todd33]

As if a PS3 was going to run MS's D3D..

I'm glad they are going with opengl and some flavor of Linux. It might make a good number crunching machine if they sell dev kits like they did with the PS3. I would love a $300 machine that would kill my $4k duel Xeon system.

 

[Velk]

Originally posted by: Zenoth
Hi.

I just watched the long Sony's conference, when they unveiled the PS 3.

And, the representative for the Unreal Engine 3.0 said, at one point, how it was "easy" to program on the PS 3, due to a few things he mentioned, including OpenGL.

If I heard it right, he said "...based on OpenGL".

But I am not sure, if he meant that, they based their UE 3.0 on OpenGL, or if it meant that the PS 3's RSX is actually based on it ? Instead of some form of DirectX ?

What do you guys think about this ?

He meant compared to programming for the PS2 which, as far as I know, didn't have either OpenGL or an equivalent.

That's one of the biggest complaints by developers I have seen about PS2 - it was a pain in the rear to code anything for it.

 

[bersl2]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
A GPU itself is not "based on" DirectX or OpenGL. Those are both APIs designed to abstract away elements of the hardware just like the GDI library used for normal Windows text and simple graphics.

Current nvidia and ATI PC GPUs each support both OpenGL and Microsoft's proprietary DirectX.

OpenGL is used for Apple and Linux desktops now because it is open and it also predates DirectX by many years.

In other words, absolutely no reason to be surprised that a non-MS console is not using a proprietary Microsoft Application Programming Interface (API).

Finally, somebody besides me bothers to point this out to this bunch. :thumbsup: "It's the hardware, stupid, not the API." The only difference is that MS mandates that D3D operations must be hardware-accelerated (IIRC), but OpenGL requires that all core language features must be implemented in software if not in hardware.

Also, OpenGL at the very least has a semi-democratic Architecture Review Board, so that decisions about the core API are agreed upon, and an extension system to support new features to the API, and a centralized extension registry. The only bad part about this system is the asshattery that S3 engaged in with S3TC. Fsckin' algorithm patents...

 

[bersl2]

Originally posted by: Todd33
As if a PS3 was going to run MS's D3D..

I'm glad they are going with opengl and some flavor of Linux. It might make a good number crunching machine if they sell dev kits like they did with the PS3. I would love a $300 machine that would kill my $4k duel Xeon system.

Hopefully, IBM might consider some Cell-based workstations. With a beefed-up main processor, such a machine would be a number-crunching monster.

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