Prototype: PS3 Graphical Feature Missing from XBox 360 and PC

205w ago - Released last week for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, Prototype sports impressive visuals for a sandbox open-world game.

In order to make the most out of each on its released platform there are some differences, as detailed below.

To quote: Unlike the PS3's similar super-hero open-world game InFamous, Prototype is not natively rendered in high-definition on either console.

Prototype is rendered at 1120 by 640 pixels, with QAA (quinux anti-aliasing) on the PS3 and 2xMSAA (multisample anti-aliasing) on the Xbox 360.

The differences between these two solutions for video game "jaggies" are not terribly distinct, apart from a slight blur to the image with QAA; if sufficiently integrated into the game's art style this won't severely impact visual quality (such as is seen in Killzone 2.)

Of course, resolution and aliasing are not really an issue in the PC version of the game, which depending on your set-up can render up to 2560 by 1600 pixels with 4xMSAA.

You will find that the PS3 game's framerate can suffer from significant screen tearing when there's lots of action going on (which is a common occurrence in Prototype).

The Xbox 360 game is locked at 30 frames-per-second, and generally runs steadily with minimal screen tearing. Screen tearing is a phenomenon where rendered frames overlap, creating a torn look as two parts of an object fail to line up.

Despite these performance difference, the PS3 does have a one-up on both the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game. Surprisingly all debris on the ground is individually shadow-mapped in the PS3 game. This provides more depth for ground textures and creates a very impressive image for an open-world game.

You'll find that both the Xbox 360 and PC (even when graphical effects are set to Very High) games look flat in comparison.

You can find comparison images below, which can be enlarged if you click on them. The first is from the PS3, and the second screenshot is from the Xbox 360.