Unit 20: Understanding Hardware Technologies for Game Platforms

Understanding Hardware Technologies for Game Platforms

Displays

Displays are used to show the person what is going on, if displays didn’t exist there will be no point of playing a game as you won’t be able to see it. The point of displays is to provide a moving image in a basic form so we can see it when we play games, watch TV and movies.

Different types of displays

LED: LED (Light Emitting Diode) was the most popular display about 10 years ago but they are now outdated due to them using too much power.

LCD: LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is a type of display which is used more than LED as it conserves power by turning itself off when not in use.

OLED: OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) portray shades of black better than an LCD display

HDR: HDR (High Dynamic Range) is the next big thing in displays as it heightens the picture’s dynamic range which will make the contrast higher within the brightest whites and the darkest blacks.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

What is RAM?

RAM (Random Access Memory) is a hardware device that allows information to be stored and retrieved on a computer. RAM is a volatile memory and requires power to keep the data accessible. If the computer is turned off all the data contained in the RAM is lost.

Types of RAM?

DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) is a type of RAM which stores data that a computer processor needs.  

SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) retains data bits in its memory as long as power is being supplied. 

Why do we use RAM?

We use RAM because it is much faster to read from than any other kinds of storage on a PC. However RAM is a volatile memory so after the PC is shut down the data is lost.

Xbox 360 RAM

512MB GDDR3

Xbox One RAM

8GB DDR3 

2133MHz

68.26 GB/s 

32MB eSRAM

PS3 RAM

256MB XDR 

256MB GDDR3 VRAM

PS4 RAM

GDDR5 8GB

Alienware 17 R3 RAM

DDR4 2133

DDR4 2666
Sound - Understanding Hardware Technologies for Game Platforms 

What are sound cards?
A sound card is an internal expansion card that provides input and output audio to and from the computer. Typical uses of sound cards include providing audio components for multimedia applications such as music, editing video or audio presentation, education and entertainments e.g. games.  
What’s the difference between mono and stereo sound?
The difference between mono and stereo is that mono uses one channel and stereo uses more than one channel.

Sound Hardware in Different Electrical Devices

	Specs	Integrated or Discrete
Gaming PC	Gaming PC’s can differ due to the parts you use and how they are upgraded.	Discrete/integrated
Xbox 360	The Xbox 360 has stereo surround sound and if you use a HDMI you can project Dolby Digital 5.1	Integrated
Xbox One	The Xbox One has surround sound 7.1	Integrated
Nintendo 3DS	The 3DS has Stereo speakers	Integrated
PS4	The PS4 has Dolby Digital surround sound 7.1	Integrated
iPhone 7	Stereo sound	Integrated

Understanding Hardware Technologies for Game Platforms

HCI (Human Computer Interface)

HCI (Human Computer Interface) is the communication between a human user and a computer system, in particular the use of input/output devices with supporting software. Devices of increasing sophistication are becoming available to meditate the human-computer interaction. These include graphics devices, touch-sensitive devices and voice-input devices. These devices have to be configured in a way a way that will facilitate an efficient and desirable interaction between a person and the computer.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) techniques of knowledge representation may be used to model the user of a computer system, and so it offers the opportunity to give personalised advice on its use. 

HCI is a branch of the science of ergonomics and is relationship between workstations and their operators. The aim is to develop acceptable standards for such aspects as display resolution, use of colour and navigation around an application.

Information extracted from:
 http://www.encyclopedia.com/computing/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/human-computer-interface 

What is a controller?

A controller is a device used with a games entertainment system to provide input to a video game, typically to control an object or character in the game. A controller is usually connected by a wire although since the mid-2000s, wireless controllers have become more popular.
What are Input Devices?

Input devices are devices that have been classified as game controllers such as keyboards, mice, gamepads, joysticks, etc. Special purpose devices, such as steering wheels for driving games and light guns for shooting devices are also game controllers.
Game controller improvements and design

Game controllers have been designed and improved over the years to be as user friendly as possible. Microsoft's Xbox controller has shoulder triggers that mimic actual triggers which can be found on guns have become popular for shooting games. Some controllers are designed for a specific type of game such as dance pads for dancing games.

FACT!!!!

One of the first video game controllers was a simple dial and a single button used to control the game Tennis for Two. Controllers have since evolved to include directional pads, multiple buttons, analog sticks, joysticks, motion detection, touch screens and a plethora of other features. 

Types of Controllers

Gamepad: The gamepad also known as a joypad is held in both hands with the thumbs and fingers used to provide input. Gamepads can have a number of action buttons combined with one or more omnidirectional control sticks or buttons. 

Paddle: A paddle is a controller that features a round wheel and one or more fire buttons. The wheel is typically used to control movement of the player or an object along one axis of the video screen. Paddle controllers were the first analog controllers and they lost popularity when paddle and ball type games fell out of favour. Paddle controllers were specifically designed for the game Indy 500.

Joystick: A joystick is a peripheral that consists of a handheld stick that can be tilted around either of two axes or twisted around a third. The joystick is often used for flight simulators. Most joysticks are designed are operated with the user's primary hand with the base either held in the opposite hand or mounted on a desk. 

Touchscreen: A touchscreen is an input device that allows the user to interact with the computer by touching the display screen. The primary controller for Nintendo's Wii U console the Wii U GamePad features an embedded touchscreen. Modern touchscreens use a thin durable transparent plastic sheet overlaid onto a glass screen. The location of the touch is calculated from the capacitance for the X and Y axes which varies based upon where the sheet is touched.

FACTS!!!!

The first attempt at a handheld game console with touchscreen controls was Sega's intended successor to the Game Gear though the device was ultimately shelved and never released due to the high cost of touchscreen technology in the early 1990s.

One console that is touchscreen but is not manufactured by Nintendo is Sony's PlayStation Vita which has a 5 inch OLED touchscreen. 

CPU - Understanding Hardware Technologies for Game Platforms

What is a CPU?

A CPU (Central Processor Unit) is the part of the PC which is responsible for executing a sequence for instructions i.e. a program.

I am going to show you the specs for two top of the range CPU’s at the time. An Intel Core i7 6850K Extreme (Broadwell-E) Socket LGA2011-V3 Processor and an AMD Piledriver FX-8 Eight Core 9590 4.70GHz (Socket AM3+) Processor.

Intel Core i7 6850K Extreme (Broadwell-E) Socket LGA2011-V3 Processor

Specifications:
- Multiplier Unlocked
- Eight Core Technology
- 4.70GHz Clock Speed
- 5.00GHz Turbo Clock Speed
- 5.2 GT/s System Bus
- AM3+ Socket
- 8MB L2 Cache
- 8MB L3 Cache
- 64-Bit Technology

AMD Piledriver FX-8 Eight Core 9590 4.70GHz (Socket AM3+) Processor

Specifications:
- NEW Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0.
- Intel® Core™ i7 Processors on LGA 2011-v3 socket.

GPU - Understanding Hardware Technologies for Game Platforms

What is a GPU?

A GPU (Graphics Processor Unit) is used primarily used for 3-D applications. It is a single-chip processor that creates lightning effects and transforms objects every time a scene is 3-D drawn.

Console and PC GPUs

Gaming PC: AMD Radeon RX 480 Specs: 2304 cores, Memory Size is 8192MB, Memory Type is GDDR5 and Bus Width is 256 bit.

Xbox 360:  ATI Xenos Specs: 240 Cores, Memory Size is 512MB, Memory Type is GDDR3 and Bus Width is 128 bit.

Xbox One:  AMD Durango Specs: 768 Cores, Memory Size is 8192 MB, Memory Type is GDDR3 and Bus Width is 256 Bit.

PS3: RSX “Reality Synthesizer” Specs: 24 Pixel Shaders, 8 Vertex Shaders, Memory Size is 256MB, Memory Type is GDDR3 and Bus Width is 128 Bit.
PS4: Radeon 7000-series Specs: 1152 Cores, Memory Size is 8192 MB, Memory Type is GDDR5 and Bus Width is 256 Bit.

Connectivity

Types of Connectivity

Types of connectivity include Wireless Internet Connections, Dial-Up Connection and Ethernet

What is Wireless Internet Connections?

Wi-Fi Hotspots and Wireless LANs are wireless internet connections. The connection is typically delivered to a network hub via a wired connection like Satellite, cable, DSL or fibre optics made available to wireless devices via a wireless access point.

What is a Dial-Up Connection?

A dial-up internet access is a form of internet access that uses a public switched telephone network to establish a connection to an internet service provider, by dialling a telephone number on a conventional telephone line.

What is Ethernet?Ethernet is the standard way to connect computers on a network over a wired connection. It provides a simple interface for connecting multiple devices such as computers and routers. With a single router and a few Ethernet cables you can create a LAN, which allows all connected devices to communicate with each other.

What Type of Connectivity Does a PC Use?

The type of connectivity a PC uses varies on the person who owns the PC. For example a PC gamer will use an Ethernet cable as the MBPS are faster than a wireless connection, but a person who uses a PC to work will most likely use a wireless connection as it’s hassle-free.

What Type of Connectivity Does an Xbox One Use?

An Xbox One tends to use a wireless connection depending on the broadband provider as Sky tends to be rubbish for gaming, but some Xbox One users use Ethernet cable as it’s more reliable than wireless as it’s plugged into the main router.