PSP vs. 3DS Graphics Smackdown!

“Ding, ding” – What is that? A shrill ringing heralding an epic showdown between two weathered warriors almost lost amidst the screams and ululations of a heaving crowd? Well, no, in this case we’re looking at whether the 3DS really is as big a step up as Nintendo promoted it to be. I will comparing similar games with similar themes with as similar screenshots as I can dig up. Then we’re going to dissect them? Sound good? Get your scalpels ready kiddies.

So: “Why now?” you are probably asking. Why not now? The 3DS library is ripe. Well, it’s not, it’s actually woefully unsupported by developers but there are some triple-A titles in there so you can’t scoff at it entirely. At least the library of games is looking better than the Vita right now. Who cares about the introduction? Let's watch these two dogs rip each other apart.
 

Here is some brief technical stuff for context. The PSP is rocking a MIPS R400 CPU clocked at 333 Mhz and can push 33 million polygons flat shaded so for the sake of argument cut that in half for texture mapped and we're looking at 15 million polygons.
 

The 3DS is packing a cutting edge 1 GHZ Dual Core CPU and while it's got a newer GPU than the PSP can only manage around 15 million polygons. It does, however, support more advanced shader modes (reflections, shadows etc.). The 3DS GPU also supports more advanced tessellation (making polygons blend together better meaning less rough edges) so things should look better with a lower amount of polygons on screen.

The playing field is definitely tipped in the favour of the 3DS however the actual specifications of both GPU’s in each handheld is kind of similar. Still, with more advanced tessellation, rendering modes and a fast clock the 3DS should be faster, more efficient and less resource hungry producing better looking graphics. 

FIGHT!

3DS

PSP

So, to begin with we have Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy on 3DS and Ace Combat Skies of Deception on PSP on the bottom. 

It could be the same game, right? Well, you'd probably assume at this point that there isn't much of a gap in technology between these two games. You know, they're probably built on a similar engine or whatever. No, there was a 5 year gap between the releases of these games. 

DS

PSP

Well, you can't just go on one or two screenshots so let's look at another two. Again, DS is on the top and PSP on the bottom. There is barely any difference between them. The two major differences you can see in these shots are: A) The DS features a different art style meaning that sky looks different to the PSP sky. This is artistic and has nothing to do with the capability of the system and B) The glossiness of the jet. This is probably down to the more advanced shaders in the 3DS.  

So, what do you get for your extra money here? Not only a shorter game but glossy planes! Shut up and take my money!

3DS

PSP

And we come to a fan favourite: Ridge Racer. Namco really knows how to pump these out, don't they? Anyway. I love Ridge Racer so no hate intended.

Anyway, check out these first two shots. Nearly identical gloss on the cars, texture quality is basically the same and although you can't see particles for the PSP I can attest that the particle effects are pretty standard for tyre smoke and sparks between the two games. 

3DS

PSP

I cannot believe how similar the games look. I have played both extensively and I can tell you now that the frame rate on Ridge Racer 3D really chugs. You get the same glossy road, the same murky textures on the cars. The enhanced shaders in the 3DS don't even seem to have been employed. Do you know when Ridge Racer came out on PSP? 2004. Do you know when Ridge Racer 3D came out? 2011. I don't have words.

3DS

PSP

Well, the 3DS took one right in the choad in that last round. Why don't we start Round 3? Well, here we have Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance on 3DS released in 2012 and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep on the PSP released in 2010. Do I even need to say anything here? Are you seeing this? These screenshots aren't identical either. I was going to say: "THEY LOOK IDENTICAL" but no, they don't. You know why? The textures and character models are better on the PSP. They are noticeably more detailed and textures are less blurry and pop more on the PSP.

3DS

PSP

There really isn't anything I can add here other than wow, just wow. I am even surprising myself looking at these screenshots in detail.

Why don't we look at character models now? 

3DS

PSP

So, to begin with say hello to Naked Snake. HEEELLO NAKED! Sorry, he can't hear you over all of his grimacing. The top screenshot is from Metal Gear Solid 3 on the 3DS and the bottom from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker on the PSP. These games were actually released pretty close to one another however looking at both of these they could be from the same system. I have looked and looked at both of these screenshots and even the texturing on Snake's uniform looks identical, if not a little clearer on the PSP. I guess his ear looks a little more detailed on the 3DS? "THE NEW 3DS WITH ADVANCED EAR TECHNOLOGY."

3DS

PSP

Speaking of detail let's have a look at Ivy from Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny and Carlos Mencia from Resident Evil: Revelations. First of all: Ivy. Damn girl. Secondly Carlos I think there is a dead python draped over your shoulders. Capcom applied a thick coat of vaseline on everything in Resident Evil: Revelations making every single thing on a character shine. I have never seen such shiny, shiny people. Texture quality in the 3DS screenshot is beyond reproach. It's obviously better.

The Ivy model is really well defined...really, really well defined. Her face has been modeled really well and it can more than stand up to George Lopez up there. The character models in Revelations are definitely hit and miss. There is no clear winner here but when they look this close to one another in terms of detail it is difficult to suggest the 3DS has won anything. 

3DS

PSP

The next two shots are from Kid Icarus Uprising on the top for the 3DS and Time Travelers on the PSP. Unfortunately Time Travelers was never released outside of Japan (please, please, please) so no one outside of Japan except for obsessive freaks like me knows about it. Surprisingly there is a 3DS version of Time Travelers as well.

Time Travelers for 3DS: Hideous aliasing (jaggies), terrible textures
and ill defined models.

 Anyway back to Kid Icarus and Time Travelers. Let's just look at the two screenshots we presented originally. Right off the bat you notice several things. Pit's hands in Kid Icarus are big meaty clubs with his weapon fused in them. I mean, come on, who holds something between their closed thumb and index finger? His texturing and definition also scream Nintendo 64. The texturing in the background is awful and the whole thing is riddled with aliasing. Look at the Time Travelers shot again? Smooth, defined character models, well defined textures that the Icarus screen couldn't even begin to touch and a level of detail that I have yet to see come from the 3DS. 

Now, let me say that I didn't go and purposefully pick ugly, unflattering screenshots for the 3DS games. I think I picked pretty fair ones to compare here. I tried to find similar, if not almost identical games with similar themes and have come away with one conclusion: the 3DS is piss weak. It's either that or developers aren't using it. It's hard to argue that developers aren't using it though as here is a quote from Capcom during an Iwata Asks session: " I feel like we were able to determine the capabilities of Nintendo 3DS. In terms of it being a developmental challenge, I would say that Mercenaries is the one that’s really pushing it hardware-wise.”

So, for context Mercenaries was a launch game for the 3DS that was critically panned for locking the save file
you have and only letting one person use each copy of the game. Mercenaries was pushing the 3DS and it was nowhere near as impressive as Revelations. If Revelations is the roof then there is nowhere left to go and the 3DS will only ever be a piece of hardware that is barely better than a handheld released in 2004 in terms of delivering in the graphics and frame rate department. Well, I hope you weren't expecting something revolutionary from it, because it's not going to happen.

- Andrew Pine