With the announcement of the iPhone 3GS, and subsequent digging by AnandTech, we know that Apple’s claim of it being “over 2X faster” than the 3G is no joke. Apple is clearly entering into the realm of true portable gaming with the 3GS.
However, since it is so much faster, and is seen as competition to the PSP by Sony, how does it compare to the hardest of hardcore mobile gaming devices out there?
Well the iPhone 3GS is fast, but not that fast. According to AnandTech’s report, the 3GS is running a PowerVR SGX, most likely at 200 MHz. at that speed, it can push about 7 million triangles per second, and fill at rate of 250 million pixels per second.
Compare that to the PSP, which pushes 33 million triangles per second, with a fill rate of 664 million pixels per second. (source)
This is comparing the graphics processors themselves, and everything here is ‘paper specs’ but at least we are clear on the fact that while the iPhone is certainly an interesting platform for mobile games, it’s never going to be as desireable as the PSP for hardcore gamers. (I no longer feel stupid for saying that, with all all the events that have occured with the PSP lately).
It is certainly more powerful than the ARM9 powered DS, which does about 120,000 triangles per second (and is limited to 2048 triangles per frame, on both screens), with a fill rate of about 30 Million pixels per second. There are certainly some really great games on the DS, so graphics power isn’t everything.
