GDC 2007: IBM shows off real-time Cell rendering

At the Game Developers Conference 2007, IBM displayed a Linux-based PS3 rendering of a complex – 3 million triangle – landscape in real-time and in full 1080p resolution using only software rendering techniques. Yes folks, full 1080p rendering despite the PS3’s RSX being inaccessible under Linux.

GameTomorrow informs that IBM’s system is set to workaround the RSX hurdle by reaching out across the network and leveraging multiple IBM QS20 blades to render in real-time with software based ray-tracing. The scalable iRT rendering is set to enable the PS3 to decompose each frame into manageable work regions and dynamically distribute them to blades or other PS3s for rendering.

Whew, okay, that’s a whole mouthful that even we don’t exactly understand. So here’s a video of the GDC 2007 demo in action.

Will this eventually allow for decent Linux homebrew games and applications for the PS3? Better emulation on Linux perhaps? This blogger isn’t exactly sure about how this Cell-based RSX side-step will ultimately impact graphics on Linux PS3, but it seems safe to say that it does look promising.

At the Game Developers Conference 2007, IBM displayed a Linux-based PS3 rendering of a complex – 3 million triangle – landscape in real-time and in full 1080p resolution using only software rendering techniques. Yes folks, full 1080p rendering despite the PS3’s RSX being inaccessible under Linux.

GameTomorrow informs that IBM’s system is set to workaround the RSX hurdle by reaching out across the network and leveraging multiple IBM QS20 blades to render in real-time with software based ray-tracing. The scalable iRT rendering is set to enable the PS3 to decompose each frame into manageable work regions and dynamically distribute them to blades or other PS3s for rendering.

Whew, okay, that’s a whole mouthful that even we don’t exactly understand. So here’s a video of the GDC 2007 demo in action.

Will this eventually allow for decent Linux homebrew games and applications for the PS3? Better emulation on Linux perhaps? This blogger isn’t exactly sure about how this Cell-based RSX side-step will ultimately impact graphics on Linux PS3, but it seems safe to say that it does look promising.