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[FiRez]

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In an interview with Bit-Tech.Net, Richard Harris of ATI has revealed the very first details on how backward compatibility will work on the Xbox 360. Explaining the role ATI hardware will play in the process, Harris states:

“They have implemented compatibility purely through emulation (at the CPU level). It looks like emulation profiles for each game are going to be stored on the hard drive, and I imagine that a certain number will ship with the system. They already have the infrastructure to distribute more profiles via Live, and more and more can be made available online periodically.”
“Emulating the CPU isn’t really a difficult task. They have three 3GHz cores, so emulating one 733MHz chip is pretty easy. The real bottlenecks in the emulation are GPU calls – calls made specifically by games to the nVIDIA hardware in a certain way. General GPU instructions are easy to convert – an instruction to draw a triangle in a certain way will be pretty generic. However, it’s the odd cases, the proprietary routines that will cause hassle.”

 

[sangreal]

nothing new really, but thanks

 

[Sai]

So, will there be any way to enhance or add-on to the old Xbox games through emulation?

 

[FiRez]

yes, is like a more detailed and very predictable information, but at least is the official confirmation.

So, will there be any way to enhance or add-on to the old Xbox games through emulation?

I think no one has talked about that at the moment.

 

[The Faceless Master]

It looks like emulation profiles for each game are going to be stored on the hard drive, and I imagine that a certain number will ship with the system.

:lol :lol :lol

 

[sangreal]

:lol :lol :lol

IIRC from another article, it was stated that only certain games would require the profiles.

 

[GhaleonEB]

IIRC from another article, it was stated that only certain games would require the profiles.

That's right, something about the (few) games that use both layers, IIRC. All others would run native in the emulation program included on the HD.

 

[Gek54]

Please add DFP drivers to the Forza profile,kthxbye.

 

[KingJ2002]

my guess is that microsoft will release emulation updates by dates.

like they will release a emulator update that will play games between 2002-2003... etc. etc.

im sure they wont just hand consumers a big list of games they can't play.

they will definitely have support for games released 2004 - 2005

 

[isamu]

Please add DFP drivers to the Forza profile,kthxbye.

I EMPHATICALLY agree wth Gek54 on this!!!!

And as long as 360 allows BC with OutRun 2 all is rosey.

 

[Jesiatha]

Emulating the CPU isn’t really a difficult task.

:lol

 

[Ryudo]

:lol

?

Its just an intel 733mhz x86 CISC processor. Microsoft have been coding assembly for the x86 cores for the majority of their existence.

It would be hard for idiots like me, but then again so would brain surgery.

 

[Jesiatha]

?

Its just an intel 733mhz x86 CISC processor. Microsoft have been coding assembly for the x86 cores for the majority of their existence.

It would be hard for idiots like me, but then again so would brain surgery.

Coding assembly for the processor is a lot easier than emulating the thing. Since we've announced BC it certainly isn't impossible, but saying "isn't really a difficult task" is way off the mark.

 

[sangreal]

?

Its just an intel 733mhz x86 CISC processor. Microsoft have been coding assembly for the x86 cores for the majority of their existence.

It would be hard for idiots like me, but then again so would brain surgery.

Also, Microsoft bought out Connectix, the makers of VirtualPC. They also happen to be the creators of Virtual Game Station, one of the best PlayStation emulators (pre-epsxe) .