DICE Devs On PS4 Pro: Proper Checkerboard Implementation Is Complex, EQAA Can Bring Great Savings

A lot has been said about the PlayStation 4 Pro and the custom technique developers can use to achieve "4K" resolution. The technique is called checkerboard rendering and its has been used in several PlayStation 4 games such as the recently released Horizon Zero Dawn to achieve a 2160p checkerboard resolution. To make it simple to understand, checkerboard 4K resolution isn't native 4K resolution. It's a process of using a complex pixel algorithm to generate an image that resembles a 4K image buffer but in reality it isn't. However it's isn't a mere upscale either.

[skydragoonityx]

Checkerboard Rendering.. So its in between an upscale & native 4K

[darthv72]

Back in my day you only had two terms you could use. Native and upscaled. Today you got fancy terms for one but not the other. I'll let you decide which is which.

[Nyxus]

Checkerboard is neither of those, it's a different technique, so it's logical it has its own term.

[Aenea]

Like Nyxus says checkerboard rendering is neither, it's something else, why is it so hard to grasp that for so many people??

[FyBy]

@Aenea: Its hard to grasp because its new. Lot of people are not keen to embrace new things. Its a little like LG "4K" tv, which in fact has 3K panel but theres diffferent matrix to represent picture. Some pixels are shared and so panel can reproduce 4K like picture, but its not 4K. But neither 3K :-)

For some people is hard to udnerstand there can be something different.

But into detail: 4k upscaling is made from source where resolution is lower than 4K. In checkerboard rendering resolution is not lower. Its similar like interlaced resolution but little bit higher level. Interlacing is doing odd and even lines in different frames, So technicaly vertical resolution is halved for each frame, but in reality even and odd lines cant be exchanged, they are not same lines, they dont cross, they complement each other so as a result we get progressive level of resolution for static pictures and little bit less quality for moving ones.

In checkerboard each missing pixel is computed from other frames so we get progeressive resolution. But quality of rendering depends on changing of scene and algorithm of computing missing pixels. In reality we get better picture than interlaced resolution. And in static scenes we have same like native 4K resolution.

Thats theory of course but it is clear, checkerboard rendering is not upsacaling neither interlaced resolution doesnt upscale to progressive. Its totally different category of processing picture than upsacling.

[kevnb]

Huh, checkerboarding is simply a fancy way of upscaling.

[uth11]

There are a number of upscaling techniques that produce different results. Some better than others

[rainslacker]

Technology changes though, so sometimes you need to use new words.

Technically, the output is native, hence it is native, however, it isn't native in the context that the word native is typically used.

However, at no point, is the image actually upscaled. So using upscale is simply using the word incorrectly.

Truthfully, if you're worried about only being able to categorizing it into native or upscaled, then native would be the proper word to use. However, it's misleading on what is actually happening based on what people understand native to be.

But, those that want to say upscaled, well.....they're simply wrong, both in context and in literal definition of the term.

Nyxus is probably the most accurate in describing it on a contextual basis though. But literally, I am closer. Put our explanations together, and we get a checkerboarded explanation.

[DrumBeat]

Didn't they just say it wasn't an upscale?

[Pandamobile]

Taking a lower resolution source image and scaling it up to a higher resolution is by definition "upscaling", regardless of what marketing buzzwords are being used to describe it.

[DAEMONIFEAR]

Yeah it's called 1440-1800p Lol It's the same technique some TV's use to make everything look 4K! LG have been doing it since 1080p days! :)

[TechnoGoat]

I don't care what technique was used or what resolution it was, Horizon was gorgeous and I never found myself saying "this would of been better in native 4k"

[jp_footy2]

There should be more people like you.

[Hardiman]

So true and I'm still being blown away with each new area I come across. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck....you know the rest but the phrase is so accurate in this instance. If they can create games that look that good and all the other boxes are checked, I don't care how they get it done. The results speak for themselves.

[Pantz]

Gamingbolt attempts to trash PS4 every chance they get. It's so sad.

[Nero2142]

I wonder when nvidia will do thing like this , it sounds great to push 4k gaming

[sin7279]

Gamingbolt#@$%&

[Rhythmattic]

GamingNutz