Gran Turismo PSP shines in 60FPS video

By Richard Leadbetter Published 14 September, 2009

Digital Foundry pumps up the frames.

As momentum gathers for the PSPgo launch, Sony is preparing to unleash the first of its milestone releases for the re-invigoration of its handheld brand. Polyphony Digital has finally completed its much-delayed Gran Turismo for PSP, and review code was duly despatched to those deemed worthy enough last week.

Having had a taster of the portable experience at gamescom a few weeks back and coming away very impressed, I was very eager to check it out. Very little in the way of actual, tangible assets have emerged, with Sony's own E3 reveal shying away from showing the actual game, and this is rather odd, because even as a non-professional video editor, armed with around 30 minutes of raw video captures, I was able to put this trailer together, showing that - at its best - GT PSP can look quite spectacular.

What we have here is, in a sense, a bit of an experiment. Internet video is usually locked at 30FPS, but that's not Gran Turismo. This video is encoded at full fat 60 frames. Playback performance will vary owing to Adobe's rubbish Flash h264 decoder, so if the video lags for you, either click on the EGTV link for a traditional 30FPS encode, or else right-click and pipe down this specially prepared download for the full experience.

Gran Turismo PSP at 60FPS. Any frame drops you see here will be from Adobe's poor h264 decoder. Get the download if you have playback issues.

Polyphony Digital has taken a number of measures to accommodate Gran Turismo on the PSP, without sacrificing the core elements that make the game what it is. First up, the game uses the smallest frame buffer available to the unit, resulting in a stippled, dithered look to the visuals. Any one who has played Ridge Racer or its sequel on the handheld will know exactly what I'm talking about. This format means lower memory usage, lower bandwidth requirements and frees up a lot of fill-rate - all essential in getting GT running at 60FPS. Next up, the tracks have been pared down - most notably through the use of lower resolution textures. The impact on the image quality here very much varies from track to track: the detail-rich cities look a bit odd, whereas the rest of the courses look fine. Crucially however, the actual geography of the circuits is absolutely authentic to the original console versions.

GT PSP remains a technical marvel, for a number of reasons. First up, Polyphony Digital's love affair with the automobile is undiminished when you see the love and care that has gone into the vehicle modelling: it's frankly excellent. Secondly, the sheer amount of content in the game is staggering - all of the circuits from GT4 are in there, along with a car roster that appears to be just as comprehensive as its PS2 predecessor, if not more so, with the inclusion of the likes of Ferrari, Bugatti and Lamborghini. There's evidence of other, smaller tweaks that gamers will welcome: the ability to play your own MP3s from memory stick during gameplay, for example. The ability to install the game to memory stick if you're running from UMD is another. Tweaked colour profiles specific for the integrated display and the TV-out is another interesting bonus.

Perhaps the most crucial element brings us back to the point of this blog entry. It's unequivocably 60FPS (albeit with occasional tearing), and as such the handling model feels just as good as it did on PS2. It might be four years late, but in terms of the way it plays, this is indeed the portable Gran Turismo driving experience as was promised so long ago.

But over and above the technical achievement, is the game any good? How have the exhaustive gameplay modes been repurposed to accommodate the handheld market? Sony's review embargo lifts tomorrow at 5pm BST, and as I write, Tom is hard at work on the review. Be there.

Picture of Richard.

About Richard Leadbetter

Rich has been a games journalist since the days of 16-bit and specialises in technical analysis. Commonly known around Eurogamer as the Blacksmith of the Future.

Read more articles from Richard by visiting the Richard Leadbetter archive page.

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Comments (38) 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • tomacwhite #1 2 years ago

    Did the PSP outline not give it away in the video?

  • JohnnyWashnGo #2 2 years ago

    Just amazing... It is unmistakeably PSP but at the same time unlike anything that has gone before on the handheld.

    Instapurchase for certain.

  • uglygamer #3 2 years ago

    Sony and Microsoft have produced stunning games so far from what I have seen with the gran turismo and Forza iterations for this generation. And the PSP version of Gran Turismo also looks stunning.

  • No1_Dave #4 2 years ago

    LOL at Donnie jumping the gun, any chance to shoot sony/gt5/ps3 etc down, you can bet your life Donnie wil be the first at it.

  • dr_zoidthrob #5 2 years ago

    Looks great. Not sure about the bouncy cars though

  • Cadence #6 2 years ago

    That video ran like hot shit off a shovel! Nice one EG! Also, the fact that this game can be installed to a pro duo is a great idea (but will the UMD need to be in the slot for verification purposes?).
    Edited by 1 at 14/09/09 @ 10:29

  • Goodfella #7 2 years ago

    donnie is still being a cock then.

  • mrpon #8 2 years ago

    Download link not working :(

  • El-Dev #9 2 years ago

    Gettin the PSP3000 bundle with this, can't wait.

  • des #10 2 years ago

    Hmm,isn't that a replay video?
    What is the point of using that?You can't play replays...
    Show some real gameplay, fps counter included...please

  • Beano #11 2 years ago

    "...the fact that this game can be installed to a pro duo is a great idea (but will the UMD need to be in the slot for verification purposes?). "

    You still need the UMD to launch the game after install - the data is just being read from memory stick.

  • Bigglesworth #12 2 years ago

    Wow, already this comment thread is shaping up nicely to be take-two of the fanboy clusterfuck that was the DF Forza 3 thread...

  • Bagpuss #13 2 years ago

    Im actually quite impressed with that.....ALOT more than i thought i would be.

    Looks like a (lower res) 2nd gen PS2 racer.

  • dr_faulk #14 2 years ago

    If it doesn't have the 1998 Nissan Primera from GT2, I'm not really interested. Still, seeing 60fps internet video is great! =D
    Edited by 1 at 14/09/09 @ 10:49

  • Bigglesworth #15 2 years ago

    @Cadence
    I'd be interested to learn more about the MS installation too. It could either require the UMD as you say, or perhaps give you some kind of Store entitlement that will lock it the PSP a bit like a regular downloadable game.

  • Widge #16 2 years ago

    Really looking forward to this baby, the mp3s from memory stick is a huge bone-arse as far as I'm concerned. Will need to get a hold of a bigger mem stick now though as 4GB just isn't cutting it anymore.

  • jonbwfc #17 2 years ago

    "@Cadence
    I'd be interested to learn more about the MS installation too. It could either require the UMD as you say, or perhaps give you some kind of Store entitlement that will lock it the PSP a bit like a regular downloadable game."

    Soul Calibur PSP already does this - you need the UMD in. You don't get an executable 'game' icon on the XMB, it just leaves what looks like a mammoth save game on the stick.

    Surely the point with GT PSP is if you want a version that runs without a UMD, simply buy it off PSN rather than from a shop? It'll have to be on PSN and there's been no indication that the download games for sale after the Go launches won't run on a 'standard' PSP.

    You can get MS duo pros pretty cheap now.
    Edited by 1 at 14/09/09 @ 11:58

  • Fodder #18 2 years ago

    Install is getting fairly common these days, isn't it? Monster Hunter, FF Dissidia and the latest Dynasty Warriors also do Memory Stick installation, off the top of my head.

    From what I recall, MH is actually quicker at loading if you get the UMD version and install it, rather than buying the PSN version, as it reads off the UMD and memory stick simultaneously.
    Edited by 1 at 14/09/09 @ 12:15

  • SeesThroughAll #19 2 years ago

    Looks decent enough, and that the game runs at a smooth 60 fps always is quite a good achievement...

  • outy #20 2 years ago

    Will the game run at 60FPS on a PSP 1000?

  • lukaz #21 2 years ago

    @outy: PSP1000 has the same hardware power. The 32MB RAM added in later models can only be used as UMD cache by licensed games.
    Edited by 1 at 14/09/09 @ 13:47

  • TopKatt #22 2 years ago

    Wow, look at donnies karma rating! Can we get him to below -100???

  • 3william56 #23 2 years ago

    Oh Donnie. First you complain that wipEout HD needs a HD TV to look it's best, and now you reckon a PSP game isn't up to a 360 game. Not paying attention today, are ya? Late night last night?

    Read... think... comment. In that order, eh?

  • Retroid #24 2 years ago

    Ah, no comment thread is complete without a jumping-the-gun Fanboy Fail, eh? :D

  • Retroid #25 2 years ago

    It's looking good, something else to push the surprisingly-capable-even-now PSP hardware. Was just playing a cheapy copy of GoW I picked up for my PSP, it's bloody impressive for a handheld! PSP deserves more like this.

  • mrpon #26 2 years ago

    Cheers 20cm

  • woodyrulesok #27 2 years ago

    Rather liked the D&B on the video.

    GTpsp or Motorstorm artic?

  • makeamazing #28 2 years ago

    Looks ok, dont have a psp at the moment.. so dont know if this is a good or bad standard for PSP. Will certainly consider a PSP Go once the price drops alittle.

    Laugh at Donnie, sees a post with PS in it and hes there ready to slate it... haha muppet fanboys :)

  • Hotcooler #29 2 years ago

    Impressive, but still some textures are not that good. Why people design consoles with little to no memory...

  • makeamazing #30 2 years ago

    Your first post was a joke... right.. yeah ok... :) - I would say most of your posts are jokes :D

    I think i can safely say your a fanboy, the many many posts you have been posting, "I have a PS3... but its really crap and MS is the best..." blah blah... every single PS3/MS topic. If you want to be taken seriously on this site, stop sprouting the stuff you are usually posting. Its not difficult is it? That is all.

  • No1_Dave #31 2 years ago

    @makeamazing

    +1

  • Rodchenko #32 2 years ago

    I think -106 as of (September 15) is a new record. Not that it will have any effect, mind...

  • spish #33 2 years ago

    Dunno if this a problem with the encode, but this vid doesn't work well with Quicktime X. Fine under VLC and Quicktime 7.

  • Ryze #34 2 years ago

    Ooooh, shit. Installable UMD version?? 60FPS??!! I may have to buy a 2nd hand PSP 2000 and a copy of this.

    Shame the Go doesn't have an improved analogue/controls, or it'd have felt like an urgent purchase.

    Right - the PSP2 should be able to offer 60FPS @ high res - 640-720 horizontal px, with as much detail as the PS2, and easily ported classic PS2 games.

    Add better controls, touch screen, tilt camera and GPS - then you're onto a winner. Full PSN support over Wifi or Bluetooth/HSDPA would be icing on the cake.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/09 @ 07:20

  • Goffee #35 2 years ago

    Yummm, I'm going to bounce this off an Atlantic satellite, route it via the Azores onto my laptop using RealPlayer download, convert it to PSP format with the latest version of Vuze, copy it (via USB cable) to my PSP and watch it like I was playing the game.... almost too simple.

  • Mavs #36 2 years ago

    Noisia is in GT now? Those guys are everywhere suddenly.

  • Marshall2008 #37 2 years ago

    Well, looks like I might have to charge up my PSP (with custom FW) for this one. Worth a download anyway ;)

    Only 4 cars racing though.. hmm
    Edited by 2 at 24/09/09 @ 22:06

  • smelly #38 2 years ago

    How on EARTH do you class this as a "tecnincal achievment"?? Sure it looks pretty in screenshots.. then you see it moving.. and the cars are floating on the track sliding around edges... piss poor.

    It's easy as hell to get a game running at 60fps, if you dont worry about a proper collision model or any kind of anything approaching physics at all.

    Awful.

    Edited by 1 at 05/10/09 @ 16:58