The graphics of Xbox 360 games and those on PS3 may have peaked, as those consoles are several years old by now.
But, the video game graphics seen on mobile phones continue to improve.
Nvidia, a tech company best known for its powerful graphics processors, says mobile video game graphics are about to surpass those seen on dedicated video game consoles.
Nvidia released a chart demonstrating their expected advancements in computer and video game graphics through 2014.
The image explains that game console graphics plateau as new generations of consoles - i.e. the Xbox 360 - are released.
On the other hand, the graphical capabilities of mobile phones and PCs continue to improve, with mobile graphics potentially matching game consoles next year, and surpassing them in 2014.
Mobile tech such as Epic's Unreal Engine 3 and Crytek's CryENGINE 3 allowed the graphics on smartphones to look increasingly impressive, as games like Infinity Blade and even the cartoonish Fibble Flick demonstrate.
Sony's latest handheld gaming system, the PS Vita, already possesses graphics rivaling home consoles, and demonstrates what's possible even in smaller-form hardware.
But as the gap between the graphics on mobile phones and home platforms continues to lessen, console makers like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft likely feel increased pressure to compete with smartphones.
The next generation of graphics
But even if mobile phone game graphics do transcend those seen on traditional gaming consoles, smartphones will likely fall behind once again when the next generation of consoles is released.
Rumors peg the Xbox 360's successor with a release date in 2014 or 2015, and the Xbox 720 could even feature an innovative new implementation of dual AMD CPUs.
In other words, it could be "like two PCs taped together." Whatever that means, it sounds powerful.
Even with impressive upcoming games like Infinity Blade: Dungeons, it may take a while for smartphone graphics to catch up yet again.
Via AnandTech
