Sony Computer Entertainment has set the guidelines for stereoscopic 3D-supporting video titles designed for the PlayStation 3 game console. In a bid to ensure proper performance, SCE advices game developers to trim resolution of stereo-3D (S3D) games to 720p.
Sony's official guidelines for S3D gaming on PS3 limit the displayed image to a resolution of 720p, reports Joystiq web-site citing Sony's words. Even games that run natively at 1080p resolution, are downscaled in 3D mode to two 720p images (one for each eye). While the console can physically output S3D 1080p images, it takes twice the performance to process a stereo-3D game, which is why the machine cannot guarantee 60 fps performance for every game.
It is rather noteworthy that the company, which promised ten years lifespan for the PS3 has to cut-down certain features and decrease image quality so to ensure proper performance on its fifth year. But Sony believes that "the effects of this policy are probably unnoticeable to most gamers" since once S3D is enabled "even trained computer graphics artists could barely tell the difference between the resolutions".
At this point it is not possible to realistically evaluate the reaction of gamers on Sony's decision to trim the resolution in S3D mode since very few gamers own stereo-3D capable HDTVs and there are virtually no video games supporting the technology.