“From the point of view of science it’s a catastrophic idea, the purpose of science is to understand reality. If we’re living in a virtual reality we are forever barred from understanding nature.” – David Deutsch When we talk about video games, one of the main aspects of a great and engaging experience is immersion. We love to be pulled into the world of the game so much so that the world around us fades away. The concept of being fully submersed in the game world, be it through great atmosphere or virtual reality, doesn’t scare us. Do you know why? It’s because we can leave whenever we want. Games can be engaging, terrifying, frustrating, and many other things. No matter how much they pull us in though, we always have reality to retreat back to. Our real world may not be perfect, in fact, it makes us retreat into games to escape from it sometimes. What if it’s all the same though? What if the world you know as “real” is just a game too? You may be shaking your head, and why wouldn’t you? You know this world is real, you can touch your computer screen, you can taste food, you can breathe air, you’ve grown up, you’re growing older. So many reasons flood to your mind, assuring you that this is in fact, reality . You may be right, but then again, you could be wrong. I mean, Keanu Reeves was pretty convinced The Matrix was the real world in the movie, wasn’t he? Today, we’re moving past the PS5 and into another realm of philosophy. Today, we’re going to consider the reasons why our universe could be one giant simulation. The Science Side: The Holographic Principle and String Theory We know a lot of things about our universe, but in the grand scheme of things we know absolutely nothing. It’s frustrating to think about how much is still up in the air. For example, our current understanding of physics leaves a lot of unanswered questions about the nature of things like Dark Matter and Dark Energy. We don’t know much of anything about those two concepts, and yet they make up 95% of the total mass of the universe! One major pursuit of physics is something called a “theory of everything” which would explain how all the physical aspects of the universe work. One such candidate for this theory is something called “string theory” which suggests that the universe is composed of one-dimensional objects called “strings.” Without going to the point where we need a P.H.D to understand this, let’s move to a property of string theory called the “holographic principle.” This concept takes the idea that the cosmic strings in string theory exist in a lower-dimensional where gravity emerges in a way that seems projected or holographic. When we look into the universe, we’re seeing only the light that has traveled this far. The farther away we look, the older the image is. Light travels … Read More
PS5 Graphics – Indistinguishable From the Real Thing
Realism is a bad word. In a sense everything is realistic. I see no line between the imaginary and the real. – Federico Fellini Each time a new generation of consoles is release, the graphics move up a notch. The leap from PS1 to PS2 was perhaps the largest, but the changes from PS3 to PS4 are no slouch either. What comes next? What will PS5 graphics be like? That’s the question we’re here to answer. With the rate at which technology and graphics are progressing, we’re thinking we could make that next big leap when the PS5 releases. Photo-realistic graphics, anyone? The Current State of Video Game Graphics The term “Uncanny” or in the original German translation “Das Unheimliche” is a concept generally known to been Freudian in nature. It has to do with things that are both familiar and alien all at once. Things that we recognize, but not in the form we expect. Would it be so much of a stretch to say that video game graphics are “uncanny” in a number of ways? It really depends on the game. We’ve been able to make huge strides forward in facial rendering and animation. Environments look spectacular, but people and characters have never looked better. Take a game like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, for example. Check out the video below: This is an early tech demo of the amazing technology that went into Hellblade on the PS4. Having played the full game myself, I can safely say that this is the closest I’ve seen to what the PS5’s graphics could be like. This is all based on new technology from Epic Games, developers of the Unreal Engine 4. This same engine is used in a lot of modern games, but Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice really showcases how realistic human characters can be. Now, a game like Hellblade is the exception, not the rule. We still have many games on the PS4 that fall deep into the uncanny valley. Games like Mass Effect: Andromeda, and even acclaimed titles like Horizon: Zero Dawn can sometimes suffer from less than human appearances. We’ve really nailed down realistic environments and physics, but lighting and believable humans still leave a bit to be desired in many games. Hopefully PS5 vs PS4 graphics will showcase a major difference in this regard. Let’s examine the uncanny valley concept, and then move into the possibilities that we could see in the PS5’s graphics. Close, But no Cigar: An Examination of The Uncanny Valley One of the largest obstacles (beyond technology limitations we will discuss later in the article) in achieving photorealistic graphics, is creating people in games that look, sound, and act completely real. We’re close, but it isn’t perfect yet. The same goes for computer generated imaging, and for robotics. A graph representing the Uncanny Valley By Smurrayinchester [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons Sigmund Freud described the uncanny as something that creates a repulsive response. Think of it like an odd feeling in your gut. He … Read More
Gaming with All Five Senses: the Evolution of Virtual Reality
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one – Albert Einstein For the most part, we’ve always known gaming as a medium that we interact with from a distance. Whether it’s a handheld or a home console, it’s always been us and it. The controller was our connection, our bridge between our world and the one in front of us. We’ve always imagined a type of game that puts us into the world. Virtual reality is the common term for it, but what if we went past simple visuals in front of us? What if we could, truly, step into another world. What would it take for us to become fully immersed? Reality is malleable in the sense that it’s different for everyone. Socrates’ Allegory of the Cave in Regards to Gamers Let me get philosophical for a moment here. Let us consider Socrates and his “Allegory of the Cave.” This concept boiled down essentially describes a cave where people have been chained down since childhood. They are forced to stare directly in front of them at a wall that is illuminated by a fire behind them. Between the prisoners and the fire is a walkway where others walk by holding objects and going about their lives. These people cast their shadows on the wall for the prisoners to see. Their voices also echo off the wall, making it appear as if these shadows are speaking to the prisoners. Socrates goes on to say that these shadows are reality for the prisoners. They know nothing outside of the cave and the figures they see on the wall. Now, the allegory goes on to describe what would happen if someone were to escape, but for our purposes, would you not agree that gamers thus far are very similar to these prisoners in the allegory? We’re accustomed to staying at arm’s length from the things we experience in games. Things are changing though. Gamers are escaping from the prison of a separated world and instead are boldly stepping into this brave new reality. The Current State of VR The Oculus Rift brought back to the forefront the concept of VR. Nintendo had the Virtual Boy back in the day, but that did nothing more than give people horrific migraines. After that VR was something you saw at places like Disney Quest and the occasional arcade. It was never a household thing. To look at the Oculus Rift, it looks like a piece of hardware that you strap over your eyes which then projects a 3D image for your eyes to perceive. You can move your head and view the world around you as if you were there. Quite exciting as a concept. This device began life as a kickstarter and was recently purchased by Facebook for two billion dollars! Another competitor in the current field is GameFace Labs which has their own high-powered wireless headset running on a custom Android-based VR operating system. Then you’ve got the Avegant which has … Read More
Will the PS5 Utilize Quantum Technology?
“How little we know of what there is to know. I wish that I were going to live a long time instead of going to die today because I have learned much about life in these four days; more, I think than in all other time. I’d like to be an old man to really know. I wonder if you keep on learning or if there is only a certain amount each man can understand. I thought I knew so many things that I know nothing of. I wish there was more time.” ― Ernest Hemingway, For Whom The Bell Tolls Knowledge is not something that you possess. It is a flowing river of information that runs over you, under you, and through you. What you know now is only in this moment, and in the next, you will become something different. We are not computers, geniuses, or masterminds of any kind. We are observers being swept along through time’s currents and though we have a pen, paper, and maybe a camera to record what we see, ultimate we can only know what is right in front of us, and everything else is fleeting. Sorry if I made your head spin there, but that’s the kind of thought I had today when I was reading about the concepts of quantum entanglement and more importantly, a recent breakthrough in the field. Until this morning, I was fairly certain I knew how the world worked. Not in a profound and scientific way, mind you, but a lofty kind of understanding that made me feel, I don’t know, comfortable. Then I read this, and suddenly I was uprooted from my place under the tree of knowledge. It started raining apples and it was all I could do not to run for cover. We are not the owners of knowledge my friends, we are simply custodians of its gifts and temporary tenants of the information therein. What we know now will be challenged, changed, and turned into something else entirely. Nothing is set in stone and we need to accept the fact that every discovery, every breakthrough, and every step we take forward is nothing more than the shuffling gait of a toddler taking their first steps. Alright Confucius, What’s The Point Here? On a very basic level which is fueled by my minimal understanding of the concept, quantum entanglement represents a phenomenon where two particles become “entangled” at which point they suddenly become exact copies of one another. Whatever characteristics they had individually are now gone. They exist as a single identity and what’s more, if you change something about one of them, the other one mimics the change instantaneously, no matter how far apart they are. This change happens so quickly that is completely ignores the laws of space and time. It literally occurs without a single measurable increment of delay. Einstein actually first explored this phenomenon, but he didn’t think it was possible. He called it “spooky action at a distance.” … Read More
New Rumors Suggest the PS5 Will Use 3D Stacked RAM
“Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have a faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.” – Steve Jobs Technology is all about efficiency. It’s about creating something that is smarter, stronger, and more powerful than we could ever be. The first computers must have wowed the people who saw them, but they are mere cavemen compared to the demigod-like power of the devices we wield today. We are constantly searching for that next breakthrough, that next schism that further separates us from these all powerful beings that we have crafted. Of course, these computers have not turned on us because although we have given them true power, we left free will dangling in front of them like a proverbial carrot. We consistently chase this ever fleeting goal of ultimate efficiency by improving the processing power, upping the storage capacity, and streamlining the interface. Logic dictates that a plateau exists where we can go no further, but each passing day further cements the fact that we are far from such a place. As the opening quote suggests, technology can be a tool for doing wonderful things. We gamers exist because enough people saw the potential for technology to create a new medium of entertainment. This website exists because of those people, and the PS5 will exist because that dream will never die. Technological Breakthrough: 3D Stacked RAM Researchers at Rice University have developed a way to create what is known as 3D stacked RAM, or also commonly known as resistive random access memory (RRAM). This kind of memory has been around, but the cost of manufacturing it was too expensive, so no one really pursued the concept. In theory though, this method of chip manufacturing can create single postage stamp sized chips that can hold as much as a terabyte of data. Currently, 3D stacked RAM is being considered as an alternative for smartphones which still use flash memory. Like flash memory, it doesn’t need a constant supply of power to store data. Flash memory however, uses transistors to store bits of information, and this new type of RAM uses resistance to store data which means less space is required. It also operates a hundred times faster than flash memory, so there’s that too. Normally, to create 3D stacked RAM, there has to be a lot of high-temperatures and extreme voltages present. This new method developed by the folks at Rice University allows the process to happen at a low voltage and at room temperature which honestly sounds too good to be true. Without going into ridiculous amounts of scientific jargon, I’ll explain how the process works. It starts with a layer of silicon dioxide that has a bunch of tiny holes that are each five nanometers wide. Very, very tiny. This layer is sandwiched between two thin layers of metal that serve as electrodes. When a voltage is applied, the metal migrates into the … Read More