PS3 Resolution woes

Posted: November, 16 2008

As most of you know the PS3 can output a true 1080p resolution, and a few other resolutions - but where it really lacks is in the increasingly popular resolution of 1680 x 1050.

The 1680 x 1050 resolution is most commonly found in 20 and 22 inch screens. However, this resolution is not supported by the PS3, so you will have to settle for a 720p output, scaled up (never good), especially for monitors as they never look good not being displayed at their native resolution.

The problem is that 1680×1050 is a 16:10 format ratio, and 1080p and 720p are both 16:9 ratios, designed specifically for widescreen televisions. So even if you have a larger 1920 x 1200 resolution, you will have to rely on 1:1 pixel mapping to ensure you get a true 1080p experience. This has the added problem of black bars top and bottom of the screen - which many will have seen from the 2:39:1 DVD playback.

So, is there a fix?
Not currently, no, but with increasing demand for the resolution support, watch the PS3 firmware updates for any additions.