Microsoft confirms 1080p support for 360

One of the technical advantages that the PlayStation 3 has over the Xbox 360 is its ability to output a video signal in the 1080p. Where the best resolution offered by Microsoft's console so far has been the slightly less impressive interlaced 1080i, the PS3 is touted as being able to handle today's gold standard of high definition.

That's set to change, as Microsoft today announced that it will soon enable the Xbox 360 to display games and movies in 1080p resolution. While the company's HD-DVD add-on is a likely candidate to take advantage of that capability, neither it nor any other additional hardware will be needed to add the resolution to the 360's bag of tricks. Microsoft said the upcoming fall software update for the Xbox 360 will enable "all Xbox 360 consoles around the world" to output in 1080p.

The "i" in 1080i stands for interlaced, as opposed to the progressive-scan "p" in 1080p. Progressive-scan displays in any resolution provide a cleaner, smoother picture than their comparable interlaced counterparts, but the improvement is not always noticeable for the average viewer.

A representative for Microsoft told GameSpot that all existing titles can be upscaled to 1080p, and the system will also be able to handle content created specifically for the 1080p resolution. However, it falls on developers to make that content. Microsoft did not announce any games that will take advantage of 1080p resolution.