Raspberry Pi Running Quake 3

First time accepted submitter phonewebcam writes "Here's something to liven up your weekend: a video of the Raspberry Pi running Quake 3. We're still working on ironing a few kinks out (specifically, there seems to be a library issue which means our framerate, while good, isn't quite as spectacular as we know it can be; we're working on it as I post this) – but this is what test boards are for, and we're making great progress getting the boards running smoothly."

Comments

Excerpts from their FAQ

[rotide]

From their FAQ.. I had no idea what this device was, so I figure a bunch of others don't either.. Essentially an ARM based tiny computer that can apparently play Quake 3 among other applications. Lots of Linux support too. (This is not the full FAQ)

When will the device be available to purchase?
We anticipate the device will be available to the general public later in 2011 – at the moment that looks like November.

How much will it cost?
We hope to be selling the Model A for $25 and the Model B for $35.

How do I connect a mouse and keyboard?
Mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

What display can I use?
There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to a digital or analogue television or to a DVI monitor.

What about audio?
There’s a standard 3.5mm jack, or you can use HDMI. You can add any supported USB microphone via a hub.

Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi?
The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

What are the power requirements?
The device is powered by an external AC adapter, and the Model A consumes around 1W at full load.

Holy Crap I want one! Or a few!

$35 computer - dream come true

[tp1024]

And people barely notice. This computer is as powerful than anything I had 10 years ago. It can do almost anything you could need - and what it can't do is mostly down to bloated software. Sometimes I have a hard time shaking off the feeling that we've almost stood still for the last decade - but then again, that's a good thing, because it allows the rest of the world to catch up to the high-income countries, by benefiting from ever lower prices.

The real question, as after any dream that has become true, is: what's next? And I have no idea.

Re:$35 computer - dream come true

[Cruciform]

We haven't stood still. There are two significant factors at play - performance and miniaturization.
The bulky CPU that came with a heat sink assembly that took up the space of a small toolbox now fits on the tip of your thumb. The storage is now small and cheap enough that couple with the CPU and mainboard you can put small, powerful computers all over your home -- cheaply. And without having to buy it locked down and as a loss leader for a corporation's accessory market.
I can't wait to see what's available in 2020.

Re:$35 computer - dream come true

[gbjbaanb]

I don't know where you get that idea - it has hdmi for video output, and it has usb for everything else. My work Dell has usb for all inputs, so I can't see why you think its not a full-blown computer like all the big black boxes we use today.

It even has full software support as it runs Linux.

Re:$35 computer - dream come true

[somersault]

FTA:

Obviously, the Raspberry Pi isn’t intended as a gaming platform, but it’s very satisfying to let the Broadcom BCM2835 application processor off the leash (yes, I’m allowed to give you the part number now) and see what it can do in this sphere nonetheless

Re:$35 computer - dream come true

[mounthood]

Unfortunately the BCM2835 is not on the Broadcom website, but the BCM2763 is:
http://www.broadcom.com/products/Cellular/Mobile-Multimedia-Processors/BCM2763

Full HD 1080p camcorder capabilities in a cell phone with significantly improved quality over current generation handsets (which generally have VGA or lower resolution camcorders)
Up to 20 megapixel digital camera with advanced features such as multiple shots per second, image stabilization, face and smile detection and panorama mode
The ability to render mobile games natively at up to 1080p resolution, which in combination with an on-board HDMI output, allows a console-quality gaming experience on large screen HDTVs
20% to 50% power reduction in comparison to the prior generation VideoCore® III multimedia processor
4 to 6 hours of 1080p video recording and 8 to 10 hours of mobile playback, with up to 16 hours of full HD playback over HDMI given sufficient handset storage

From the "VideoCore® III" page:

Support for 8 mega pixel camera modules enables a picture quality superior to most digital still cameras, while MPEG-4 video capability at VGA resolution offers state-of-the-art video technology for tape-less camcorders. In addition, support for the H.264 video compression standard enables next-generation cellular phones to incorporate DVB-H mobile TV capability.

Re:$35 computer - dream come true

[Culture20]

And people barely notice.

Average consumer: "What good is a $35 PC if I have to buy a $1000 Monster(R) HDMI cable to connect it to my TV?"

Re:Is Quake 3 still a relevant benchmark?

[somersault]

This thing isn't meant for playing "games of today". It's just a nice deminstration of the power of this incredibly cheap device. They were only getting about 20fps (albeit in 1080p) in the video, but it's still cool as a hobbyist project.

Re:Hell yes!

[ebenupton]

That's certainly our thinking. You can see what we're doing here as a first stab at redefining the price point and set of tradeoffs for an entry-level desktop PC. It's not perfect (the ARM11 in particular is only just good enough), but I suspect in ten years' time we'll be looking back wondering why we used to spend a couple of hundred bucks on a system unit for a machine to surf the web and run office software.