SimHQ.com - Technology Zone - Review: Matrox TripleHead2Go

In the version of the SGU I had, there was an option to configure SF:P1, but not WoV, for triplehead operation. This is unnecessary anyway, as using either of these sims in triplehead is a simple matter of selecting the desired triplehead resolution in the graphics options. SF:P1 must be patched with at least SP1 for triplehead to work properly.

I must admit to only poking around in these two sims (I don't even know how to operate the radar), but holy cow do they look good in triplehead, in both internal and external views. I put the F-4E into a spin once and the world whipping by on the right and left monitors was so violent that I thought I might be sick. Glancing right or left allowed me to see wingmen with ease while still maintaining a good portion of my view forward.

SF:P1 and WoV are excellent sims for triplehead use because they are not overly graphically intensive. At 3072x768 with 4xAA and 8xAF, in-cockpit framerates in instant action and single missions usually hovered in the low 20s, and were higher in external views.

You will notice in the screenshots below (resized from 3072x768 and combined) that the radar and the RHAW display are extremely squished in the horizontal. Also, in some shots taskbar icons are visible on the right monitor. These anomalies occur in both SF:P1 and WoV in triplehead mode, but everything looks fine if I go back to single monitor. I do not know whether these are bugs with the sims or with the TripleHead2Go, but I suspect the fault lies with the sims. Matrox has said that they are procuring these titles in-house in order to test themselves and determine if there is anything they can do on their end.

An excellent thing about the triplehead support in SF:P1 and WoV is that even though all three monitors are in use during flight, only the center screen is used in the interface. This prevents gross stretching of a 4:3 interface into a 12:3 image.

I know that there are many mods to improve to the look of SF:P1 and WoV, and I'm sure I could get these images looking even better if I were more familiar with these sims.

Another graphical bug in triplehead mode is that the terrain sometimes fails to render at the edges of the left and/or right screen. This is definitely a problem that lies with the sims and not the TripleHead2Go.