One of our informal real-world performance tests when reviewing a new desktop or notebook is monitoring how well it can handle a 4K video on YouTube. It may not sound all that impressive but the truth is, many systems struggle to play the clip without serious lag.
Now, we've learned that 8K videos have started to appear on the popular video sharing website.
As 9to5Google points out, YouTube has technically supported 8K video since 2010 but labeling (4320p/8K) was added only earlier this year. Regardless, the first clip is now here and, well, you'll need a monster of a system to view it properly.
"Ghost Towns" was filmed using a RED Epic Dragon 6K camera in portrait orientation. To become a true 8K clip, some scenes were upscaled / stitched together using Adobe After Effects. There are very few native 8K cameras available and it won't be until later this year that most start to trickle down to consumers.
With 8K, YouTube - and the industry in general - finds itself in the middle of a "chicken and egg" dilemma. If there's no 8K content, people will be less inclined to buy the hardware necessary to support its playback. Similarly, without the hardware to watch it, content creators have little reason to produce mega resolution videos.
Is your computer able to watch the new 8K clip at decent frame rates? If so, let us know what sort of hardware you're running in the comments section below.