When Sega's Virtua Tennis 3 hits the courts March 20, it will feature more than just that "new ball" smell. The publisher today confirmed that its tennis game would feature native 1080p graphics, a first for the Xbox 360.

　　When Microsoft first announced it would add 1080p support to the Xbox 360 by way of a system update last September, it said all existing games for the system could be upscaled to 1080p from lower resolutions, and that the system could handle games designed from the outset to be 1080p. However, Microsoft did not say which games, if any, would take advantage of the option.

　　Sony Computer Entertainment America spokesperson Dave Karraker later downplayed the added support, saying that upscaling lower resolution content doesn't make it "full HD" (Sony's phrase for native 1080p content, a PlayStation 3 selling point). He also said the Xbox 360's 9GB DVD format would be an obstacle for storing space-intensive 1080p content, saying a larger format like Sony's 50GB Blu-ray discs were necessary "to truly take gaming into the next generation."

　　Virtua Tennis 3 has been rated E for Everyone and will also be available for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3. The PS3 edition will also feature 1080p graphics. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's latest preview.