Low Poly - Low Poly As A Relative Term

Low Poly As A Relative Term

There is no defined threshold for a mesh to be low poly; low poly is always a relative term and depends on (amongst other factors):

• The time the meshes were designed and for what hardware
• The detail required in the final mesh
• The shape and properties of the object in question

As computing power inevitably increases, the number of polygons that can be used increases too. For example, Super Mario 64 would be considered low poly today, but was considered a stunning achievement when it was released in 1996. Similarly, in 2009, using hundreds of polygons on a leaf in the background of a scene would be considered high poly, but using that many polygons on the main character would be considered low poly.