Sony Has New Console In The Works, AMD Building Graphics

[Erazor51]

Sony is working on an as-yet-unannounced new gaming console, former AMD employees say, and the processor designer may play a key role in the new product.

AMD’s graphics technology is already used in Microsoft’s XBox 360 console. However, Sony’s PlayStation 3 — introduced in 2006 — relies on graphics technology from Nvidia.

For the full story, click here to read our profile of Advanced Micro Devices from the March 12 issue of FORBES magazine.

AMD declined to comment on the project. Sony Chief Transformation Officer George Bailey also declined to discuss Sony’s new console, or even acknowledge its existence.

However, at AMD’s analyst day last month, AMD Chief Financial Officer Thomas Seifert identified gaming as one of several trends that will drive revenue growth at AMD in 2012.

Link: http://www.forbes.com/sites/brianca...w-console-in-the-works-amd-building-graphics/

 

[janas19]

In

 

[Dark Shroud]

I don't mean to be rude but it was kind of obvious that AMD was going to get the Sony contract. Nintendo has been using AMD/ATI since the Gamecube. And MS had a lot of IP problems using Nvidia in the original Xbox.

AMD & IBM have a good relationship so they'll design whatever Sony wants. Ironically they already have experience from designing the "APU" in the current Xbox 360.

 

[Erazor51]

Does this mean games ported to PC will run better on AMD equipped graphics?

 

[gorobei]

Does this mean games ported to PC will run better on AMD equipped graphics?

generally no.

but if amd is really clever about it and slip some of the gcn architecture slated for apus into the chip there is a possibility of some of the ports being able to make direct calls to the silicon like they do in consoles. intel is doing the same with the hdx000 igp for ivybridge and i assume haswell.

direct access to the silicon with no dx layer was highly praised in the Tim Sweeny Andrew Richards interview on s/a.

 

[Grooveriding]

As I remember it when the 360 came out they used an iteration of an AMD GPU that was current, X1800XT/XL ?

So we can expect some sort of 28nm AMD Sea Islands GPU in the 360 and PS3, if they release next year.

 

[thilanliyan]

As I remember it when the 360 came out they used an iteration of an AMD GPU that was current, X1800XT/XL ?

I think it was R500, so 2900 series? Whatever had unified shaders.

 

[blackened23]

I don't mean to be rude but it was kind of obvious that AMD was going to get the Sony contract. Nintendo has been using AMD/ATI since the Gamecube. And MS had a lot of IP problems using Nvidia in the original Xbox.

AMD & IBM have a good relationship so they'll design whatever Sony wants. Ironically they already have experience from designing the "APU" in the current Xbox 360.

This isn't surprising news. Sony wasn't exactly quiet about their displeasure with nvidia in the PS3, mainly on the business side of things.

 

[lavaheadache]

I think it was R500, so 2900 series? Whatever had unified shaders.

Nope, It's X1900 based. There are 48 shaders

R600 is 2900

 

[Lepton87]

As I remember it when the 360 came out they used an iteration of an AMD GPU that was current, X1800XT/XL ?

So we can expect some sort of 28nm AMD Sea Islands GPU in the 360 and PS3, if they release next year.

No, R500 and R520 are completely different architectures. R500 features unified shader architecture and R520 does not.

Nope, It's X1900 based. There are 48 shaders

R600 is 2900

R580 is not a unified shader architecture it still has distinct vertex shaders which R500 does not.

 

[pelov]

This isn't surprising news. Sony wasn't exactly quiet about their displeasure with nvidia in the PS3, mainly on the business side of things.

Nor was MS with Xbox. nVidia, though they make great GPUs, tend to have horrendous business practices, particularly when it comes to working with other big tech corporations. They piss people off left and right. AMD does have quite a bit going for them on the embedded devices end.

I do hope they use a quad-core APU so that us PC gaming folk quit getting shafted with crappy console ports. Llano or Trinity, I don't care.

 

[superjim]

I pray that AMD slips GCN into the PS4. I highly doubt they will based on history of using older architecture for consoles for various reasons. My bet is on VLIW4/67xx based.

 

[Barfo]

Nor was MS with Xbox. nVidia, though they make great GPUs, tend to have horrendous business practices, particularly when it comes to working with other big tech corporations. They piss people off left and right. AMD does have quite a bit going for them on the embedded devices end.

I do hope they use a quad-core APU so that us PC gaming folk quit getting shafted with crappy console ports. Llano or Trinity, I don't care.

Nvidia make good cards but they are also douches.

 

[pelov]

I pray that AMD slips GCN into the PS4. I highly doubt they will based on history of using older architecture for consoles for various reasons. My bet is on VLIW4/67xx based.

Price and volume are the reasons. The manufacturers need to keep the cost of their devices low. Remember when Sony introduced the PS3 and the Blu-Ray drive? They were losing cash on every single unit sold because that's how the console business operates. Keep it as low cost as possible and make your money elsewhere; usually through game sales or add-ons or services. The margins are slim and they rely on selling vast quantities of devices rather than building something out of this world.

If AMD can produce enough Llano or Trinity APUs, I wouldn't be surprised to see them in consoles like this

 

[thilanliyan]

Nope, It's X1900 based. There are 48 shaders

R600 is 2900

According to this:
http://techreport.com/articles.x/8342/1

It is R500 and has unified shaders in the xbox 360.

I was wrong about the 2900 being R500 based though.

 

[StrangerGuy]

After the whole $599/Cell/scrap PS2 hardware debacle and the smartphone SoCed PS Vita I expect Sony to do PS4 conservatively this time with low cost commodized hardware

 

[BlockheadBrown]

If this is accurate, I wonder how it will affect backwards compatibility (changing GPU IP sources). Between Xbox and 360, it did have an effect. It'll be interesting to see how much of an effect it'll have this time around.

 

[Grooveriding]

The Wii-U is coming out later this year with some form of an RV700 4XXX series chip. I would guess they are making it on 40nm ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_U#Technical_specifications

When was the last time Nintendo had the most advanced console on the market ? They'll be making even more money now when that new console is out, and the games that usually only make it to 360 and PS3, are now coming to the Wii-U as well.

 

[BlockheadBrown]

The Wii-U is coming out later this year with some form of an RV700 4XXX series chip. I would guess they are making it on 40nm ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_U#Technical_specifications

When was the last time Nintendo had the most advanced console on the market ? They'll be making even more money now when that new console is out, and the games that usually only make it to 360 and PS3, are now coming to the Wii-U as well.

Until the next 360 and PS3 come out, yep.

 

[blckgrffn]

Until the next 360 and PS3 come out, yep.

If they (Nintendo) get enough traction, they'll still be part of the mainstream releases (they want CoD and such, I would think) which I think must be their goal.

It's hard to believe that xbox next and PS4 will be so much more powerful than Wii-U that they'll be relegated to their own special releases like they are right now.

Then we'll have to rely on exclusives to really flex the full muscles of a given platform.

Maybe we'll get to hear xbox and PS users complain about Wii-U ports that don't take advantage of their platform :awe:

 

[ZimZum]

The Wii-U is coming out later this year with some form of an RV700 4XXX series chip. I would guess they are making it on 40nm ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_U#Technical_specifications

When was the last time Nintendo had the most advanced console on the market ? They'll be making even more money now when that new console is out, and the games that usually only make it to 360 and PS3, are now coming to the Wii-U as well.

Nintendo 64 I think.

 

[notty22]

The first NES with Mario, also is part of console history.
I bought one myself at Childworld with my first CC. Both good and bad memories there
One of my favorite games was Arkanoid and Donkey Kong.

 

[BlockheadBrown]

Nintendo 64 I think.

Depending on where you're considering the releases, the Nintendo GC was released for a few months before the original Xbox was released in Japan.

 

[superjim]

What's the point of buying X console when they all play the same games? Xbox Live is a great service but even I'm too cheap to pay for it when I have a PC in the corner. It will be interesting to see how they differentiate themselves for the next console generation.

Browser? check
Netflix? check
Online store? check
Plays well with other computers? check
Medium-sized display on my controller making Xbox controller look small? che..... huh what? What is the point of this?

 

[blackened23]

Hmm. It should be pointed out that you can't do an apples to apples comparison of console hardware vs PC hardware playing the same games, while the PC is 10-20x faster in graphics, the API layer adds considerable overhead.

Consider what a meager GPU the xbox 360 has and how great most of its games look. Programming directly to the hardware increases performance a ton. Can the PC do with a 1900xt what the xbox 360 does? Nah.