Sony Has New Console In The Works, AMD Building Graphics

[Invertigo]

It's official folks:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/briancau...ding-graphics/

Sony Has New Console In The Works, AMD Building Graphics

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.

[Irontiger]

So no backward compatibility for games with QCAA?

[EarthAtGates]

Doesn't the PS3 use an ATI card now?

[will_perdikakis]

Doesn't the PS3 use an ATI card now?

You could not have even read the post before responding to it?

[EarthAtGates]

You could not have even read the post before responding to it?

Nope!
...

[Jarnis]

Doesn't the PS3 use an ATI card now?

PS3 = GeForce 7900 derivative chip. They originally had the grand plan of doing graphics with a second Cell chip but that didn't quite work out as they planned so in order to actually ship a console, they just bought a GPU from Nvidia at the last moment.
Xbox 360 = Radeon X1900 + some small extra bits +eDRAM derivative chip

[Irontiger]

PS3 = GeForce 7900 derivative chip. They originally had the grand plan of doing graphics with a second Cell chip but that didn't quite work out as they planned so in order to actually ship a console, they just bought a GPU from Nvidia at the last moment.
Xbox 360 = Radeon X1900 + some small extra bits +eDRAM derivative chip

The idea to use a CELL for graphics was thrown about and shelved early in development. RSX is too well integrated into the design to be considered a last minute choice in the way adding a second SH2 was to the Sega Saturn.

Xenos is nothing like X1900. It's got more in common with HD 2900 in that it's a unified shader, but beyond that, it's vastly different from any desktop GPU.

[powerarmour]

Sounds interesting, I guess they might not even go with a Cell based CPU either this time around, so the backwards compatibility issue could be a problem...[chin]

[red_dog007]

It's got more in common with HD 2900 in that it's a unified shader, but beyond that, it's vastly different from any desktop GPU.

Looking at spec sheets, it seems a lot like a R500 hybrid moving into R600. Feature wise, it is very similar to the R500 being DX9.0c based with a couple DX10 goodies like tessellation. Though it introduced Unified Shaders, 18 months ahead of the R600 (HD2000 series). Still very different from desktop chips, but that is pretty much how you can look at it comparing to desktop chips.

It is took bad that Sony just didn't say screw it and use a full fledged GeForce 7800. The only difference is 8ROPS are disabled on the console version. Would have twice the pixel power over the x360 and a definite edge graphically.

i wonder what kind of income AMD will make from having chips in all 3 consoles this round?

Maybe enough to keep the CPU division a live?
They scored the Gamecube, then the Wii which has sold a LOT + the x360 this generation.





I wonder what AMD will do. Will AMD just toss in a desktop chip, or will they continue doing what ATI did and design unique processors. Maybe implement designs from architectures in the works again.