Next Gen Console Specs- It Begins

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Thread: Next Gen Console Specs- It Begins

  1. #1
    I don't roll on Shabbos! Timman_24's Avatar
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    Next Gen Console Specs- It Begins

    Information is beginning to trickle in about the specs of the PS4 and 360-2. Some of the changes should make PC gamers excited about the future. Let's go ahead and outline some of the news coming in:

    PS4:

    • Code Named "Orbis"
    • AMD x86 processor
    • AMD Southern Islands GPU (7800 series)
    • DX11 API
    • Doubtful backward compatibility
    • June-May Debut (not on sale) E3 announcement

    360-2:

    • PowerPC processor again (4-6 cores, 1 kinect core, 1 OS core)
    • Dual AMD GPU's
    • Kinect built in
    • Blu-Ray or solid state card
    • Rumored internet based DRM measures
    • 2013 launch, E3 annoucement

    A lot of specs are trickling in with some interesting lay outs, especially for the PS4. I'm happy to see Sony moving away from the Emotion Engine and proprietary architectures and move into the x86 field. The use of the DX11 API will be a huge relief to developers who design their games for both consoles. It is also great for the PC crowd as developer's talents do not need to be split between multiple architectures.


    Looking at the specs of the PS4, it is very doubtful that it will have backward compatibility. The Cell processor can not be emulated in real time on any consumer processor, so the only way for there to be BC is for a Cell chip to be embedded in the system. Hopefully Sony drops BC to keep costs down. I think BC is less of an issue these days. Bluray is sure to return as well as an AMD derived GPU, this time from the new Southern Islands line which includes the 7800 series. With a 2013 release date, this GPU may be a little long in the tooth but nothing is finalized.


    As for the 360, the big news is integrated Kinect support and the possible addition of Blu-ray. Some rumors say MS is looking at solid state cards for physical sales, but will be focusing their efforts on digital downloads. Some sad news is that MS is seriously considering making the console have required internet connectivity to play games, even single player. How this will be employed is up in the air, but look for a large shift in DRM measures that may affect the legitimate gamer. An interesting development is the use of dual GPUs that can be used to generate alternating scan lines or be used independently, one as a GPU and one as a compute unit. Oh the physics possibilities! Lastly, A 6 core CPU is likely with one core for kinect processing and one for the background OS.


    Both are likely to be announced at this year's E3 with a tentative release date of Q3-Q4 2013. Rumors have Sony trying to push their launch forward to beat MS to market this time.

    As for the Wii-U: Suck it.

    Sources:


    http://www.fudzilla.com/home/item/26...d-of-xbox-next
    http://www.fudzilla.com/home/item/26...-have-two-gpus
    http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2...e-industry.ars
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  2. #2
    Great White Shark
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    Interesting that neither one specifically mentions:

    1. Local storage
    2. Amount of RAM
    3. Type of RAM/VRAM (shared?)
    4. network capabilities, etc.

    I would be really interested in the performance numbers of a next-gen console that uses GDDR5 exclusively. Something with massive memory bandwidth and low latency to try and be as future-proof as possible.

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  3. #3
    nuclear launch detected kpxgq's Avatar
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    i want to see iOS/Android app support in the new consoles... everyone and their mom has a smartphone these days... can you imagine tethering your smartphone to your ps4/xbox720 (bluetooth/wi-fi, etc) and having it stream maps, inventory, and other data in real time? its pretty much the functionality that the wii-u controller gives you without the expensive and unwieldy controller
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    LOLWUT ImaNihilist's Avatar
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    As far as I can tell, this is all rumor. I don't think there will be a new PS or Xbox at E3. If there is, there is no hint in the media market and the big companies are shooting themselves in the foot with budgets. If there is a PS4 it's very top secret. So much so that there are no launch partners, and any tech demo will have to be 100% internal.

    When the PS3 came out you knew it before hand, because launch partners shifted budgets around. You didn't quite know what was going on, but you knew something was up. Big companies didn't want to do normal spends on media launching new PS2 titles only have have it get drowned out by their PS3 news. Doesn't make sense to drop $5M on media for a PS2 game that will release the same week as the PS3. One game did do it though. I can't remember which. Game didn't sell very well.

    Honestly, the PS4 specs just read like fanboy nonsense to me. x86, AMD and DirectX? Not sure how Sony would even turn a profit if they had to license DirectX from Microsoft.

    I think a lot of people are going to be disappointed by E3 this year.
    Last edited by ImaNihilist; 04-03-2012 at 02:48 PM.

  5. #5
    What you gonna do?!? fastitocalon's Avatar
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    <---fine with PS3 and 360. I'll worry about this stuff when I can buy it.
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    Creepy Shark PowerCreep's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ImaNihilist View Post
    Not sure how Sony would even turn a profit if they had to license DirectX from Microsoft.
    Maybe the same way MS will turn a profit when they have to license blu ray?

    All this stuff is just rumor at best right now. No one except MS and Sony know for sure. I think E3 is far too close for there to be any kind of reveal. E3 next year, sure.
    I don't mind about internet connectivity from MS, that's no worse than most DRM PC games. Even now, there are lots of games for the 360 that "contact the server" when you start them up. Now, if they aren't internet connected I assume they just go on and load. How this will affect next gen? No idea.
    The only thing that worries me is the rumor that was going around a couple of months back about no used games. I'm not fond of that. Probably half the games I buy are used. I'm not talking about $5 off a used compared to new game at Gamestop, but rather Amazon marketplace, etc.; places with good prices.
    Either way, I'm not losing any sleep since there's nothing confirmed for now. I do look forward to solid information however.
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  7. #7
    LOLWUT ImaNihilist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PowerCreep View Post
    Maybe the same way MS will turn a profit when they have to license blu ray?
    They wouldn't. The licensing costs are one of the reasons they didn't.

    Also, Blu-Ray isn't entirely owned by Sony, it's licensed by the BDA, which includes Sony, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, LG, Hitachi, Sharp, Samsung and a few others.

    AFAIK, DirectX is entirely owned by Microsoft.

  8. #8
    I don't roll on Shabbos! Timman_24's Avatar
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    I definitely see Sony shifting away from proprietary technology and software. It will lower their research costs, code maintenance costs, and manufacturing costs immensely. The 360 is going on 8 years old by next year, so I highly doubt it will be 2014 or more before something is launched. All the major new (or semi-new) IPs from this generation are finishing such as Mass Effect, Resistance, Killzone, Halo, etc. It is far too hard to start a new IP push without the excitement of a new hardware push.

    I wouldn't be surprised if they announce something during this E3, if not, then what will be at E3? More kinect demonstrations and a handful of games? This year for gaming looks pretty uninspiring if E3 falls flat. I can't think of many games at all that have people really talking.
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  9. #9
    Awesome. Kamakazie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Timman_24 View Post
    I definitely see Sony shifting away from proprietary technology and software.
    You'd think that, but then they go and pull out the PS Vita which has expensive proprietary memory cards. The fools, who would pay for that!?

    *runs away and hugs his Vita*

    But seriously, what the ****, Sony?
    Last edited by Kamakazie; 04-03-2012 at 06:08 PM.

  10. #10
    LOLWUT ImaNihilist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Timman_24 View Post
    I definitely see Sony shifting away from proprietary technology and software. It will lower their research costs, code maintenance costs, and manufacturing costs immensely. The 360 is going on 8 years old by next year, so I highly doubt it will be 2014 or more before something is launched. All the major new (or semi-new) IPs from this generation are finishing such as Mass Effect, Resistance, Killzone, Halo, etc. It is far too hard to start a new IP push without the excitement of a new hardware push.

    I wouldn't be surprised if they announce something during this E3, if not, then what will be at E3? More kinect demonstrations and a handful of games? This year for gaming looks pretty uninspiring if E3 falls flat. I can't think of many games at all that have people really talking.
    One thing that's been happening at a high level, and I know is this true for Microsoft (not so much for Sony), is a shift AWAY from big expos like E3. It's expensive and difficult to cut above the noise. Microsoft is trying, arguably failing, to be more like Apple. Instead of letting people get a first look at E3, they want to get them into a store on their terms. They want to be able to push more than once a year, and do it whenever media is cheapest. Your media dollars will get you MULTIPLES on impressions outside of the E3 window.

    E3 is a waste of money, but it's the only choice right now. I could see Microsoft pulling an Apple though. It would be smart. They don't have a ton of stores, but probably enough. They could release a new console before or after E3, and get a lot more awareness per media dollar. I can guarantee you that the retail team is pushing for something like this, if only to justify their existence.
    Last edited by ImaNihilist; 04-03-2012 at 06:16 PM.

  11. #11
    LOLWUT ImaNihilist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kamakazie View Post
    You'd think that, but then they go and pull out the PS Vita which has expensive proprietary memory cards. The fools, who would pay for that!?

    *runs away and hugs his Vita*

    But seriously, what the ****, Sony?
    Great margins on selling 2GB memory cards for 50x costs.

  12. #12
    Defiant Shark Johnmcl7's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kamakazie View Post
    You'd think that, but then they go and pull out the PS Vita which has expensive proprietary memory cards. The fools, who would pay for that!?

    *runs away and hugs his Vita*

    But seriously, what the ****, Sony?
    That is true in that regard but much of the platform is pretty off the shelf for a mobile device so it's not far removed from the quad core mobile phones.

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  13. #13
    I don't roll on Shabbos! Timman_24's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ImaNihilist View Post
    One thing that's been happening at a high level, and I know is this true for Microsoft (not so much for Sony), is a shift AWAY from big expos like E3. It's expensive and difficult to cut above the noise. Microsoft is trying, arguably failing, to be more like Apple. Instead of letting people get a first look at E3, they want to get them into a store on their terms. They want to be able to push more than once a year, and do it whenever media is cheapest. Your media dollars will get you MULTIPLES on impressions outside of the E3 window.

    E3 is a waste of money, but it's the only choice right now. I could see Microsoft pulling an Apple though. It would be smart. They don't have a ton of stores, but probably enough. They could release a new console before or after E3, and get a lot more awareness per media dollar. I can guarantee you that the retail team is pushing for something like this, if only to justify their existence.
    There was a shift away from E3 about 2 years ago where some publishers didn't even show up and the E3 committee started working on a streamlined E3 convention. All that fell through and last year was business as usual. The fact of the matter is that E3 is huge, just like the Detroit/Tokyo Auto Shows. So big that big media takes note and runs some of the top news from the events. MS may get away with it, but Nintendo/Sony and all the other publishers couldn't. E3 isn't going anywhere IMO and the best time to drop a new console is when everyone is looking.
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  14. #14
    Tiger Shark
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    Some thoughts (just rambling):

    Glad that consoles are going close to 10 years per generation. I've been saying this for a years now, but the jump in technology just adds another layer of polish compared to the previous generation. Current generation games look close to previous generation games only with a bit higher geometry and some shaders. I'd be surprised if the next jump is not even smaller.

    I don't get what Nintendo is thinking with no HDD. Even the 360 surprised me, but that was last generation. The next generation is going to revolve much more around downloading content, imo. They want to kill used games sales, and downloadable games will do this. Prediction: Either MS or Sony will mandate that all games will have be available via download. One or both of them will go download-only in the following generation in another 10 years.

    The 360 is the only current gen console I don't own, but from what I've seen their store looks much better than Sony's. I expect even more third party generated content from MS, like an app store for phones. Sony will probably still lag a bit here, and Nintendo will be even farther behind. Seems to reflect their company cultures to me, for some reason. Cheap ($1, $2) games and even free-to-play seem like a good part of the future of games, and I think MS will excel on this front (pun intended).

    Will be interesting to see how each company will try to distinguish their product from one another.
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  15. #15
    I don't roll on Shabbos! Timman_24's Avatar
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    Yeah, just a wee bit of polish separates these games between generations:



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