AMD Console Wins for 2017?

Hum. Let's say for the sake of arguing that Nintendon't did go the Nvidia route. What if the second or third contract is for another Sony system. Yes, a portable system based around AMD's tech. Something that can scale well between PS4/Neo hardwares. I don't think Sony is totally done with portable gaming ...yet.

 

I don't know about a Sony portable, didn't they shut down a few developer shops that used to develop primarily for the PS Vita? If they were going to remain in portable realm, then wouldn't they have kept those dev shops around for the next-gen portable?

So what if it's not 2 Sony design wins but 2 Microsoft design wins? Perhaps a portable Surface Xbox and then an Xbox 1.5 ?

 

what about a slim ps4/xb1?
may work out cheaper to keep performance profile but go polaris etc? Smaller, cooler chips etc. Especially for smaller xb case.
if neo & 1.5 is based on that maybe it would even offset some of the cost.
guess could still be called design win as not just a shrink?

 

I dunno honestly. But I don't believe Sony had/has pulled completely out of the mobile gaming market.

That could be a possibility as well. But wouldn't that be two competing products under the same umbrella (XBOX Gaming Division) with the same hardware guts, same apps/os, just one with an Xbox gaming twist. And if I'm not mistaken, isn't Microsoft new objective is creating a unified ecosystem across PC/Xbox/Surface? The Xbox Surface seems sort of redundant, IMHO. But who knows...

 

The current rumor is that the Polaris 11 chipset in the PS4 Neo is considered (was considered by Sony) to be a cheaper alternative than shrinking the current PS4 chipset. The additional CUs and upped clocks just happend to be a benefit of the cheaper solution. Maybe a smaller or very gimped P10 could be it for the slimmer PS4.

 

Well I was thinking that a Surface Xbox would be a laptop portable style console with original Xbox One specs, perhaps with a boot time option to run Win 10 OS for typical apps with Win10 PC Games or run Xbox Dashboard Shell for Xbox branded games. The Xbox 1.5 would be the new beefier non-portable console that only runs the Xbox Dashboard Shell for Xbox branded games.

Yeah, it's a very muddled proposition area between the two.

I just don't see MS doing a really scaled down portable like a Vita or 3DS that doesn't run games from the exact same code-base as Xbox One.

And yeah, I don't think Sony would completely pull out of mobile gaming, but then again I thought they would have launched a New PS Vita with the launch of PS4 to have better synergy between the two and revamp the dieing Vita eco-system.

 

I can see that. But yeah, somewhat a muddled position on distinguishing them as individual products.

I don't think that was going to happen since Sony was in terrible financial shape during that time frame. Fighting a war on both the console homefront and mobile battlefield would have been too much. Now, Sony is in better shape on taking on more products.

 

between Nintendo and mobile phones, im not sure if Sony wants to deal with the portable market.
vr is probably their focus after ps4.

would a slim that's not just a shrink be considered a design win, seems like it should be?

 

I agree about VR being their next major focus ...but I don't see them opting out of mobile gaming. Sony made money on PSP/Vita, just not at the levels Nintendo does. People always ask why does Microsoft bother with Japan? It's not always about being number one... it's about having a foot in the door and still being able to make a buck within a tough market.

It could. But AMD's conference call was more about its newer technology being in these winning contracts.

 

Why? I think it's a dead end outside of mobile phone gaming. So short of a special gaming device with phone capabilities, I can't see any reason for a PSP3.

 

I see your point ...but I don't see Nintendo going totally unchallenged in this particular sector. What if the PSP3 has more in common with PS4/Neo, where software transitioning between the platforms are far easier to accomplish and doesn't require the whole undertaking of getting support for it.

If I could get PS4 level graphics in a nice 6-8 inch next-gen HD OLED screen - I'll pick one up.

 

Portable VR gaming.

With a lot less cables than the PS Morpheus contraption. The ideal would be a self-contained mobile gaming platform with wireless or a single-wire for video and audio VR head-set.

 

that's what I mean, it's not just a shrink but based on newer tech.
could be some big advantages to going to polaris - 14 finfet, rather than simple shrink, even if keeping same performance profile. In the past may not have been worth it, but some of the design cost could be covered due to neo/1.5.

 

I actually replied to this... lol

https://forum.beyond3d.com/posts/1914277/

 

sorry missed that one lol, one I replied to sounded like you thought conference call was unlikely to mean a slim.

 

That sort of makes sense for Microsoft with the whole "Mobile first, cloud first world" mantra of Satya Nadella, and their synergistic goals for UWP.

That also seems like a call Panos Panay might make.

 

I dont think 3 AMD console wins is confirmed at all. If anybody has proof otherwise, point me to it...

The OP article is just speculation, nowhere does AMD say it, the article writer says it. If AMD said it, then prove it. A transcript, earnings call, etc.

I think AMD just talked about 3 semi custom embedded wins, which could be anything and does not at all have to be gaming consoles. It could be servers for China.

Now, common sense they probably have two console wins out there, Sony's next and MS's next (if we assume an Xbox 1.5 is real and tangible).

My guess is Nvidia does indeed have the NX chip. First it makes sense because of the whole portable aspect. Does AMD even have a chip for phones/tablets etc? Not that I know of. OTOH some variant of the X1/K1 fits perfectly if they want both a handheld and home, however that is supposed to work (I am not sure if NX is supposed to be separate units or the same unit that doubles as a portable, but either way the point stands).

Another very strong point for me is EA's very recent comments. Basically they said they will support the NX if it makes sense. Mind you, this is a console coming out in less than a year. Here's are various possible NX power levels and how I believe EA would react:

1. NX is very powerful, much more than PS4 and something more like PS4K: EA definitely supports without question

2. NX is about as powerful as XB1 and PS4, powerful enough to allow easy ports : EA also almost certainly supports (possible caveat here, if it's not X86, but in that case, it's not AMD anyway)

3. NX is somewhat less powerful than PS4/XB1, ports may be difficult and of lower quality: "we'll support it if it makes sense"

The third case fits perfectly with an Nvidia K1/X1 so, perhaps bandwidth crippled as well, but still quite modern, packing up to a teraflop. etc.

Also, Emily Rogers and her sources are nothing to be scoffed at either. I have less respect for Charlie D, but it does make sense when combined with Emily's rumors.

 

Nvidia X1 is nowhere near xone/PS4. Teraflop is for half-floats.

 

Tegra P1, the one used in Drive PX2 is already taped out. It could be a good base of a semi custom Nintendo SoC

 

The P1 would be a seriously nice choice of chippery.
Feels too good to be true, tbh. But it would provide nvidia with guaranteed volume, that selling boards to car manufacturers would have trouble doing at the time the rumoured deal would have been struck. Interesting speculation.