Predict: The Next Generation Console Tech

I would imagine there would be alot of angry people if the next gen systems are not BC with their PSN and XBOX live purchases. I know I would be.
I know alot of attitudes are that we should just hold onto our current consoles but we should be able to carry our digital purchases forward with each new console purchase and new generation.
What worries me is with the architecture of NGP, sony won't go with CELL next gen.

 

I wonder about the delayed and non-universal release of Games on Demand titles for Xbox Live Marketplace...

 

Doesn't that depend on the outright performance and structure of the next generation architecture? For instance the Cell is 7 SPE + 1 PPE, surely this could be emulated on a PPC7 architecture given they share similar instruction sets because anything that can run on the PPE can be made to run on the SPEs and vice versa, so essentially a far away improved PPE could run everything?

 

I imagine this number is quite small in the overall scheme of things, although they are always a vocal bunch. I'm not spending $500 on a new console to play a few old arcade titles. If the best reason for consumers to buy your new console is because of BC, you've pretty much failed out of the gate.

 

Plus there is always to option of just doing a quick recompile of the games for the new architectures.

Honestly I would love to see a PS4 with more enhance SPE's and something like a quad core i5 replacing the PPE.

 

But with more and more pushing on digital distribution, it should be a given to carry them over to your new system
I buy all console games on disc, but I can imagine those who got them from Games on Demand, as well as those people getting DLC, to get a bit angry if their new system doesn't support them

 

Why should it be a given? The games you downloaded will still be on your old console if you really want to play them.

BC isn't going to make or break a console, if they can offer it easily that's fine, if its going to cost them $10 a box... I personally would rather have the $10. I'm sure the developers would rather you buy a new (improved) version of their game instead of the old one.

 

Somehow, emulating XBLA titles seems rather trivial. Indie games also conform to XNA standards as well.

 

I thought they asked devs which they would prefer:

A. 256mb RAM + all 360's have a hard drive
B. 512mb RAM but hard drive is optional

Dev's decided that option B was better. But maybe i'm remembering wrong...

 

Depending of the silicon budget Sony will allow for their machine, does anyone think a Geforce GTX 560 class of GPU is possible (at 28nm, not 40nm)?

Reading Mark Rein's comments (I know he's the PR guy so you have to take what he said with a grain salt), i can't help but think he made a stealth wish by saying that:

Talking about the part in bold.

 

Why hello thar:

http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=1285469

Posted: March 4, 2011

Physics?

http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=1285472

 

^ Interesting. I guess those rumors of MS shelving their next development can be put to rest.

 

http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=1256144

This one at least sounds like they're not done with 360 revisions... hm...

Xbox 360 Anorexic? :3

I must have missed that one. :s Unless it might have also included another zune?



edit:

The first link above may suggest the next-next generation (the one after the next xbox). I would certainly have expected the next-gen group to have started during this past gen, and not... now.

So perhaps next-gen is already done and they're just waiting for the signal to start manufacturing en-masse. :s Then my question is if they had several designs to cover different starting points in the process tech instead of sticking to a particular performance target and instead looking at the manufacturing side. e.g. if launch process is 40nm, use design A. If 28nm, use scaled up version B.

 

Possibly close enough to that level. The GTX 560 does push the power efficiency curve a little and once you move back down towards a smaller die size you're immediately getting a more power efficient processor for the performance, you can see this somewhat with the Radeon hardware of late which has been smaller but more energy/die efficient than the larger Geforce architectures with other process improvements potentially making up the rest of the difference.

Mainly however it depends on what power budget is deemed appropriate, if they are willing to install a 70-100W GPU theres a decent chance that performance will be available.

 

they will probably want to keep a 128bit bus so it stays cheap, so maybe a smaller version would do for a good console chip?
I'm thinking about a 288SP variant (6 shader clusters)

 

Nevermind, I looked for the rumor and turns out the rumor was for the PS4:

http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2011/02/15/playstation-4-plans-suspended/

 

GOOD!

Epic must have had fingers in this after that GDC presentation

P.S

AL,just so you know you just became famous across internetz with this

 

I think those rumors on both cases (Sony and Microsoft) were total bunk more or less. That article was little more than a speculating author at watch.jp.

I'm sure next gen plans are proceeding apace.

Al is already famous for his pixel counting skills

A no brainer imo. Look at the huge sales spikes both PS3 and 360 got with the introduction of slim models. Then look at Apple and Nintendo with the DS and "hey, buy our different/yearly/improved versions of the same hardware 40 times" strategies.

I was just thinking about the inevitability of the next Xbox slim and what features it may entail the other day. IMO the manufacturer that pushes out a new iteration first may have a lot to gain.

err, arent you shooting absurdly low there? Seems to be a common problem in this thread.

Pretty sure the next gen consoles will include beefy, fairly close to top line GPU's imo.

 

A slimmer XB360, like PSTwo, would help carry XB360+Kinect for another two years, so this doesn't contradict the rumours of a delayed next-gen.

 

Your nosing about has made the online edition of Edge.