Predict: The Next Generation Console Tech

[Acert93]

Now an "end of cycle" Xbox upgraded with a TV-card of sorts for recording, etc and in a smaller form factor (when the Xbox CPU/GPU move to 28nm?) sold as a set top box as a cable box solution that does gaming and kinect all in one package, as a separate product, may make sense.

 

[homerdog]

I still like the idea of a SoC with a powerful 2 core 4 thread OoO CPU (Look at the i3-2100. Just look at it!) and a powerful next-gen GPU (Kepler or GCN). Also 4 or 6GB of DDR3 and some EDRAM (or whatever the modern equivalent is) if needed.

Add HDD, BDROM and serve at $300 price point.

 

[Infinisearch]

What are the chances of two GPU's where one is 'crippled' so it only is used to render shadow maps?

 

[Tahir2]

What are the chances of two GPU's where one is 'crippled' so it only is used to render shadow maps?

If your game doesn't use shadow maps then it will go unused. Seems a waste of resources - an entire "crippled" GPU for one rendering technique.

 

[Infinisearch]

If your game doesn't use shadow maps then it will go unused. Seems a waste of resources - an entire "crippled" GPU for one rendering technique.

Stencil Shadows are dead (I think), so shadow maps are all thats left for shadowing. So as long as your game has shadows it should be a win. Lower power then a full gpu, parallelize shadow map rendering with drawing the scene, it could be a big win.

 

[AlNom]

Shadow map rendering is only one part of the rendering pipe. What you're asking for is a tremendously inefficient use of the hardware design budget.

 

[hoho]

Also there is no telling what kind of shadowing techniques will be created in next N years

 

[Teasy]

Why not just make sure the GPU you're using has enough power to do what you need with decent shadows?

 

[Proelite]

The only way the next xbox will have mutliple GPUs is if MS is releasing other gaming devices such as handhelds. They may want to save R&D costs by developing a single scaleable GPU that can be combined for greater power, ala Sony with the GPU in Vita.

The mobile version will have one GPU.
The handheld / tablet might have 4.
The XboxTV version might have 16.
The high end Xbox version might have 32-64.

Even then it's not going to be the traditional multi-GPU setup on PCs.

 

[Heinrich4]

Sorry if was discussed before ...

Is there any possibility to put only 2 GPU with great flexibility programming that could cope with the demands for greater interaction OS (youtube, browser, messenger, downloads, etc) and still manage to do graphic work effectively (at least Radeon levels 6970/7870)?

(I personally still prefer the formula cpu + gpu ... separate ...)

 

[rpg.314]

Putting 2 GPU's when you can have 1 big ass GPU, for lack of a better word, is retarded.

Just ask PC gamers.

 

[TheWretched]

Well... asking PC gamers is a bit... unfair. There's the whole driver and no optimization issue, which wouldn't be the case on consoles.

I think, if 3D really took off, it'd be a "good" way to go, as with 3D (the real one, not reprojection), you effectively double the graphical load on the system and by parallelizing this work load.

 

[AlNom]

It might be a good opportunity for MS to push multithreaded GPU rendering across multiGPU design, but anyways, it seems a bit out there.

 

[Acert93]

I hope 3D dies before next gen launches. Please please please please please ...

Ps- My eyes hate 3D technology. Extra minus for 2x glasses (6 eyes!)

 

[IllusionistK]

New console to be based on the ARM architecture.

MS Nerd continues by stating that "It will use a Zune HD-like hardware platform—a 'main' processor with multiple dedicated assistive cores for graphics, AI, physics, sound, networking, encryption and sensors. It will be custom designed by Microsoft and two partners based on the ARM architecture."

http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/11/07/report-xbox-720-will-be-smaller-cheaper-than-xbox-360#

This does make sense... A many-core chip based on OoOE, Cortex A15 cores.

There's already a 16-core Cortex A15 planned for 28 or 32nm, just in time for Xbox Loop.

There are no power consumption figures for the Cortex A15 just yet but these chips are meant to compete in the tablet, laptop, and low-power sever space.

But what about graphics? Perhaps a cluster of PowerVR6 cores as someone stated a while back?

 

[AlphaWolf]

I hope 3D dies before next gen launches. Please please please please please ...

I hear ya.

 

[TheWretched]

Well... that's quite egoistical of you... I like 3D and wouldn't mind if more games supported it... though, I don't play my PS3 games in 3D, because the lower resolution makes my head spin, too, but on PC, with a full 1080P framebuffer, it's really amazing.

 

[hoho]

The only way the next xbox will have mutliple GPUs is if MS is releasing other gaming devices such as handhelds. They may want to save R&D costs by developing a single scaleable GPU that can be combined for greater power, ala Sony with the GPU in Vita.

The mobile version will have one GPU.
The handheld / tablet might have 4.
The XboxTV version might have 16.
The high end Xbox version might have 32-64.

Even then it's not going to be the traditional multi-GPU setup on PCs.

If you'd replace "GPU" with "Shader block" it would kind of make sense.

 

[BadTB25]

I hope 3D dies before next gen launches. Please please please please please ...

Ps- My eyes hate 3D technology. Extra minus for 2x glasses (6 eyes!)

I'll jump when they eliminate the need for 3D glasses with a good FOV.

 

[Rodéric]

The relief on 3DS looks really nice, but I haven't played with one for any extended period of time, did anyone in here do ?