Predict: The Next Generation Console Tech

[french toast]

Hypothetically, IMGTEC's new Series 6 / Rogue design comes to my mind:

Well if they were to build their own soc with 8 arm v8 cores and some multi cluster rogue action that would keep the tdp and BOM down wouldn't it?

Not sure it would be the best choice for performance though..

 

[XpiderMX]

They're most likely slated to be AMD "Jaguar" cores.



Yeah, that makes no sense. AMD's last DX 10 GPU's were the 4XXX line.

This "info" from the spanish poster is interesting, but since it is allegedly 2nd hand I cannot give it that much credence.

From a job listing at Microsoft (Rare):

Key Accountabilities
• Understand, assess and be capable of implementing real-time rendering techniques made possible by DirectX 11.
• Identify and evaluate non-interactive rendering trends and our opportunities to move these into the interactive domain in our future titles.
• Implement the above in conjunction with other senior engine architects within the context of an evolving engine.
• Communicate effectively with art vision holders, taking or suggesting direction as required.
• Enable the technical artists to achieve the vision generated by non-interactive pre-visualisation.
• Understand and streamline the activities performed in content-authoring tools that are required in order to generate input data for our rendering runtime.
• Work with our content pipeline and build specialists to optimise the preparation of input data required by our rendering runtime.
• Mentor junior engineers

http://www.microsoft-careers.com/jo...neer-Microsoft-Game-Studios-Rare-Job/2002917/

Why are they requesting knowledges DX11 if Xbox 720 will be DX10?

 

[lefizz]

There's no way in hell 720 will be anything less than Dx11. Fact.

This is MS's chance once every increasingly long cycle to push forward there in house API.

I bet my house it will be at least 11.

Nothing else would make any sense, the GPU will have to be customized whatever so you may as well choose something as modern as possible to tinker with.
Of course it won't be a 200 watt monster but it has to have a modern as possible feature set, if only to compete with Sony. They both have similar thermal and power budget. Best way to get the most from those is to use a modern and efficient architecture.

No one at MS is going to shoot themselves in the foot using a two year old design in something with a 5-7 year lifespan that launches in 18 months

 

[Mianca]

There's no way in hell 720 will be anything less than Dx11. Fact.

This is MS's chance once every increasingly long cycle to push forward there in house API.

I bet my house it will be at least 11.

Well, any DX11/OpenGL 4.2 graphics card should be able to run OpenGL ES 3.0 just fine

It's more of a strategic question, imo. If Microsoft is serious about those "Surface" plans, they may actually want to go for something that's supported by a broad range of next-gen mobile devices as well as "desktop" hardware.

 

[N2O]

Is anyone actual believe next-gen Xbox will use DX10?

 

[SKYSONY]

Is anyone actual believe next-gen Xbox will use DX10?

I don´t. I´ve posted the info, but MS does not want to launch a dated system. It could be not that beast as some people say, but it won´t be underpowered.

 

[lefizz]

Correct.

Whatever MS plans are for services they can sell via the next Xbox it has to satisfy the current userbase first and foremost

 

[Arwin]

It is a decidedly PC gamer notion that the 'class' of new Xbox hardware has anything to do with the DirectX version it will ship with, I think. The new Xbox could have DirectX10 'hardware' but would still ship with the latest DirectX, which would very likely be 12.

People who equate hardware to an abstraction layer seem to be forgetting that some of the stuff you can do in 'DirectX11' you could do on this gen consoles in 2006.

 

[Kaotik]

People who equate hardware to an abstraction layer seem to be forgetting that some of the stuff you can do in 'DirectX11' you could do on this gen consoles in 2006.

Only on XB360, though, no?
And that's largely due the fact that that particular chip was "completely custom design for XB360, not based on off-the-shelf part customization"

 

[Arwin]

Only on XB360, though, no?

Well, IF the PS3 had run DirectX, it would have been very much the same story, perhaps even more so. Everyone would refer to the RSX in the PS3 chip as DirectX9 hardware, but obviously that's quite irrelevant. Which is my point, and which is why:

And that's largely due the fact that that particular chip was "completely custom design for XB360, not based on off-the-shelf part customization"

... is also potentially equally irrelevant. First of all, why would you expect anything different this time, and second, hardware and software abstraction layer are two different things, and will remain two different things on consoles for the foreseeable future. the 360 is a fixed platform, and it pays to repurpose existing hardware capacity, whether it is on the CPU or GPU, for work that would or wouldn't be exposed in current or future revisions of abstraction layers.

 

[N2O]

It is a decidedly PC gamer notion that the 'class' of new Xbox hardware has anything to do with the DirectX version it will ship with, I think. The new Xbox could have DirectX10 'hardware' but would still ship with the latest DirectX, which would very likely be 12.

People who equate hardware to an abstraction layer seem to be forgetting that some of the stuff you can do in 'DirectX11' you could do on this gen consoles in 2006.

But they won't

DirectX 11 hardware already exists long time,whatever it's beast,meh,or crap power level,they don't have any reason to choose DirectX 10 hardware,and i can sure they won't

 

[upnorthsox]

But they won't

DirectX 11 hardware already exists long time,whatever it's beast,meh,or crap power level,they don't have any reason to choose DirectX 10 hardware,and i can sure they won't

What's DirectX 11 hardware? I don't mean some gpu nomenclature, I mean specific hardware requirements unique to DirectX 11 that cannot be done in software.

 

[Pete]

Sorry if this is old news, but does this support the rumors that PS4 switched to Jaguar cores?

Based on the information released by AMD, the Jaguar low-power micro-architecture will support a set of instructions found in high-performance Bulldozer/Piledriver sores, including SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AES, PCLMUL, AVX, BMI, F16C as well as MOVBE.

 

[Kaotik]

What's DirectX 11 hardware? I don't mean some gpu nomenclature, I mean specific hardware requirements unique to DirectX 11 that cannot be done in software.

There's probably nothing, ever, that can't be done in software. It's just a matter of it being ridicilously slow

 

[SKYSONY]

Sorry if this is old news, but does this support the rumors that PS4 switched to Jaguar cores?

Why should it support the rumors?

 

[IllusionistK]

Two Executives Depart AMD for Rivals

As some of you guys pointed out previously, PS4 GPU is likely not set in stone, yet.

AMD has lost two high ranking executives to rivals: Bob Feldstein, who oversaw the company’s relationship with console manufactures departed for NVIDIA, while AMD’s man in the Asia Pacific, Ben Williams, has left for Calxeda.

Mr. Feldstein, who came to AMD when the company acquired ATI, has taken up the position of vice president of technology licensing at NVIDIA. Mr. Felstein is largely credited with getting AMD’s Radeon GPUs in the next-generation Xbox and Playstation — which is seen as quite the coup against NVIDIA.

Anonymous sources quoted in a Dow Jones newswire report caution that the Playstation 3 GPU contract is apparently not finalized.

Source

The article says PS3, but they're obviously referring to the PS4.

 

[Rangers]

Think it's getting too late to change if they want to launch in 2013.

Plus BG seems pretty sure of his "target specs".

 

[SedentaryJourney]

Assuming there are still several active bids to supply components for PS4, what would you consider the deadline for finalizing the hardware if they plan for an early 2014 launch? Essentially what is the minimum amount of time to go from a final hardware spec to launch.

 

[N2O]

What's DirectX 11 hardware? I don't mean some gpu nomenclature, I mean specific hardware requirements unique to DirectX 11 that cannot be done in software.

Yeah so why quote me?i didn't quote you

 

[upnorthsox]

Assuming there are still several active bids to supply components for PS4, what would you consider the deadline for finalizing the hardware if they plan for an early 2014 launch? Essentially what is the minimum amount of time to go from a final hardware spec to launch.

Let's count back. To launch in November '13, at a minimum you'd need to have your production run started in July or 12 months from now. 8 weeks minimum from tapeout plus a respin buffer of 4-6 weeks puts you into March for delivery to the foundry of final design. 3 months minimum of testing on proposed final puts you into Dec of this yr. Another 8 weeks for your test/sample run puts you into October this yr for spec lockdown. That imo is minimum and I'm probably being overly optimistic.

What could NVidia possibly do between now and October to change the game? For one, they'd need to have a total solution already ready to go. That means they've footed the R&D bill for the design just to get in the game. IMO it would have to be a game changer too. A quicky 660 variant ain't going to change anyones mind at this point, it would have to be a truly innovative design. Something that AMD can't or isn't offering.
Regardless of what NVidia could do, IMO something would have to be going seriously wrong with AMD for them to consider switching, whether it be a design or relationship issue. Other than Sony being concerned that AMD won't survive the coming gen though, I don't see it.