PSP NEWS!

[jvd]

hmm tech tv is saying 150$ - 250$

 

[Paul]

The 200 dollar doomsayers are in for a shock I'll tell you that much.

Sony will once again be taking a hit on each console sold as they have done with PS2, they will make the money back off the hardware later. This in order to establish a user base.

 

[marconelly!]

As for pixel operations, we'll have to wait longer for info, although I really don't know where people get off expecting complicated combiners or even running full blown fragment programs.

Faf, would you say that according to the specs released so far, and even if the rasterizer functions are no more complex than that in PS2, would PSP allow for say 3 textures per object (base, enviro and specular for example) Does it's fillrate suggest that would be possible or no? I'd be completely satisfied if the hardware would allow for someting like that.

 

[jvd]

The 200 dollar doomsayers are in for a shock I'll tell you that much.

Sony will once again be taking a hit on each console sold as they have done with PS2, they will make the money back off the hardware later. This in order to establish a user base.

What if the 200$ is with a large loss on the handheld ? All that stuff in the psp doesn't come cheap.

 

[Paul]

This isn't a console.

You think PSP is going to cost 300 dollars each to produce? Sure it's cutting edge for a handheld, but that doesn't make it cutting edge.

 

[jvd]

This isn't a console.

You think PSP is going to cost 300 dollars each to produce? Sure it's cutting edge for a handheld, but that doesn't make it cutting edge.

Normaly mobile tech is more expensive than stationary . Example. Modile p4s are more xpensive per clock speed than desktop version.

That is why you normaly see slower hardware in the hand held market. Do to heat , cost and manufacturing problems .

But I don't know how much a psp will cost to make. I doubt you do either. So its best not to shout that they are willing to take a loss on hardware when you don't know what the story is .

I just posted the price tech tv said.

 

[Paul]

Because they *will* take a loss on each one sold, just like they did with PS2 and I'm pretty sure PSX.

And no PSP won't cost 300 dollars each to produce with them taking a 100 dollar hit thus making the price 200.

These people agree with me.

What does all this tell us about the price of the PSP? Not a lot, sadly. It's likely that Sony will continue the "razors and razorblades" approach, for a start - so the full price of manufacturing the unit will never be passed on to the consumer.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=2006

Plus some Sony rep(No link, I'll find later) said that PSP's price will remain competitve to GBA SP's.

Not to mention, PSP is impressive now on paper. But in a year when mass production starts it won't cost as much as it would if you produced it now. A lot happens in a year.

 

[PC-Engine]

My guess is PSP would be sold at $200 because of the optical drive and 4.5" screen. I don't know if that's breaking even or not though. My guess is based on the cheapest Pocket PCs currently on the market and making the necessary cost additions for the optical drive, bigger display, and other various ancillaries like control pad and a fall 04 release.

 

[jvd]

What does all this tell us about the price of the PSP? Not a lot, sadly. It's likely that Sony will continue the "razors and razorblades" approach, for a start - so the full price of manufacturing the unit will never be passed on to the consumer

All that is saying is they think sony is going to take large losses on it like they have in the past. But as you said this isn't a console .

And remain competive can be taken many ways . They could claim that at 300$ because of the extra features and graphical power it is price competive . Its all marketing talk . If that is exactly what they said as you are recalling from memory.

 

[Fafalada]

Faf, would you say that according to the specs released so far, and even if the rasterizer functions are no more complex than that in PS2, would PSP allow for say 3 textures per object (base, enviro and specular for example) Does it's fillrate suggest that would be possible or no? I'd be completely satisfied if the hardware would allow for someting like that.

People have been doing 2-3 passes on stuff with hardware that had 5 times less fillrate and 10times slower triangle setup.
I think people are taking this out of context though - If the rasterizer only supports approximate GS feature set (well TC alone is already going beyond that), you are still looking at a jump that Desktop PCs took 5+Years to make. (1995-2000).
Chap3 per pixel or not, I think that's a big step for portable platform.

 

[jvd]

Faf, would you say that according to the specs released so far, and even if the rasterizer functions are no more complex than that in PS2, would PSP allow for say 3 textures per object (base, enviro and specular for example) Does it's fillrate suggest that would be possible or no? I'd be completely satisfied if the hardware would allow for someting like that.

People have been doing 2-3 passes on stuff with hardware that had 5 times less fillrate and 10times slower triangle setup.
I think people are taking this out of context though - If the rasterizer only supports approximate GS feature set (well TC alone is already going beyond that), you are still looking at a jump that Desktop PCs took 5+Years to make. (1995-2000).
Chap3 per pixel or not, I think that's a big step for portable platform.

You can also arguee that since the desktop pcs already made this leap it would be much easier for the next hardware to make this leap. Most can say that this leap in the handheld market should have happened before . Honestly I've been waiting for this since the dreamcast came out.

 

[notAFanB]

Oh yeay, multitexturing...how does much kewl this PSP doeth it? IIRC, PS2 was pretty crude with it, 1 texture 1 pass ya? That chewed up alot of its available bandwidth wastefully...

nope PS2 had fillrate to burn here. MT was not hte main problem as far as texturing goes here.

My guess is PSP would be sold at $200 because of the optical drive and 4.5" screen

*cough*..suicide..*cough*. marketing toward only one end of the spectrum (High price commodity) isn't going to crush the GBnext IMO.

 

[marconelly!]

Another PSP question:

It has two R4000 333MHz CPUs. Are they both working in paralel as two programmable units, or is one of those R4000's actually what's being referred to as 'media engine' and is non programmable (as stated in the presentation)

Also, what is VFPU? A separate vertex processor, or just a part of the first R4000?

PS2 was pretty crude with it, 1 texture 1 pass ya? That chewed up alot of its available bandwidth wastefully...

The hardware was meant to render multitexturing that way, and it does so very successfully. There are many complex looking 60FPS games on PS2 that use three or more textures on objects.

 

[DeadmeatGA]

...

Are they both working in paralel as two programmable units, or is one of those R4000's actually what's being referred to as 'media engine' and is non programmable (as stated in the presentation)

Media engine must be handling 1/0 stream. Wireless LAN could take up to 40% of CPU time and having its driver run on master CPU could hurt overall system performance, so SCEI put a second processor to deal exclusively with I/O drivers and TCP/IP stacks.

Java compatible cellphones also employee this approach, having separate processors for networking function and application execution function.

Also, what is VFPU?

Vector FPU

A separate vertex processor, or just a part of the first R4000?

Original R4000 had no such unit, it is a Sony add-on.

 

[zidane1strife]

Wow pretty amzing specs(I've been of the net for about a week and 1/2), can't wait to see the games next yr.

I suspected as such... when all is revealed... a low-end g..$f...@f...x... 1/2.... I expect.

DC owned!!!

 

[PC-Engine]

DC = 98
PSP = 04

 

[Almasy]

DC = 98
PSP = 04

But hey, you have to admit that these numbers are very impressive considering this is a handheld. Personally, I was expecting something a little better than PSOne, but this caught me completely off-guard.

 

[PC-Engine]

DC = 98
PSP = 04

But hey, you have to admit that these numbers are very impressive considering this is a handheld. Personally, I was expecting something a little better than PSOne, but this caught me completely off-guard.

Yes the paper specs are pretty impressive today for a handheld. Come fall 2004 it won't be that impressive anymore but still impressive nonetheless. SONY raising the bar is definitely a big benefit to us consumers and it makes me anticipate what the next GBA will be like even more. Come fall 2004 there should be a PowerVR MBX Series 2 available for portable devices. That should be quite interesting.

 

[Ty]

Come fall 2004 there should be a PowerVR MBX Series 2 available for portable devices. That should be quite interesting.

I may have missed this but is series _1_ available?

 

[PC-Engine]

Come fall 2004 there should be a PowerVR MBX Series 2 available for portable devices. That should be quite interesting.

I may have missed this but is series _1_ available?

It's not really called Series 1 per se. It's just the 1st generation of the MBX series. Second generation should be available next year I would think.