PlayStation 4 gets IBM Power7-chip

[dutchconsolefreak]

According to the website FGN Online, the architecture of IBM POWER7 is used in the PlayStation 4.
The PlayStation 4 would be 200 GFlops, ten times as fast as the PlayStation 3.

We can officially reveal in this world exclusive that SCEI has officially chosen IBM's currently in development POWER7 architecture for it's PlayStation 4 system, currently scheduled for a 2012 worldwide release.

IBM shall debut POWER7 for the server market in the summer of 2010. The PlayStation 4 shall use a cost effective version of the architecture custom designed for Sony's specific needs.

The only information FGNOnline currently has available regarding specifications and performance is that the PS4 implementation of the chip shall use 6-8 cores, 24-32MB shared L3 Cache, Quad threading per core, and a double precision performance approaching 200GFLOPS.

The CELL chip which powers the PS3 is capable of 15 double precision GFLOPS. This would give the PS4 a performance leap of over 10 fold over it's predecessor.

Interestingly, the primary reason IBM cancelled development on the CELL based PoweXcell 8i is because of SCEI's change of stance. The company wanted to move away from the exotic architecture employed for the PS3 to a more traditional architecture favored by third party developers.

As displayed by it's choice of processors, the server based POWER7 and the TBDR based PowerVR 6, SCEI once again has sights set for performance leadership in the next round.

source: http://fgnonline.webs.com/


In 2012/13 the PS3 would be 6 years on the market, about same amount of time the PS2 replaced the PS1.
What do you think, could there be any truth in this story?

[Borman]

It makes sense, at least a continued IBM partnership. And 2012 wouldnt be too terribly either, 2 good years left, while the beginning of 2012 becomes a mess of 'Delayed for Next-Gen'.

[Alchy]

Waste of time speculating. The site is only trying to get hits.

[Taucias]

PowerVR 6?

[ASSEMbler]

Next playstation is going to suck balls if psp go is any sign of their business method. It probably won't even have physical media.

[CrAzY]

Physical Media is the only way to go. The PSP Go Blows.

[Taucias]

Apparently Logitech are developing a UMD drive for the PSP GO, which will also work on the PS3.

[microsnakey]

Didn't sony want to have a 10 year life cycle with the ps3. Seems a bit early to me.
And it will still be blu ray in it
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[ave]

The specs sound good, but as said: If there's no physical media involved, Sony's gonna suck ass. At least I won't buy it then, mind you.

BTW: Am I the only one who feels that this is too early in relation to the amount of "good games" that have been released for the PS3 up to now? When the PS3 came out, I felt like the PS2 had got everything possible in its lifespan, God of War 1+2 being the last real benchmark titles. The PS3 though still has a lot of potential power to show and so far there were only very few massive blockbuster titles, rather opposite to the PS2 in 2004 when it was one hell of a software monster.

[Barc0de]

2012 seems very optimistic =p

[Taucias]

Why so? It's 2 years away.

[Alchy]

So some tiny unknown website comes along with absolutely no proof to back up their claims and expects us to believe that they have a definitive release date for the PS4

Why are we having this conversation?

[Barc0de]

2 years for ironing out, testing, libraries, coding and most importantly, games is a tad short for a prepared launch I believe, don't you?

[Taucias]

Well, no, because the leak is not the instant Sony started the development of the system. It probably has been in the works for at least a year already.

I don't think the GPU will be Power VR, though the PSP2 is supposed to have a VR5 variant.

[1080Peter]

Didn't sony want to have a 10 year life cycle with the ps3. Seems a bit early to me.
And it will still be blu ray in it
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10 year life cycle means it can still run alongside whatever the new hardware console is.

PS2 still seeing games almost 10 years later while the PS3 is currently out.

[Johnny]

I don't believe it's nowhere near.

One thing is R&D. Another is a finished product, dev kits, as so on. Plus the PS3 is finally gaining more market.

I don't see it being launched before 2015.

[A. Snow]

A late 2012 release doesn't seem out of the question.

Apparently Logitech are developing a UMD drive for the PSP GO, which will also work on the PS3.

I haven't heard anything about compatibility with the PS3 but I hope it's true.

[Taucias]

I don't believe it's nowhere near.

One thing is R&D. Another is a finished product, dev kits, as so on. Plus the PS3 is finally gaining more market.

I don't see it being launched before 2015.

Alpha Dev kits could begin on a Power7 server hardware.

[andoba]

Playstation 4? Lol, what, but the PS3 just came out!

[Taucias]

It's over 3 years old now.