Eurogamer: 'Orbis unmasked - What to expect from the next-gen PlayStation'
More rumors and info about the upcoming Sony console.
Eurogamer has prepared a really neat article revaling more 'insider' details about Sony's PS4/Orbis, including hard data on the technology inside the console, and its upcoming Xbox rival...
Gaming website Eurogamer (aka Digital Foundry) just prepared a really comprehensive article about Sony's upcoming console.
Called, "Orbis unmasked: what to expect from the next-gen PlayStation", it details info from "trusted sources" related to the console's Hardware, including its CPU, GPU and RAM, comparing it in the way with the next-gen XBOX console.
Here are the highlights:
• CPU.
Both the next generation PlayStation - and its Xbox competitor - feature eight-core CPUs clocked at 1.6GHz according to sources trusted by Digital Foundry.
The main processor architecture driving both consoles is said to be derived the new "Jaguar" technology currently in development by Intel's arch-rival, AMD. These are low-power processor cores designed for the entry-level laptop and tablet market, offering an excellent ratio between power consumption and performance. The PC Jaguar products are set to ship later this year in a quad-core configuration - next-gen consoles see the core count double with some customisations added to the overall design.
• GPU.
Married to the eight-core processor, Orbis also features Radeon HD graphics hardware. We've previously suggested that AMD's mobile "Pitcairn" design - the Radeon 7970M - could be a strong basis for a next-gen console graphics core in terms of power consumption and die-size. Running at 850MHz and featuring 20 of AMD's "Graphics Core Next" compute units, our information suggests that Orbis shaves off 10 per cent of that number, offering up 18 CUs in total, and sees a mild downclock to 800MHz. Incorporated into a design dedicated to cutting-edge visuals and gameplay, this hardware has some serious potential.
[...]
However, there's a fair amount of "secret sauce" in Orbis and we can disclose details on one of the more interesting additions. Paired up with the eight AMD cores, we find a bespoke GPU-like "Compute" module, designed to ease the burden on certain operations - physics calculations are a good example of traditional CPU work that are often hived off to GPU cores. We're assured that this is bespoke hardware that is not a part of the main graphics pipeline but we remain rather mystified by its standalone inclusion, bearing in mind Compute functions could be run off the main graphics cores and that devs could have the option to utilise that power for additional graphical grunt, if they so chose.
• RAM.
We also have hard data on Orbis's memory set-up. It features 4GB of GDDR5 - the ultra-fast RAM that typically ships with the latest PC graphics cards - with 512MB reserved for the operating system. This is in stark contrast to the much slower DDR3 that Durango will almost certainly ship with. Microsoft looks set to be using an offshoot of eDRAM technology connected to the graphics core to offset the bandwidth issues the use of DDR3 incurs. Volume of RAM is the key element in Durango's favour - there'll be 8GB in total, with a significant amount (two sources we've spoken to suggest 3GB in total) reserved for the OS.
You can read the full article below.
As always, keep in mind all the above are just rumors; however, they actually match perfectly with all the recent leaks floating around the net.
Stay tuned for more in the upcoming weeks/months, as Sony is likely to officially unveil the new Hardware soon.
This is going to flop like the vita if there isn't a decent gaming line up on launch. What about price? what about price on games?
$60 is already the current price for a ps3 game. New gen will be $80? thanks but I'll pass....
Games have almost always been $60, sure I remember most of them being $40 for the PS1 era, but looking back, there's been a lot of 59.99 and 69.99 priced games.
Vita wasn't a flop per say, it has good games, but they're going up against Nintendo, they're the kings of handheld consoles, they've been doing it at least 20 years if not longer.
The main reason the Vita didn't do well really, was the lack of backwards compatability, I can't slap in my UMDs and enjoy them on my Vita, meaning the games I'd really love to see on it (Metal Gear Portable Ops, since I could map the camera controls to the second thumbstick) aren't compatible, and the ones that are that are on my PSN account, I've no desire to play on my Vita.
The DS (and 3DS) launched strong BECAUSE they are backwards Compatible, I mean, I got my DSLite because my GBA SP was dying, and I wanted to be able to play my GBA games and enjoy the DS games that were out, my wife got her 3DS, because it had Kingdom Hearts and she could play her collection of DS games, along with the ones I have.
If the Orbis has PS3 compatibility down good, than it will have a decent launch (assuming the pricing on it is reasonable), there will be people who get one regardless of how big of a starting line up it has, and there will be those like myself who will give it a year or two for the price drop, a larger library of games and to see if it does indeed die.
Prices of games have also been fairly consistent, home consoles in the $60 range, portable consoles in the $40, the only thing that has really gone up in price are the consoles themselves.
I liked the old days. After game magazines were started to be published you did not read about rumors of "next-gen" specifications, but were given a front paged photo of a new console with a run down of games. Specifications of how powerful really didn't "sell" consoles back then - quality games did. Once you saw it you might of wanted it and more then likely played it at a lucky friends house that picked one up before it came out and you were lucky enough to own one console - hence the old Sega vs. Nintendo Drama (side note - Sega now publishes games on Nintendo's systems ). Granted, most kids didn't really know about system architecture or what the specifications really meant, but it always seemed "more" was better. We still had catch phrases like "Blast Processing" that sound cool, but really do not mean a damn thing (think of "viral" - I never click on anything with that moronic term attached to it).
So time went on an numbers started to count; 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit .... then as those stubborn kids who made fun of computer and lovers adopted video games then computers it wen't from not how many bits the processor could handle, but system specifications and eye candy. Hell, more then half of this generator know what a real FPS is or could spot a good game if they saw one; they've been lured by fancy graphics, awfully repetitive game play, nonsense achievements that don't mean anything other they now sit in front of a TV more then they go to a friends, but there is no need for that either - social contact is believed to be using a device that supposed to allow to you talk to someone to send them a text.
Surely in this madness there is some method and low and behold it's "Internet Hype". Do you really believe these leaks (like the 4.xx keys) are really leaks (per definition)? That word is used as an excuse just as the "rumor" word is to get people to start to buzz around a new console. With the advent of mass hyptonica using the Internet I've seen this entire drawn own advertising campaign before. Semi-reliable news sources get rumors from their trusted manipulators, oh sorry, informers, who then start to "leak" (I take a leak with, well, you know) info over the net. The major syndications know this and seldomly post rumors (more so as the official specs are announced). Then the official specs are announced and later down the road at some show we get a glimpse of hardware that, well, is a complete farse (along with most of it's specs) as by the time it hits retailers features have been removed, corners cut and that's not only on the exterior of the console. After time (and not much) most first adopters are left with stuff that doesn't make it over 1.5 years with their precious warranties running out at 1. Of course, we get our selection of cookie cutter games at launch; maybe one worth putting a few hours into. It's much later down the road once we're on our 2nd or 3rd console that the ones of us that know Halo has is nothing in common with a FPS might get a few good games that aren't last years sports engine redressed and re-rosstered, or some new IP (another overused term) that, well, isn't new as it's based on most of the other crap out there or some game that makes you dance around like an idiot or think you're playing a guitar (go pick up a real one buddy).
The fact is in the old days the console never mattered when it came to games; it just so happened to game you like might be on one you did or didn't own, but the Genesis didn't make Sonic - people did. That hasn't changed and that is what should be saught after. Not some 2 terraflop processor that can run Halo #22 in SHDTV, but good God damned games. So you're thinking I'm a bit off? Go into a Gamestop. Go to the wall of games four your PS3, Wii or 360. Would you buy them all? Hell, I'm sure those of you who copy games are picky. This pre-specification release leaks will lead to the real specs which will lead to the real-real specs that will deteriorate over time. My frigging Sega CD still works and of course companies claim "these new technologies are more fragile or what-not", which anyone with common sense would translate to "these new products are pieces of crap that aren't going to make it a year because they are rushed crap made in Taiwan or China.
Sony doesn't care about it's customer base. They lie to you constantly up until the consoles release. Sell you crap hardware, manipulate idiots into purchasing games not worth the crap on my shoes and then when something goes wrong like their entire online network goes down or their hardware breaks they do their best to avoid responsibility and to take things further tell you that you don't even own what you've paid for and then remove features from something you bought. So the PS3 is the last product I have purchased with the words Sony on it and it will be the last. Plus, these "bullshit hype" before more "bullshit hyper" type posts just piss me off.
i'm fine with ps3, thank you very much!
sony can't release a new game console everytime the previous one gets hacked.. ps3 will still be ok for a couple of years!
@brakk3n I ran out of breath reading that post , It wasn't even aloud lol, I agree times have changed , I'm not a 10yr old boy opening a Sega Master System for Christmas anymore , That's why we want a lot more these days its to be expected.
I just don't want to be had over with a console thats underpowered and could of been miles better, It wouldn't matter so much if it wasn't for all console makers saying , ''This console has at least another 4-5 yrs in it''
After playing the same console for 3-4 years thats not what they should have in mind, Onwards and upwards should be the motto , Not wait until we are all old and grey then bring out something hardly better then what we already have, ''Slightly better with Direct X 11'' That's what they should put on the telly for Christmas.
The fact that console makers are holding back on what they put in the machines is making everyone lose, PC Games used to look amazing compared to consoles, And for the last 5 years i haven't seen many that do , Only Metro 2033 maybe another couple , If they have their way this generation where does that leave PC Gamers when no developers want to risk making a PC Only game ?
If this trend continues it will only breed contempt to the industry as a whole , Mark my words.
Last edited by somenutter; 01-21-2013 at 10:31 AM.
@brakk3n I ran out of breath reading that post , It wasn't even aloud lol, I agree times have changed , I'm not a 10yr old boy opening a Sega Master System for Christmas anymore , That's why we want a lot more these days its to be expected.
If this trend continues it will only breed contempt to the industry as a whole , Mark my words.
It seems the less I say the less I'm understood, plus it was like 3 in the AM.
I doubt there will be much unrest. Video gaming is something that most people grow out of; maybe not completely, but enough so to fit into that "casual gamer" category that these smart this and smart that makers coined. It's just greedy corperations trying to squeeze every cent from you. Look at games that come packed with bugs, require you have the Internet to fix the bugs (with DLC) and then there's the DLC that s completely worthless that might of even been on the disc to begin with. Accessories and controllers are as much as games cost which have risen from $20-30 to $60-$80. All these cheesy pre-order bundles that come with extra utterly useless crap. Then there's these very short warranty terms and the friggin companies want you to pay to ship back to them their faulty hardware.
This isn't the case all of the time, but it happens more then it should and the reason I believe it won't get any better is that I've watched the dumbing down of people. It's like they expect to get screwed and just live with it. It's the people who let companies get away with this shit and with the way they are brought up these days it's only going to get worse. Sony & Kodak are on my do-not-buy-list. That's all I can really do as a consumer, but it's not going to stop the hoards of people flocking to overpriced faulty from the get-go hardware.
It's okay; I have my retro games to keep my old ass busy. No need to fuss with most modern crap.
Oh, about the PC. I think you may have missed a few exclusives as at least my beast of a machine makes the PS3's graphical capabilites look like a 8-bit sprite
Eurogamer: 'Orbis unmasked - What to expect from the next-gen PlayStation'
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Originally Posted by Goku1992
). Granted, most kids didn't really know about system architecture or what the specifications really meant, but it always seemed "more" was better. We still had catch phrases like "Blast Processing" that sound cool, but really do not mean a damn thing (think of "viral" - I never click on anything with that moronic term attached to it).
