AMD Earnings Call Says "New Consoles" Are Launching Later This Year

It should be for NX and PS4k... Nice.

I can't remember the exact details, but a couple of years ago didn't AMD say they were making a chip for a new device "to be revealed in 2016"? I still find it a little hard to believe NX will launch this year, but I guess we have to wait and see

What about the processor in the Playstation VR that's probably AMD and it's definitely coming this year.

Hmm, the I have a feeling the NX might have a lot of competition in late 2016 (if it's launched in 2016 that is), what with the psvr coming in Oct and ps4k most likely happening and MS shooting down rumblings of an Xbone.5 this morning, I don't believe anything MS tries to say for damage control.

Tough, but exciting year ahead.

Ya we all know NX is coming this year. But I've been hearing about a 4k PS4 and XB1 as well which could burst the NX hype bubble.

@llamareborn PSVR doesn't use additional processing power

@SaKo It does have a 'processor unit' according to the tech specs on the Playstation website though

AMD didn't make the processor for the Wii U, its a 3 core powerpc 750. The Latte GPU however , is made by AMD. If Ninty went with AMD for the processor it would have opened the door to much more cross platform games being that the PS4 and XBOX One run the same x86 CPU.

I understand why Nintendo decided against doing this as it would cause headaches in virtual wii and as recent history shows Nintendo ease consumers gradually into new consoles by incorporating the last gen console into the new one so hardware changes cant be too far off the previous generation. This may change with the NX. If CEMU is anything to go by Nintendo can emulate the Wii U using x86, albeit being a huge amount of work.

@llamareborn It doesn't provide any additional GPU or CPU power though.

Yh looks like Nintendo n Sony.

@llamareborn The processor in PSVR is needed for the display. Like others already said, it's not giving any extra power to the PSVR, or PS4 for that matter.

It's actually the opposite: it takes power from the PS4, which is why they are going to release the PS4k. The extra power in this updated version of the console will compensate for that and will deliver all the horsepower that PSVR needs to run smoothly.

Here's hoping the NX uses a custom AMD APU, instead of the usual and separate CPU and GPU.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE The bubble my pop on all consoles soon.

@DinoFett from what i've read, also xbox next. 3 consoles, 3 vr helmets. nevermind the devs leaving e3 this year. it's the year of new hardware.

@davetheshrew there was a follow up rumor after this one that the nx is going to ditch power architecture for x86. hopefully 64 bit but i wouldn't put it past nintendo to stick to 4gb max ram for some ridiculous reason or another. they could still insist on that generational self-inflicted handicap which i really hope they don't do.

People taking about this PS4k and whatever Xbox... were these even confirmed (even though they would be very pricey consoles)? Like seriously... Nintendo is the one that has a console confirmed in development at the moment.

Edit

ok, so I see the "confirmation" but $400... right, most graphics cards to get 4k are nearly that price alone if not more so... right... There has to be some catch.

If this does turn out to be true anyway, my plan was to get a PS4 this year but that may change because why get a PS4 that's weaker when there could be a better one on the way and then having to wait for price drops?

@BAMozzy Sorry to go all Buckaroo Bonzai on you, but do you think he's talking about NX, PS4k, or maybe even both? (If you aren't following NX at all I'll just see you back on PS when Sammy gets around to this. Unless he already did and by crossing dimensions I messed up the timeline?)

@ikki5 I'm in the same boat, been waiting on a PS4 for Uncharted 4, but I don't want to pay $400 for 500GB when the EU is getting 1TB. So now it's on to the wait for Sept 30th, but if PS4k is unveiled at E3, then maybe I'll have to wait until next year? Though I am hoping or a PS4k FFXV bundle Sept 30th so Sony can 1-up Xbox One which is also getting FFXV.

If you want to follow all the PS4k news, here's a sampling:

http://www.pushsquare.com/search?q=PS4k&submit=Go

Oh, and nobody thinks PS4k is getting 4k games, just a 4k blu ray player and some Netflix streaming. Games will still be 1080p.

http://www.inquisitr.com/2666427/ps4-and-xbox-one-netflix-4k-streaming-movie-videos-require-a-xbone-or-playstation-4-update-in-2016/

Going to be a really tough time to launch NX. But it would be an even tougher time to try and sell Wii U. So every time somebody writes - "Now is not a good time for NX"- well it's better than not releasing NX as Wii U disappears. NX needs 4k streaming, but not 4k blu ray as Wii U doesn't even play DVDs.

Maybe Reggie will do a heel turn at E3, RKO the CEOs live on stage and reveal his own console called "Reggie's Box 'o' Tricks", complete with Reggie-vision - which allows all games to be like that weird scene in Being John Malkovich where his face is everywhere.

Or maybe not.

@SaKo The PSVR may not need much power by itself compared to the PS4, however...

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/72133-dual-fiji-arrives-amd-radeon-pro-duo-preview.html

AMD's Fiji architecture, with one of it's debuting graphics cards being comparable to dual R9 Nano's, clearly shows that taking the next step in VR is not immediately going to be a relatively cheap $200-$500 affair. The console comparable VR sets are just going to be cheap junk "for the masses" by comparison to AMD's own flagship VR-oriented GPU's.

Yeah, AMD really snubbed NVIDIA big time by monopolizing the console GPU market! I was a bit surprised to see Microsoft forego NVIDIA with the Xboned... And now AMD is at it again by getting a head start on NVIDIA in the VR market! Their CPU enthusiast market has dropped off a cliff as of late, but they're not letting NVIDIA's meddling with game code stop them!

And yes, AMD is basically telling us that the NX and other VR hardware with AMD GPU's are releasing this year. (Along with their Polaris architecture, which will bring AMD's discrete graphics into the DirectX12 era, and widen the gap further between PC and console hardware.)

Even with the so-called "PS4k" on the horizon, you can't fully utilize the benefits of a 4k display without at least using processors capable of smooth 1440p resolution support, and I don't see an upgrade to the PS4 achieving that, unless it goes back to the $600 price of the original PS3... The consoles seem pretty stuck on even achieving 1080p as it is. There's no benefit to a 4k display over a 1080p display if your processors can't readily handle anything beyond 1080p resolution.

@rjejr This is my first visit to this site but as its part of the 'family' I can comment.

I don't know who Nintendo use for their GPU/CPU's and won't comment about them as its not right for me without any knowledge. I know that both the XB1 and PS4 though use AMD CPU and GPU - both of which are roughly equivalent to 5-6yr old technology.

AMD are bringing out a new GPU and CPU based around Samsungs 14nm FinFET chip. Chips designed on the process be it GPUs or otherwise can reach much higher clock speeds versus 28nm (the chip found in current consoles). 14nm FinFET transistors are also drastically more power efficient than 28nm. Resulting in chips that are not only faster but also consume a lot less power than before.

AMD are due to bring out the Polaris GPU this year (which uses the 14nm chip). According to AMD:- "AMD’s Polaris architecture-based 14nm FinFET GPUs deliver a remarkable generational jump in power efficiency. Polaris-based GPUs are designed for fluid frame rates in graphics, gaming, VR and multimedia applications running on compelling small form-factor thin and light computer designs"

This makes it perfect for consoles. The Polaris is at least as powerful as the R9 290 GPU. This is significant as its the minimum spec GPU required to run VR (like Oculus Rift) headsets. Its goal is also to make that minimum spec a lot more affordable for the masses. The R9 is around $350 and Polaris is likely to be around the $250. Whilst that sounds a lot, we have to remember that that price is 'retail'. Console manufacturers will probably pay 'cost' + up to a $1 per unit if the bulk buy and we know they have a 'relationship' with AMD.

It also has the addition of support for DisplayPort 1.3 and HDMI 2.0a in addition to h.265 decode at up to 4K and encode at 4K and 60 FPS. Whilst I don't think we will AAA games running at 4K on console, we could see a higher than 1080p resolution - maybe 1440p (effectively double the pixel count of 1080p). Just because its not native 4K, you would still get a better picture on 4K TV sets. This is not that 'different' in essence from having games running at 900p on a 1080p TV.

As you know from PushSquare, I can see both the PS4k and possibly NX (like I said I don't know what relationship Nintendo have with AMD) using the Polaris GPU. It certainly fits with the rumoured double the current PS4 GPU and designed with VR very much in mind - something that is important too Sony at the moment. I can see MS using it too and with its UWP/win10 across all platforms, I think they would more likely introduce a 'new' console rather than an 'intermediate' one like Sony appear to be doing. It could theoretically use Oculus for a VR experience too. With that win10/UWP it wouldn't fracture the user base as owners 'could' play any Xbox game and online together - maybe with PC gamers too.

I can't see the current gen of consoles lasting another 2years, let alone another 2years or so beyond that as people 'transition' to Gen 9.

Its certainly going to be an interesting E3 and I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see all console manufacturers talk about their 'next' console - even if they ae denying or refusing to comment on rumours at the moment.

@John_Enigma Nah, APU's cut down on costs, and sound attractive, but it's been proven many times that their real world performance is still extremely inferior to the good old discrete GPU/CPU combo. APU's are still only good for mobile devices, not consoles or PC's.

@BAMozzy Thanks for all of that. PS4k and NX having the exact same GPU would be interesting. And maybe Sony's full-steam-ahead VR support could give Ninteod an in w/ gamers who aren't interested in VR? If Nintendo just focuses on games for TV - and handheld - they may actually get it right this time as I'm not a big fan of VR for gaming myself. Other things yes, just not gaming. I play most of my games couch co-op or vs w/ my wife and kids, how am I ever going to do that w/ VR? All 4 of us sitting around w/ $400 headsets on, that's $1,600.

@BAMozzy Well, the R9 290 is old hat, and even the R9 390 struggles to match the GTX 970's performance at the ~$300 price point, while the R9 380x loses out on efficiency to the GTX 960 to meet the current ~$230-250 price point. For the R9 380x price point's replacement, I think people are hoping more for the power of at least an R9 390 with the efficiency of at least the GTX 960. (Along with the bells and whistles needed to circumvent NVIDIA's current meddling in the game production process through proprietary programs like GameWorks)

@Clownshoes None of the consoles use an APU... They just use plain weak "mass market junk" hardware. Can't expect much performance these days for $250-400, unless the hardware is customized... And we know how the current consoles are veering away from that into semi-custom. Can't blame AMD for the console gaming market's current propensity for trying to force weak PC-like hardware to run new PC games.

@SaKo I think the processor will be an arm processor that tracks head movent and moves the point of view... VR has a lot of very difficult hurdles to overcome.

I hope we see the NX and the PS4K later this year

@PlywoodStick I am not familiar with ALL the nVidia cards, However when put up against the GTX 950 in a public demo, both running Star Wars BF at 1080/60, the Nvidia GTX 950 system used 63-74% more power to deliver the same performance. It has a much better performance per watt ratio.
Whether the R9 290 is 'old hat' or not, its still the minimum standard required for VR and so the Polaris is looking to at least equal if not better that in a more power efficient way. Its also a lot better than the Radeon 7000 series - the basis for the current GPU's in the next gen consoles.

As far as I know, the R9 290x is equivalent to the Geforce 970 as that's the minimum spec required to run Oculus at 2K, 90fps - the minimum target point for Polaris and designed to fit small form devices. Its GPU size is a lot smaller and can have a higher clock speed than equivalent 28nm GPU's.

Its expected to deliver around double the TFLOPs of the current PS4 GPU whilst having a better efficiency. It may not match something like the 980 but considering this is likely to be used in Consoles, its still a fairly large step up. According to bench tests the 14nm FinFet chip delivers a 2.5x perf per watt.

Obviously this speculation as Polaris isn't expected to launch until mid 2016 to the public. Console manufacturers also haven't mentioned any of the 'specs' or in Sony's case even addressed the rumour. A lot of people are putting 2 and 2 together - the rumoured PS4k, the double GPU capabilities, AMD's upcoming Polaris GPU and expected 'price point' and putting it all together. AMD is well known for delivering an affordable solution and theit products do feature in consoles. Pound for Pound AMD do tend to deliver the best. I know the 980 ti maybe 30% faster but its double the cost.

Until we get an official announcement and 'specs' this is pure speculation. Like I said above, I still don't expect 'native' 4K in AAA gaming. I do think it 'could' hit 1440p though which would still require a 4k TV to take advantage of.

Looking at something like the Last of Us or Nathan Drake collection - both of which run at 1080/60, if you double that (because you have double the power), that means 1440/60. If you half the framerate and double the resolution, you could theoretically get 4k/30. Uncharted 4 (and many of this gen games) run at 1080/30 so the best you could expect is 1440/30 and still be playable. You could of course boost the frame rate to get 60fps. Considering a lot of games run at 1080/30 (Division, Dark Souls 3, Witcher 3 etc), these could match the PC standard of 1080/60.

I am sorry this is quite lengthy and barely mentions Nintendo. I haven't owned a Nintendo since the Wii and therefore don't feel I am best placed to discuss them. I am very interested to see the 'NX' and what games it will have.

@rjejr I think if Nintendo do use the Polaris (or something similar), I can see it getting a lot more 3rd Party support and not 'poor' ports either. I could see Nintendo doing something 'unique' - like bringing out a controller that doubles up as a DS/Gameboy. A slot in it to play handheld games on the go and maybe stream these to the big screen or as a controller with touch screen (like the Wii U's).

I could see them expecting higher sales for the PS4.5k or whatever.

They really shouldn't expect more shipments for any Nintendo system at the current moment, given how badly the WiiU sold.

There are Xboner 1.5 rumors too. So, really could be any or all of the 3.

PS 4.5k seems most likely, as I bet that VR does not work well on PS4 and they need more power for optimum performance.

Ugh I wish that Nintendo would use nvidia for their gpu chipsets, but whatever. Unless NX is a handheld I won't bite. I have way too many wiiu games to finish.

@BAMozzy That's fine, I appreciate your input!

Also, there's some interesting potential for the NX if it utilizes AMD's Polaris architecture:

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/71178-amd-polaris-gpu-architecture-preview.html

One of the things stated in the article: "However, at least initially, Polaris will be targeting volume rather than halo markets in an effort to compete in segments where the Radeon Technologies Group feels the largest inroads can be made. This means mid level desktops / all-in-ones, notebooks and even integration into upcoming consoles are all being focused upon over enthusiast-grade wares."

This makes me wonder if Polaris will be used for NX, or perhaps the so-called PS4k. I would be surprised if the NX does, since it would represent a departure from the age-old Gumpei Yokoi adage of "innovation using withered technology." If there is an upgraded PS4 model, then it most likely would use Polaris. Who knows what's going on with Microsoft's XBox division, though, after they ditched NVIDIA.

@PlywoodStick AMD's Polaris s aimed at the mid/lower end with its initial release. Its high end GPU's are likely to be called 'Vega' and expected at the end of 2016/early 2017 with 'Navi' following on in 2018.

Polaris is certainly targeting volume and are hoping that they can achieve this by targeting consoles, laptops/notebooks etc - the most popular sources of gaming and entertainment. According to AMD, very few people have a PC that can meet VR specs or buy graphics cards. Its only a dedicated few (comparatively) who do buy cards. By making Polaris more affordable and available in a wider range of devices, AMD are hoping to capture more than just the gaming market but also anyone who is interested in VR - it does have uses outside of gaming - education, social and no doubt the 'porn' market too.

If you read what the aim of Polaris is - to bring fluid graphics/performance, VR and multi-media to small form devices, and console gaming performance to laptops. This sounds perfect for consoles. Its opting to use Samsung chips and the FinFET architecture means these can be clocked 65% faster or be around 70% more efficient. Obviously if you clock it up, you lose that power efficiency - you can't have both. I expect though, people will find a balance to suit them - Maybe raise the clock speed by 45% and save 20% or so power - That extra processing speed could mean less shaders and therefore less memory bandwidth

This is quite an interesting video explaining how the new architecture and size could be optimised to match a 980 ti or at least a 980 from such a small GPU.

To me it makes sense for Microsoft to drop nVidia. There is no doubt that nVidia are a very big name but pound for pound, there performance isn't the best. Using nVidia could well of added to the overall cost of the console.

I do think that MS could release a 'new' console. With its Win10/UWP focus, a new console is likely to play any Xbox game. The way they are trying to tie all their devices together, I would expect that a new console wouldn't split the user base - 360 games would be playable with 360 and XB1 owners, party chat available across all devices etc. It could even use Oculus Rift as its form of VR too - the XB1 has no chance with its GPU.

It would make sense to use Polaris in the NX and PS4. Its certainly the next generation of GPU's and if Nintendo keep things 'relatively' simple in its architecture, the NX could get 3td Party games in exactly the same way that XB and PS do now. Whether that's important to Nintendo, I don't know. They seem happy to branch off and be more of a 'niche' and individual product rather than trying to compete head-on with MS and Sony.

Obviously the benefits to Sony are clear. Its trying to launch its own VR headset and I do feel its PS4 is unlikely to compete with Oculus because of the hardware. It may be OK for walking Sims, on rails shooters, single enemy sword fighting games, basic puzzlers etc. RIGS is a 'small 3v3 arena' game - static maps and doesn't have big draw distances but I have heard that it does have a bit of movement lag and the frame rate drops - although its still got a few months to optimise it. I can't see it coping with something like CoD's 6v6 (or 9v9) bigger maps. Even if you have little interest in VR, Sony would still like to sell the console to you so adding 4k support will appeal to the growing 4k TV owners. As I said the extra power is still unlikely to run games at 4k but could see games at 1440 - something a 4K TV would see the benefits of.

I don't think MS or Sony had much choice but to release their gen 8 consoles when they did. The gen 7 consoles wouldn't (and haven't lasted) another 2 years but the hardware and technical advancements weren't ready or affordable either. Now they are in another difficult position, struggle for the next couple of years and release their 'next' gen or release a new console and annoy their fans - especially late adopters. I don't know if you own either but its very difficult to see them last 4-5yrs (30months until the next release and 2 years transition afterwards).

Nintendo are in a better position. Its games tend to be first party anyway and the Wii U has been out longer too. Its only 'competing' with its self and created that 'niche'. It appeals to PS an XB owners because its different where as PS and XB are very similar. Maybe by using Polaris it could get a lot of the multi-plat releases and still keep its niche because of the first party software and some innovative and 'unique' feature - typical of Nintendo.

@BAMozzy LOL, somehow I can't get over the idea of demand for VR porn...bahahahaha!

Just under 70 days until E3...
Guess we'll know by then.

@PlywoodStick I watched a BBC3 programme (now on youtube) - the Virtual Reality Virgin although maybe NSFW - 'Tyger Drew-Honey has never really experienced virtual reality. But all that is about to change. With high-spec virtual reality headsets expected to become widely available within the next few months, Tyger explores how they could change everything - from how we meet up with our friends to the way we have sex.'

It does touch on gaming of course but also explores the wider application of VR inc Porn and why that may be a bigger demand for PC owners...

Its certainly an interesting watch. I thought VR may be just a 'gaming' fad - like light guns, dance mats etc but it looks like it could be here to stay this time around because of the wider application.