Rumour is floating around that Sony will/is abandon it’s self produced Cell processor and considering different options for it’s next gen hardware, playstation 4.
According to Kotaku, citing industry sources, Sony’s next games console won’t have a Cell processor or any possible successor to the CPU that powers the PS3.
The site reports that AMD will be providing the machine’s GPU (graphics card), and speculates that the same firm could get the job of providing the CPU as well – possibly both on a unified unit similar to its existing Fusion architecture.
As the report highlights, this sits in line with a recent Forbes report citing an AMD-produced GPU for the console, which Sony is still yet to even acknowledge is coming.
Sony has refused to comment on ‘rumour and speculation’.
I personally think this rumour is a load of rubbish, Sony isn’t likely to throw away the billions it’s plowed into financing the development of the Cell, especially since it’s just over a year ago that Sony completed a deal with Toshiba to purchase majority ownership of a semiconductor factory that creates the Cell Processor and the RSX graphic chip, it’s more likely that they are looking to integrate the next CPU with it’s future GPU, similar to the Llano chips from AMD.
I think that the Cell makes less sense these days because the GPU can be harnessed for computation, something which wasn’t true when the PS3 was designed. I would still guess that the PS4 will have a PowerPC based CPU and not an x86 based one.
I think that the Cell makes less sense these days because the GPU can be harnessed for computation, something which wasn't true when the PS3 was designed. I would still guess that the PS4 will have a PowerPC based CPU and not an x86 based one.