Guys Upstairs - Tech

Japanese site PC Watch just released a report today stating that Sony is leaning heavily toward basing the PlayStation 4 on the same cell processor which the PS3 runs on. This is a step away from tradition for Sony, which has pushed the boundaries of processor and hardware for both the PS2 and the PS3. One of the reasons for this decision may be that it would cut down on the price of production as well as the price for the consumer.

The Cell processor has the capability to reach 32 cores based on current technological trends, but redesigning the processor would be expensive enough for Sony to most likely go with around 10-12 cores. The current plan is also for the chip to shrink from 90nm to 45 nm and only a slight increase over the current 3.2 Gz clock speed.

PC Watch reports that Sony could potentially switch to DDR3 memory over the expensive Rambus XDR used in the PS3. The low power DDR3 memory could have a decreased latency if it is coupled to the processor.

While this pushes the expected release date from 2010 to 2011, the good news is that game developers should be able to start working on games for the PS4. The delayed release of quality games for the PS3 could have been what led to at least a sluggish start for the system, something that may be avoided for the PS4.

[Electronista and Gamecyte]