PlayStation 4 Discussion

[AUChase]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

I could justify a $500 purchase, but I just want to miss out on buying a new console and it having issues and spending more time in repair than at my house.

The release of the 360 was just a nightmare for all of my friends who purchase on release.

[rspencer86]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

I could justify a $500 purchase, but I just want to miss out on buying a new console and it having issues and spending more time in repair than at my house.

The release of the 360 was just a nightmare for all of my friends who purchase on release.

That fiasco is the only reason I own a PS3 and will not be looking at the next XBox product. My 360 scratched and ruined a disc, RROD'd within 6 months and then the replacement they sent was DOA as well.

[mestevo]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

I don't see why there's any reason to expect PS2's-style disc read errors or 360-style RRODs out of the gate to happen again, or to expect it to happen to one company over another.

Impacting loyalty though is another thing entirely and completely understandable.

[Skyboxer]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

I don't see why there's any reason to expect PS2's-style disc read errors or 360-style RRODs out of the gate to happen again, or to expect it to happen to one company over another.

Impacting loyalty though is another thing entirely and completely understandable.

Yep. I still have my launch 360 because MS fixed it free after RROD, my PS3 YLOD, had to pay to get fixed so I just sold it as it, my Wii U had a dead video card and Nintendo sent a new one right away no charge. So only Sony was going to charge me despite knowing there were issues with the early models.

Either way I really hope the new systems are better out the gate.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

Yep. I still have my launch 360 because MS fixed it free after RROD, my PS3YLOD, had to pay to get fixed so I just sold it as it, my WiiU had a dead video card and Nintendo sent a new one right away no charge. So only Sony was going to charge me despite knowing there were issues with the early models.

Either way I really hope the new systems are better out the gate.

You mean your Wii right Sky? I remember you having your video card fry out on yours around the same time mine had.

[Skyboxer]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

You mean your Wii right Sky? I remember you having your video card fry out on yours around the same time mine had.

Yeah the Wii. WiiU..So far so good
Fixed the previous post. Just used to adding the U now lol

[Jet Sufferer]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

Yep. I still have my launch 360 because MS fixed it free after RROD, my PS3 YLOD, had to pay to get fixed so I just sold it as it, my Wii U had a dead video card and Nintendo sent a new one right away no charge. So only Sony was going to charge me despite knowing there were issues with the early models.

Either way I really hope the new systems are better out the gate.

All indications are that both new systems aren't going to run nearly as hot as the current ones and heat is the primary reason for the failure rates of the 360 and PS3.

That being said I'll be buying extended warranties for both.

[authentic]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

One thing I'd like to point out is that a lot of websites are saying that Sony said that they were going to release their new console after Microsoft. After reading the quotes a couple times, it clearly says Sony will just wait for Microsoft to make the first move, in terms of announcing specs or system hardware. All Sony is saying is that they will wait until Microsoft announces to announce their console.

I think we'll see an announcement on it, or a teaser and then a press conference about a month before E3. Most reports are saying 'Orbis' is what it's going to be called. As long as Sony can improve their online service, in terms of letting us have cross game chat, and other things that could make the online experience more enjoyable.

To say the least, I am pumped. A new system can not come fast enough for me.

[mestevo]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

IMO, that really was just PR saying they don't expect to be able announce it sooner than MS. Sounds much nicer to say you're letting someone go first, rather than say you aren't ready yourself.

[AUChase]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

At least we still have two companies competing with one another..

I thought it was just a small PR move too. I don't think that means one will be coming out before the other, otherwise we would be at a stalemate.

Competition is good for most any kind of industry, especially entertainment and gaming. We have seen what a lack of competition can do to games, especially with EA Sports..

[Flawless]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

ORBIS Devkits Roadmap/Types

1) R10 boards with special BIOS, running in generic PC’s

2) “Initial 1″ — Early devkit

model number: DVKT-KS000K
SCE-provided PC equipped with R10XX board
Runs Orbis OS
Available July 2012

3) SoC Based Devkit: early version of the ORBIS hardware

Available January 2013

R10 Board (with special BIOS) assemble in a Generic PC

Requires Windows 7 64 bit edition
Recommend
Sandy Bridge (Intel) or Bulldozer (AMD)
Minimum 8 GB RAM (system memory)
650 Watt PSU
VS2010 SP1
DWM (Desktop Windows Manager) must be turned off
Application will use Windows services for everything except GPU interface
SCE will provide “Gnm”, a custom GPU interface

DVKT-KS000K (“Initial 1″)

Runs Orbis OS
CPU: Bulldozer 8-core, 1.6 Ghz
Graphics Card: R10 with special BIOS
RAM: 8 GB (system memory)
BD Drive
HDD: 2.5 ” 160 GB
Network Controller
Custom South Bridge allows access to controller prototypes



SoC Based Devkit

Available January 2013
CPU: 8-core Jaguar
GPU: Liverpool GPU
RAM: unified 8 GB for devkit (4 GB for the retail console)
Subsystem: HDD, Network Controller, BD Drive, Bluetooth Controller, WLAN and HDMI (up to 1980×1080@3D)
Analog Outputs: Audio, Composite Video
Connection to Host: USB 3.0 (targeting over 200 MB/s),
ORBIS Dualshock
Dual Camera


The last devkit is the closer one to the retail console. Expect a machine with these specs or similar to these ones. Obviously, Sony could introduce changes in these features, but don’t expect deep mods.

[24]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Bsnhmf9YDpQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Take on the New PS4 specs plus some information.

[Burns11]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

Yeah, I could only take 14 seconds of that video.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

FXAA creator comments on Orbis, Durango

Interesting blog post from Timothy Lottes:

Working assuming the Eurogamer Article is mostly correct with the exception of maybe exact clocks, amount of memory, and number of enabled cores (all of which could easily change to adapt to yields)....

PS4
The real reason to get excited about a PS4 is what Sony as a company does with the OS and system libraries as a platform, and what this enables 1st party studios to do, when they make PS4-only games. If PS4 has a real-time OS, with a libGCM style low level access to the GPU, then the PS4 1st party games will be years ahead of the PC simply because it opens up what is possible on the GPU. Note this won't happen right away on launch, but once developers tool up for the platform, this will be the case. As a PC guy who knows hardware to the metal, I spend most of my days in frustration knowing damn well what I could do with the hardware, but what I cannot do because Microsoft and IHVs wont provide low-level GPU access in PC APIs. One simple example, drawcalls on PC have easily 10x to 100x the overhead of a console with a libGCM style API....

I could continue here, but I'm not, by now you get the picture, launch titles will likely be DX11 ports, so perhaps not much better than what could be done on PC. However if Sony provides the real-time OS with libGCM v2 for GCN, one or two years out, 1st party devs and Sony's internal teams like the ICE team, will have had long enough to build up tech to really leverage the platform.

I'm excited for what this platform will provide for PS4-only 1st party titles and developers who still have the balls to do a non-portable game this next round....

Xbox720
Working here assuming the Eurogamer Article is close to correct. On this platform I'd be concerned with memory bandwidth. Only DDR3 for system/GPU memory pared with 32MB of "ESRAM" sounds troubling....If this GPU is pre-GCN with a serious performance gap to PS4, then this next Xbox will act like a boat anchor, dragging down the min-spec target for cross-platform next-generation games.

My guess is that the real reason for 8GB of memory is because this box is a DVR which actually runs "Windows" (which requires a GB or two or three of "overhead"), but like Windows RT (Windows on ARM) only exposes a non-desktop UI to the user. There are a bunch of reasons they might ditch the real-time console OS, one being that if they don't provide low level access to developers, that it might enable a faster refresh on backwards compatible hardware. In theory the developer just targets the box like it was a special DX11 "PC" with a few extra changes like hints for surfaces which should go in ESRAM, then on the next refresh hardware, all prior games just get better FPS or resolution or AA. Of course if they do that, then it is just another PC, just lower performance, with all the latency baggage, and lack of low level magic which makes 1st party games stand out and sell the platform.

A fast GDDR5 will be the desired option for developers. All the interesting cases for good anti-aliasing require a large amount of bandwidth and RAM. A tiny 32MB chunk of ESRAM will not fit that need even for forward rendering at 1080p. I think some developers could hit 1080p@60fps with the rumored Orbis specs even with good AA. My personal project is targeting 1080p@60fps with great AA on a 560ti which is a little slower than the rumored Orbis specs. There is no way my engine would hit that target on the rumored 720 specs. Ultimately on Orbis I guess devs target 1080p/30fps (with some motion blur) and leverage the lower latency OS stack and scan out at 60fps (double scan frames) to provide a really great lower-latency experience. Maybe the same title on 720 would render at 720p/30fps, and maybe Microsoft is dedicating a few CPU hardware threads to the GPU driver stack to remove the latency problem (assuming this is a "Windows" OS under the covers).

[Cyros]

Re: PlayStation 4 Discussion

Well that doesn't sound promising for the new Xbox.