by Anton Shilov
11/01/2012 | 11:00 PM
Sony Computer Entertainment has reportedly started to ship second-generation PlayStation 4 “Orbis” hardware development kits to game designers. The system is mostly based on off-the-shelf personal computer components, confirming that Sony has fundamentally changed the development approach for its consoles.
In total, four generations of next-gen PlayStation development kits are planned, reports VG247 web-site. The first kit was essentially just a graphics card; the second-generation development kit is a modified PC featuring AMD A10 accelerated processing unit as well as graphics card, 8GB or 16GB of RAM and so on; third-generation kit is projected to emerge early next year and will be considerably closer to the final specification of the console; the fourth-generation development kit is expected to be released next summer and will essentially be the PlayStation 4 “Orbis” in flesh.
While no exact details are known about the final specs of the next-gen Sony console, it is reported that it will be based on a derivative from AMD’s Trinity accelerated processing unit. The difference between the PS4/Orbis APU and AMD A10 is not clear. What is evident is that Sony wants to make its next-gen video game system affordable to manufacture and easy to develop for.
The eventual target for the hardware is for it to be able to run 1080p60 games in 3D without problems, which will result a machine that is powerful enough for today and tomorrow’s market. To make the system even more future-proof, earlier it was reported that it would support 4K (3840*2160) ultra high-definition video playback. It is logical to expect Sony to adopt a custom Trinity APU as the central processing unit with heterogeneous processing capabilities and utilize AMD’s next-generation Sea Islands graphics architecture to ensure usage of leading-edge graphics technology when the console hits the market. Such approach not only guarantees that the PS4 will employ the most advanced technologies possible, but also ensures that the manufacturing cost of the system will not be ultra-high.
VG247 reports that game developers expect PlayStation 4 “Orbis” to feature Blu-ray drive, 256GB local storage, WiFi and Ethernet connectivity and HDMI out. The machine is projected to be designed to accept system and product updates in the background, just like modern tablets and smartphones. Essentially, the PS4 will be the always-connected console.
Sony did not comment on the news-story.