Sony has contracted AMD to design and fabricate the PlayStation 6’s chip, as a result of firm’s prioritisation of backwards compatibility, it’s claimed.
In response to Reuters sources, AMD landed the contract via a aggressive bidding course of which came about throughout 2022, that eradicated others corresponding to Broadcom and Intel.
AMD additionally created the customized system on a chip (SoC) for PlayStation 5 and the forthcoming PS5 Professional, and in accordance with Reuters, this was a vital level in Sony’s resolution for PlayStation 6.
“Transferring from AMD, which made the PlayStation 5 chip, to Intel would have risked backwards compatibility, which was a topic of debate between Intel and Sony engineers and executives,” the publication claims.
“Guaranteeing backward compatibility with prior variations of the PlayStation would have been expensive and brought engineering assets. Permitting PlayStation customers to play video games they’ve bought for older programs is a function Sony usually consists of in a next-generation system.”
Rival chip maker Intel reportedly met with Sony in 2022, together with conferences between the 2 corporations’ CEOs, dozens of engineers and executives.
A dispute over how a lot revenue Intel would take from every chip offered blocked it from deciding on a value with Sony, it’s claimed.
In response to Reuters’ reporting, an Intel spokesperson stated: “We strongly disagree with this characterization however aren’t going to remark about any present or potential buyer conversations.
“We’ve got a really wholesome buyer pipeline throughout each our product and foundry enterprise, and we’re squarely centered on innovating to fulfill their wants.”
Sony and Broadcom didn’t reply to requests for remark. AMD declined to remark.
In response to paperwork revealed as a part of the courtroom battle over Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition, Sony doesn’t count on to launch its next-gen console till 2028 on the earliest.
