I leave it to the mods, if this thread passes muster, to consider a sticky status. Obviously this material can change at any time as we get closer to system launches.
I think the forthcoming E3 is really going to be where we see a lot of light shed, especially on the Xbox 2, since it's probably going to be the first next generation system out of the gate.
I strive to be factual and precise in my language, and not to make unsupported assertions. To that end - and to encourage and aid others on the board to do the same - I am attempting to compile all known information about the next-gen consoles in a single, easily accessible thread.
Information will be split up by platform. Within each platform there will be another split, between facts, speculation, and uncertain.
The "Facts" section will be comprised only of information gleaned from a documented, named, official source. Speculation is self-explanatory. Uncertain is information that I haven't placed yet, probably because my memory is hazy and I need to double-check the statement. Handhelds will not be covered, mostly since they've already been released.
For the moment, I'm not always citing sources, but I'll get to it when I can. A lot of this, I'm counting on people who are already interested in the subject to be familliar enough with the material.
I'm well aware that I'll miss things, quite possibly things that are extremely obvious; if you have information to add, please post it and I'll put it in the main list on the front page. If you have a fact to add, please cite and link a documented, named, official source or general press release.
Sorted by availible information on hand:
ALL CREDIT GOES TO GAMESPOT.COM for this information!
"Xbox 360
Expected launch: November 2005* EB Games and other retailers list materials in the second week of November, but still subject to change.
Microsoft's second-generation video game console features a multicore 3.2GHz IBM PowerPC-based CPU, a custom ATI graphics chip, and multichannel surround sound. The unit has wireless controllers and offers 720p and 1080i support for all games. The system is Wi-Fi ready and has a detachable 20GB hard drive.
Xbox 360 specs:
Controller 2.4GHz Wireless
Weight 7.7 lbs.
Form Factor Console
Dimensions (WxDxH) 12.15 in x 3.27 in x 10.15 in
Graphics Processor and Memory
Embedded Video Memory 10MB
Graphics Processor Custom ATI Processor
Graphics Core Clock Speed 500MHz
System Memory 512MB UMA (Shared with GPU)
Vector Units 1 VMX-128 unit per core (3 total)
CPU Math Performance 9 Billion Dot Product Operations per Second
System Memory Bandwith 22.4GB/s, 256GB/s to EDRAM
Memory Architecture Unified Memory Architecture
Shaders 48-way Parallel Floating Point Dynamically-Scheduled, 48 billion Operations/s
Video Memory 512MB UMA (Shared with CPU)
Fill Rate (pixels) 16 Gigasamples/s using 4X MSAA
Fill Rate (triangles) 500 Million/s
Product Identification
Manufacturer Microsoft
Product Line Microsoft Xbox 360
Video Output
Resolution 480p, 480i, 720p, 1080i
Expansion and Connectivity
Digital Media Formats DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD
Game Media Format Dual-Layer DVD-ROM
Other I/O Connectors 3 USB 2.0, 2 Memory Slots, Ethernet Port (RJ45)
Controller Ports Supports up to 4 Controllers
Plug and Play Storage 20GB Removable Hard Drive
Standard AV Output Connectors n/a
Integrated Communications 802.11 A/B/G Wi-Fi ready, adapter not included
Processor
Processor Core Spec 3 Cores, 2 hardware threads per core
Marketing Performance Measurement 1 TFLOP
Processor Clock Speed 3.2GHz
L2 Cache 1MB
Processor Custom IBM PowerPC CPU
Integrated Devices
Built-in Features Backward Compatible with Xbox (limited), Stands Vertically or Horizontally, Interchangable Face Plates, Xbox Live Service, Media Center Extender
Nintendo Revolution
Nintendo Revolution specs:
Expected launch: Q2, Q3 2006.
Quote:
General
Controller Wireless
Form Factor Game console
Flash Memory 512MB (SD Card Expandable)
Graphics Processor and Memory
Graphics Processor ATI "Hollywood" GPU
Product Identification
Manufacturer Nintendo
Product Line Nintendo Revolution
Expansion and Connectivity
Game Media Format 12-centimeter optical discs
Other I/O Connectors 2 x USB 2.0, SD Card Slot
Processor
Processor IBM "Broadway" CPU
Integrated Devices
Built-in Features Stands Vertically or Horizontally, Backwards Compatible, Downloadable Games
Storage
Media Drive 12-centimeter optical discs , 3" disc, 1.5GB, Matsushita
* Expected to be able to play all of Nintendo gaming library from the past via Internet connection.
Sony PlayStation 3
Expected launch: Spring 2006.
The PlayStation 3 will sport some hefty multimedia features, such as video chat, internet access, digital photo viewing, digital audio and video. Sony Computer Entertainment head Ken Kutaragi introduced it as a "Super computer for computer entertainment."
General
Controller Bluetooth Wireless
Form Factor Console
Graphics Processor and Memory
Embedded Video Memory 0MB
Graphics Processor RSX "Reality Synthesizer"
Graphics Core Clock Speed 550MHz
System Memory 256MB XDR
Vector Units 1 VMX vector unit per core
System Memory Bandwith 22.4GB/s, RSX 20GB/s (write)/15GB/s (read), SB 2.5GB/s (write)/ 2.5GB/s (read)
Shaders 100 Billion Shader Operations/s
Video Memory 256MB
Product Identification
Manufacturer Sony
Product Line Sony PlayStation 3
Video Output
Resolution 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Digital Media Formats Compatible with CR-ROM, CDR+W, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R
Game Media Format Blu-ray BD-ROM
Other I/O Connectors Ethernet (RJ45), 6 USB 2.0, CF Slot (Type I, II), SD Slot (Regular, Compact), Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, 1 x Optical Audio
Controller Ports Supports up to 7 Bluetooth Controllers
Plug and Play Storage 2.5in Removable Hard Drive (Unkown Size)
Standard AV Output Connectors 2 x HDMI, 1 x AV
Integrated Communications 802.11 B/G Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0
Processor
Processor Core Spec 1 Core, 7 x SPE 3.2GHz (256KB SRAM per SPE), 7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
Marketing Performance Measurement 2.18 TFLOPs
Processor Clock Speed 3.2GHz
L2 Cache 512KB L2 cache, 256KB per SPE
Processor Cell processor
Integrated Devices
Built-in Features Backward Compatible with PlayStation 2, Stands Vertically or Horizontally
System Memory
Memory Bandwidth 25.6GB/s main memory bandwidth, 22.4GB/s video memory bandwidth
Storage
Media Drive Blue-Ray BD-ROM
Audio
Surround Sound Multichannel Output (software driven)"
-Courtesy of Gamespot.com
I think the forthcoming E3 is really going to be where we see a lot of light shed, especially on the Xbox 2, since it's probably going to be the first next generation system out of the gate.
I strive to be factual and precise in my language, and not to make unsupported assertions. To that end - and to encourage and aid others on the board to do the same - I am attempting to compile all known information about the next-gen consoles in a single, easily accessible thread.
Information will be split up by platform. Within each platform there will be another split, between facts, speculation, and uncertain.
The "Facts" section will be comprised only of information gleaned from a documented, named, official source. Speculation is self-explanatory. Uncertain is information that I haven't placed yet, probably because my memory is hazy and I need to double-check the statement. Handhelds will not be covered, mostly since they've already been released.
For the moment, I'm not always citing sources, but I'll get to it when I can. A lot of this, I'm counting on people who are already interested in the subject to be familliar enough with the material.
I'm well aware that I'll miss things, quite possibly things that are extremely obvious; if you have information to add, please post it and I'll put it in the main list on the front page. If you have a fact to add, please cite and link a documented, named, official source or general press release.
Sorted by availible information on hand:
ALL CREDIT GOES TO GAMESPOT.COM for this information!
"Xbox 360
Expected launch: November 2005* EB Games and other retailers list materials in the second week of November, but still subject to change.
Microsoft's second-generation video game console features a multicore 3.2GHz IBM PowerPC-based CPU, a custom ATI graphics chip, and multichannel surround sound. The unit has wireless controllers and offers 720p and 1080i support for all games. The system is Wi-Fi ready and has a detachable 20GB hard drive.
Xbox 360 specs:
Controller 2.4GHz Wireless
Weight 7.7 lbs.
Form Factor Console
Dimensions (WxDxH) 12.15 in x 3.27 in x 10.15 in
Graphics Processor and Memory
Embedded Video Memory 10MB
Graphics Processor Custom ATI Processor
Graphics Core Clock Speed 500MHz
System Memory 512MB UMA (Shared with GPU)
Vector Units 1 VMX-128 unit per core (3 total)
CPU Math Performance 9 Billion Dot Product Operations per Second
System Memory Bandwith 22.4GB/s, 256GB/s to EDRAM
Memory Architecture Unified Memory Architecture
Shaders 48-way Parallel Floating Point Dynamically-Scheduled, 48 billion Operations/s
Video Memory 512MB UMA (Shared with CPU)
Fill Rate (pixels) 16 Gigasamples/s using 4X MSAA
Fill Rate (triangles) 500 Million/s
Product Identification
Manufacturer Microsoft
Product Line Microsoft Xbox 360
Video Output
Resolution 480p, 480i, 720p, 1080i
Expansion and Connectivity
Digital Media Formats DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD
Game Media Format Dual-Layer DVD-ROM
Other I/O Connectors 3 USB 2.0, 2 Memory Slots, Ethernet Port (RJ45)
Controller Ports Supports up to 4 Controllers
Plug and Play Storage 20GB Removable Hard Drive
Standard AV Output Connectors n/a
Integrated Communications 802.11 A/B/G Wi-Fi ready, adapter not included
Processor
Processor Core Spec 3 Cores, 2 hardware threads per core
Marketing Performance Measurement 1 TFLOP
Processor Clock Speed 3.2GHz
L2 Cache 1MB
Processor Custom IBM PowerPC CPU
Integrated Devices
Built-in Features Backward Compatible with Xbox (limited), Stands Vertically or Horizontally, Interchangable Face Plates, Xbox Live Service, Media Center Extender
Nintendo Revolution
Nintendo Revolution specs:
Expected launch: Q2, Q3 2006.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nintendo By Nintendo We're throwing open the doors of gaming to wider audiences, from casual players to hard-core gamers who live for the thrill of defeating an endless army of wireless opponents. |
General
Controller Wireless
Form Factor Game console
Flash Memory 512MB (SD Card Expandable)
Graphics Processor and Memory
Graphics Processor ATI "Hollywood" GPU
Product Identification
Manufacturer Nintendo
Product Line Nintendo Revolution
Expansion and Connectivity
Game Media Format 12-centimeter optical discs
Other I/O Connectors 2 x USB 2.0, SD Card Slot
Processor
Processor IBM "Broadway" CPU
Integrated Devices
Built-in Features Stands Vertically or Horizontally, Backwards Compatible, Downloadable Games
Storage
Media Drive 12-centimeter optical discs , 3" disc, 1.5GB, Matsushita
* Expected to be able to play all of Nintendo gaming library from the past via Internet connection.
Sony PlayStation 3
Expected launch: Spring 2006.
The PlayStation 3 will sport some hefty multimedia features, such as video chat, internet access, digital photo viewing, digital audio and video. Sony Computer Entertainment head Ken Kutaragi introduced it as a "Super computer for computer entertainment."
General
Controller Bluetooth Wireless
Form Factor Console
Graphics Processor and Memory
Embedded Video Memory 0MB
Graphics Processor RSX "Reality Synthesizer"
Graphics Core Clock Speed 550MHz
System Memory 256MB XDR
Vector Units 1 VMX vector unit per core
System Memory Bandwith 22.4GB/s, RSX 20GB/s (write)/15GB/s (read), SB 2.5GB/s (write)/ 2.5GB/s (read)
Shaders 100 Billion Shader Operations/s
Video Memory 256MB
Product Identification
Manufacturer Sony
Product Line Sony PlayStation 3
Video Output
Resolution 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Digital Media Formats Compatible with CR-ROM, CDR+W, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R
Game Media Format Blu-ray BD-ROM
Other I/O Connectors Ethernet (RJ45), 6 USB 2.0, CF Slot (Type I, II), SD Slot (Regular, Compact), Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, 1 x Optical Audio
Controller Ports Supports up to 7 Bluetooth Controllers
Plug and Play Storage 2.5in Removable Hard Drive (Unkown Size)
Standard AV Output Connectors 2 x HDMI, 1 x AV
Integrated Communications 802.11 B/G Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0
Processor
Processor Core Spec 1 Core, 7 x SPE 3.2GHz (256KB SRAM per SPE), 7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
Marketing Performance Measurement 2.18 TFLOPs
Processor Clock Speed 3.2GHz
L2 Cache 512KB L2 cache, 256KB per SPE
Processor Cell processor
Integrated Devices
Built-in Features Backward Compatible with PlayStation 2, Stands Vertically or Horizontally
System Memory
Memory Bandwidth 25.6GB/s main memory bandwidth, 22.4GB/s video memory bandwidth
Storage
Media Drive Blue-Ray BD-ROM
Audio
Surround Sound Multichannel Output (software driven)"
-Courtesy of Gamespot.com