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PS3 getting 45nm chips mid-year

February 10, 2009 in News comments 25

For whatever reason companies and corporations tend not to talk about newer models of their consoles, perhaps to prevent people from holding off in the early days of its lifecycle.

Despite this, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's president David Reeves decided to speak recently about the new 45nm Cell chips going in the PlayStation 3, also making light of some gamer's distaste for the cost the Blu-ray drive incurs.

“We're always looking at ways to reduce costs, replacing the current 65 nanometre Cell chip with a 45 nanometre one probably in middle of year. But will it be anything as off-strategy as releasing a PS3 with a DVD rather than a Blu-ray drive? I doubt it.”

The change could be a very important one. On the one hand, it means that the manufacturing price for the console might be going down as 2009 progresses. On the other hand, the power consumed by the PlayStation 3 will be reduced, as will the heat it generates. The PS3 is already a much quieter machine than the Xbox 360 and this could prove an advantage, especially amongst the consumers who are thinking about using the console for something other than gaming, like watching movies.
chautemoc via news.softpedia.com »
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Most recently commented on by on Feb 11, 2009

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  • 1
    Jeterocks Feb 10, 09
    uhhh, why would ANYONE ever think that Sony would release a PS3 without a blu-ray drive...Every game made for the system is on a blu-ray disk...

    Anyone with half a brain would be able to realize that launching a new skew without the inclusion of a blu-ray drive would mean the system would not be able to play any PS3 game. It would essentially be a PS2 with a new shell...
    • 0
      PacoDG Feb 10, 09
      You do realize that they would stop making the games on blu-ray discs.. right? They wouldn't continue to use that technology if it was absent from the machine.

      Re-release older titles via downloads or on DVD discs and bam, problem of overpricing solved easily.

      Blu-ray is not necessary, but its okay if Sony wants to continue to push it on people as though they need it.
      • 2
        Jeterocks Feb 10, 09
        wow...I just wrote a nicely detailed response to you...went to hit post comment and misclicked on The Legacy's name and lost it...that sure sucks.

        Anyway -- over priced? The system has NEVER been overpriced. It may of been out of the price range for some people, but the System its self has always been a "bargain" in terms of what it delivers.

        Here is the problem...Before the PS3 was announced, people begged sony for something Next Gen. Something that would provide a new level to their home entertainment. Something that nothing else had. Sony did what they were asked and provided us with an all in one system. It has a brand new processor -- blu-ray built in to every system -- hdmi out of every system -- wifi built in -- and internet browser too. Just about everything someone could want.

        They launch the system and then people bitch and moan that it is "overpriced". What did people expect! All of that in a $300 piece of machinery? People wanted something that would be a true next generation machine. Sony delivered by providing next generation technology...at which people complain because the price didn't fit what they thought...

        sony couldn't win with the PS3 because the general public wouldn't let it...Sony did what they believed would satisfy the consumer. the only problem with that is the consumer didn't want to be satisfied by Sony.
      • 1
        Ameer Feb 10, 09
        Yes it is.

        Many games utilise the space that the Blu-Ray disc allows. The average internet connection speed globally is simply too slow to accommodate large game downloads. The average PS3 HDD is too small to store many full-sized games at all. And of course, the logistical nightmare of trying to show a consumer the difference between a DVD PS3 game and a non-compatible BD PS3 game.....

        I think it's clear you didn't think that comment through.
        • 0
          PacoDG Feb 11, 09
          Games utilize that space because it is available to them. If it wasn't available, then developers would learn to compress file sizes better and/or use multiple discs.

          No one is connecting to the Playstation Network on dial up, if a person can play online games, they are able to download full games. Hard drives are cheaper therefore they could sell the new, blu-ray-less PS3's with 500gb hard drives.

          Obviously everything I'm typing is not only hypothetical, but out of the bounds of commercial reality.. BUT... not impossible to do as many seem to think (this is not the first time this has been brought up).
        • 1
          Ameer Feb 11, 09
          I'm not saying it's impossible, but humouring the idea that such a drastic switch is going to happen midway through this console generation is absurdity.
        • 0
          PacoDG Feb 11, 09
          According to Sony's plan of the PS3 having a ten year life cycle, they are just barely over the two year mark, if they do a change (which I know they won't), it wouldn't be a bad plan to do it now. I don't think the idea itself is absurd in the least, just the possibility of it happening is absurd.

          Also, let us melt down all guns to end war (also, not going to happen, but still a good idea )
      • 1
        Jeterocks Feb 11, 09
        Paco, you have a very...very idealistic mind. Sure, many people have broadband now. That doesn't mean many people have the download speed though to download 10-50 gig games though without it taking days. When we are all able to download 1 gig a second or something crazy high like that then yea, maybe digital download will be the new norm and solid state media will be dead...but until then, we have to deal with disks.

        Also, that is the point of the blu-ray disks space. For it to be utilized. Of course if it wasn't available developers would have to make due. But it IS available so they don't have to. Sure, if 10 years ago DVDs or CDs weren't around developers would still have to use cartridges. Nothings wrong with that right? hell all systems should still be using cartridges because they worked right?

        You're mind set is so flawed when it comes to stuff like this. This is new technology that is asking to be utilized, for you to say that it shouldn't is just absurd. I don't understand how someone can seriously think like you.
  • 0
    Warp Feb 10, 09
    More like a PS1. The newer models don't come with PS2 backwards-compatibility.
  • 0
    Sabre Feb 10, 09
    Adding to what Jeterocks said, that's how we know that half these writers don't know what they're talking about. They might as well remove the cell processor while they're at it. That'll lower prices so much that people wouldn't hesitate to buy the new "PS3".
  • 1
    iLLmatic Feb 10, 09
    Blu-Ray removal? lol Seriously though?
  • 2
    Dragoshi1 Feb 10, 09
    NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Wait,why do I care? I have a PS3 already :3 but it'll suck bad if they stop making blu ray disc based games.
  • 1
    Seeker X Feb 10, 09
    Eh, guys?

    quote
    He said that “We're always looking at ways to reduce costs, replacing the current 65 nanometre Cell chip with a 45 nanometre one probably in middle of year. But will it be anything as off-strategy as releasing a PS3 with a DVD rather than a Blu-ray drive? I doubt it.”
    I sincerely doubt they would do something as stupid as removing the Blu ray drive...I don't think it needs to be said just how important Blu ray is becoming (or already is).

    quote
    Blu-ray is not necessary, but its okay if Sony wants to continue to push it on people as though they need it.
    Obviously they did such a horrible marketing mistake by giving you something that can play games and HD movies, this whole 2 for 1 thing is surely not what people would call a bargain.
    • 4
      FinalFantasyFanaticc Feb 10, 09
      I can't see blu-ray taking over DVD within the next 5+ years tbh.
      • 1
        Seeker X Feb 10, 09
        I'm not gonna personally predict a damn thing, I'll let others do the job, such as:

        quote
        GfK data reveals that European Blu-ray Disc movie sales exceeded 8.1 million in 2008, representing 304 per cent growth compared to the previous year.
        Here

        quote
        In the fourth quarter of last year, consumers bought 28.6 million Blu-ray discs, up from 9.5 million in the previous year. The top seller was The Dark Knight, which became the first Blu-ray disc to sell more than a million copies.
        quote
        ...in the two and a half years since Blu-ray players became available, 10.7 million players have been sold in the U.S. according to research firm DisplaySearch. By comparison, there were 5.4 million DVD players in the U.S. three years after launch in the 90s.
        And a fun fact,

        quote
        Part of the reason for the quick adoption of Blu-ray is due to the popularity of Sony’s PlayStation 3 gaming console, which includes a Blu-ray player. Of the 10.7 million Blu-ray players previously mentioned, more than 6 million are PlayStation 3 consoles.
        Here

        Trends of these sales only keep rising which justifies my comment, other than that I'm not gonna say anything else.
        • 2
          Slumpy monkey Feb 11, 09
          You cant seriously think blu-ray is going to outpace DVD any time soon, in the Uk alone there is PREDICTIONS for blu-ray to sell 17 million discs this year.

          Guess how much dvds were sold last year? 241 million So unless blu-ray suddenly starts selling players and discs in the tens of millions in the next few month, I wouldn't bank on blu-ray taking over dvd.

          Of course in the future it will, but not for the next couple of years, a great majority of the population still don't even have HD TVs, so the concept of blu-ray to them is extraneous. So also unless HD-tvs start selling in the hundreds of millions I wouldn't bank on blu-ray sales overtaking dvds, yet.

          I got my info from the source YOU posted, the nice little snippet at the bottom that you didn't bother quoting.

          After one week, the dark knight sold 600,000 blu-ray copies, in one day DVD sold 500,000 copies.
        • 1
          Seeker X Feb 11, 09
          No shit? Considering that DVD's still hold about 86% of the market while Blu ray only holds about...what? 14%? Completely missing the point, what I was stating was NOT that Blu ray was selling MORE than DVD's...that's plain *bleep* (and ridiculous on your part for assuming so). My information was to point out how fast Blu ray discs are reaching mainstream. Backed up by the sales and Blu ray/DVD progress comparison in the same timespan, which is clearly stated on my second quote.

          Like I said, I'm not here to predict, because I'm not a *bleep*ing prophet. I'm showing the facts, and I'm saying that there is a possibility.
        • 1
          PacoDG Feb 11, 09
          I think HD-digital downloading will be a commonplace before blu-ray becomes a commonplace.
  • 0
    joshthegreat Feb 10, 09
    This article is *bleep*. Like. Seriously.
  • 0
    Onvacation Feb 10, 09
    haha MGS4 alone is around 50gb, fancy downloading that?
    • 2
      FinalFantasyFanaticc Feb 10, 09
      What about multi-disc? or are people too lazy to change discs nowadays ; ;

      Takes like, half a minute.
      • 2
        Jeterocks Feb 10, 09
        If I'm in the middle of playing a game, get to the end of a level and something pops up on screen that tells me to get up, walk to my system, take out a disk, get my other disk, put the disk in, and start the game up...then yes, I guess I am to lazy to do that.

        This is supposed to be a time when technology is advancing. If people always say "oh hey, the disk we have now are fine, whats the big deal if i have to get up every so often to switch a disk" technology doesn't advance!

        Think about it this way...what was wrong with cassette. We had portable cassette players right? It only took us a few seconds to switch a cassette when we wanted to play a new song. We got tired of that and moved to CDs...then to MP3...then to an ipod that requires us to never have to change anything. If you live with the mentality "what is wrong with what we have today" then nothing is ever going to advance...its dumb when people sit there and say that multi disking is just fine because reality is, it is not.
        • 1
          Slumpy monkey Feb 11, 09
          Yeah, but the problem isn't eliminated totally with blu-ray either, as far as I know in MGS4 there is a 5 min loading screen between chapters, surely it would be quicker just to swap disks? Maybe when blu-ray gets faster then it would be truly advantageous.
  • 4
    Mudkip94 Feb 11, 09
    People are getting lazy to change the disk is just sad
  • 3
    iLLmatic Feb 11, 09
    For all the gamers across the globe saying that not wanting to change discs is lazy, I commend you all for leaving that TV remote right where it is, and getting up off the couch to change the channel and/or volume the way it used to be done. That outdated form of technology still works, and dammit, you're sticking to it. Nobody could ever persuade you to use a silly remote when you're more than able to walk a few feet on your own merit.

    It's not about being lazy. It's all about convenience, and continuing to push technology forward. It's all about taking advantage of the tech available, and putting it to use. We shouldn't have to still be changing discs in 2009. People said DVDs were unnecessary because VHS still worked fine. Bill Gates said PCs would never need more than 64MB of RAM, because they ran fine as they were. I just don't understand the logic behind the "lazy" standpoint.

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