Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) and nVidia announced that the companies have been collaborating on bringing advanced graphics technology and computer entertainment technology to SCEI's highly anticipated next-generation computer entertainment system (PS 3). Both companies are jointly developing a custom graphics processing unit (GPU) incorporating nVidia's next-generation GeForce and SCEI's system solutions for next-generation computer entertainment systems featuring the Cell processor. It is expected that Sony's contribution to the graphics of its console will be much greater than before considering that working in a Cell environment is bound to require a manufacturers understanding of the new chip. This collaboration marks nVidia's reply to Microsft's decision to go ATI on XBox 2. The deal the graphics company has struck with Sony is seen as a very lucrative one as the Cell is expected to be used in a variety of ways, meaning that the expertise nVidia will gain while working on PS3 may give it the advantage over its rivals on Cell based systems.

This collaboration is made under a broad, multi-year, royalty-bearing agreement. The powerful custom GPU will be the graphics and image processing foundation for a broad range of applications from computer entertainment to broadband applications. The agreement will encompass future Sony digital consumer electronics products.

In the future, the experience of computer entertainment systems and broadband-ready PCs will be fused together to generate and transfer multi-streams of rich content simultaneously. In this sense, we have found the best way to integrate the state-of-the-art technologies from nVidia and SCEI, said Ken Kutaragi, executive deputy president and COO, Sony Corporation, and president and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Our collaboration includes not only the chip development but also a variety of graphics development tools and middleware, essential for efficient content creation.

We are thrilled to partner with Sony Computer Entertainment to build what will certainly be one of the most important computer entertainment and digital media platforms of the twenty-first century, added Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO, NVIDIA. Over the past two years NVIDIA has worked closely with Sony Computer Entertainment on their next-generation computer entertainment system. In parallel, we have been designing our next-generation GeForce GPU. The combination of the revolutionary Cell processor and NVIDIA?s graphics technologies will enable the creation of breathtaking imagery that will surprise and captivate consumers.

The custom GPU will be manufactured at Sony Group?s Nagasaki Fab2 as well as OTSS (joint fabrication facility of Toshiba and Sony).

Sony's PS3 is expected around mid to late 2006 while Microsoft's XBox 2 (Xenon) console should launch in late 2005.

As nVidia has decided to cause a big fuss over its deal with Sony on the PS3, some details regarding the timing have come up which are not doing the graphics giant any favors, even though nVidia shares rose sharply following the announcement.

The first piece of news to surface, following the announcement, has to do with the timing of the PS3 launch and confirms suspicions that no PS3 will appear until we are well into 2006.
The details confirm that PlayStation 3 will appear in Japan in spring 2006 while the U.S. will get its dose of Cell in fall 2006 with Europe likely to to have it by holiday 2005 or Q1, 2006. This also means that nVidia's boards which will support the PS3 are unlikely to appear before then.

As all this was happening, Microsoft announced that its developer's kits for XBox 2 are on schedule to be delivered by Q1, 2005. What this means is that MS must already have the units and testing has to be under way. As we do know that the new kit will finally include a R500 rather than the current 9800, this, in turn, means that R500 development is almost done.

Most people have had their fun with the fact that Microsoft developer's kits are based on Mac G5's but you can't help but wander if this time round Microsoft's console may make it since it will be based on a RISC CPU and not on Intel x64 architecture.

The whole point of the new kits is the change of the graphics card, as it will allow developers to work with SM 3.0 and other nifty tricks which the 9800 does not support. So this may give ATI a, short-term at least, advantage over its rival, unless nVidia has some secret up its sleeve.

The next generation console wars are likely to spill over into the graphics war since cell support and the R500 are potential hotbeds of competition between all parties involved. Things are going to get far more interesting very soon.

So this may give ATI a, short-term at least, advantage over its rival, unless nVidia has some secret up its sleeve.

Who WROTE that?

I think they are referring to advantage in terms of market dominance.

m$ may even do a dreamcast if they dont handle it properally.

na, I don't want to be stuck with crap consoles, and since i prefer xbox to ps2 by far, I hope it doesn't from a consumer point of view.

Its microsoft, and they deserve some super freaky shit, but the Xbox is a nice console (ugly and crap pads, but since its so pc in nature, you can do more, better ).

Only console, as always, I care about is Nintendo's, since I'm a big zelda fan