Friday, December 10, 2004
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc and Nvidia revealed that they have been collaborating for about two years to develop the graphics engine for SCEI's next-generation game machine powered by Cell processor, the so-called PlayStation 3, which is scheduled to debut at E3 exhibition in Los Angeles in May 2005.
The two companies signed the letter of intent last week (Dec. 3) to jointly develop a custom graphic processing unit (GPU) incorporating Nvidia's next-generation GeForce and SCEI's technology. Nvidia is Sony's first partner for graphics engine development for the PlayStation.
Nvidia also supplies custom graphics chips for Microsoft's X-box.
The custom GPU will also be the graphics and image processing foundation for a broad range of Sony's applications ranging from computer entertainment to broadband applications. The collaboration is part of a broad, multiyear, royalty-bearing agreement.
Engineering teams have completed the design for the graphics processor, but details have yet to be disclosed. Test fabrication is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2005 using a 90-nm bulk CMOS process. Volume production will begin in the third quarter of 2005 at Sony's Nagasaki Fab2 and OTSS, a joint fab of Toshiba and Sony.
SCEI said it will also begin fabrication of the Cell processor for the next-generation game machine using a 90- nm process initially using SOI wafers. Eventually, SCEI intends to migrate the process to a 65-nm process. The graphics chip will also migrate to a 65-nm process, the company said.
By: DocMemory
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