The PlayStation 6, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s next-generation video game console, will likely feature backward compatibility with older PlayStation titles—namely, those that were originally designed for the PS4 and PS5 generation—according to a new report that discusses how AMD has prevailed over not only Intel, but also Broadcom, in the bidding process for supplying custom chips for the PS6. A portion of the report points out how moving from AMD, which made the PS5 chip, to Intel, would have risked backward compatibility.
From a report:
- “Intel and AMD were the final two contenders in the bidding process for the contract.”
- “A dispute over how much profit Intel stood to take from each chip sold to the Japanese electronics giant blocked Intel from settling on the price with Sony, according to two of the sources.”
- “Instead, rival AMD landed the contract through a competitive bidding process that eliminated others such as Broadcom, until only Intel and AMD remained.”
- “Console chip designs typically try to ensure compatibility with earlier versions of the system, to allow users to run older games on the new hardware.”
- “Moving from AMD, which made the PlayStation 5 chip, to Intel would have risked backwards compatibility, which was a subject of discussion between Intel and Sony engineers and executives, the sources said.”
- “Ensuring backward compatibility with prior versions of the PlayStation would have been costly and taken engineering resources.”
- “Allowing PlayStation users to play games they have purchased for older systems is a feature Sony often includes in a next-generation system.”
A promo for the PS5 Pro, which launches this November:
Sony on one of the console’s key features:
…enhancements include PS5 Pro Game Boost, which can apply to more than 8,500 backward compatible PS4 games playable on PS5 Pro. This feature may stabilize or improve the performance of supported PS4 and PS5 games. Enhanced Image Quality for PS4 games is also available to improve the resolution on select PS4 games. PS5 Pro will also launch with the latest wireless technology, Wi-Fi 7, in territories supporting this standard. VRR and 8K gaming are also supported.