In the real world 9v12 isnt close. But how was originsl x1 (40% difference) framed by insiders and media? Further the fact Oberon was still being tested in summer of 2019....
8-9 TF looks insane now, but when work began in 2015, MS had been coasting since 2011 and Nintendo was not a threat...so he are two alternate ps5 timelines.
worst timeline for ps5 hardware:
In 2015, sony was closing studios, keeping dev count absolutely minimal, and not addressing genre deficiencies. They were milking PS. Given that set of circumstances, and a huge does of hubris, they tell Cerny to target nothing more,than a ps4 type good-enough-break-even console. Cerney tells AMD to make a suitable apu for a break even $399 box.
then, as 2018 progresses, MS starts dumping cash into gaming; Google begins making moves; and even Nintendo starts tearing things up. Suddenly, competition is an order of magnitude greater. Sony becomes very concerned about how PS had been managed, and initiates firings and a big management shuffle.
They have much regret that during 2013-2018, PS did not solidify their portfolio via acquisition, studio expansions, and addressing their genre deficiencies—rather than what they did do: reduce studio count and focus on sport and 3rd person action story games made by tiny teams. They also regret their directive to make a cheapo ps5 apu.
in 2018, they realise the mistakes and begin to scramble. on the hardware front that means adding things they can add (super fast 2TB ssd and nice quiet cooling) and and doing their best with Oberon. But a radical redesign of an apu takes 2+ years, and the only company that can do it in less time is Apple. So they make do.
Sony has a 20 minute State of Play in Feb where nothing concrete is revealed about ps5 except for ssd speeds. A second launch state of play occurs after E3 that reveals an anaemic launch lineup and more ssd numbers. Actual numbers and specs only get revealed after launch in Nov., that work being done by the public.
playstation fans boo.
best Timeline for ps5 hardware
Sony management, being very happy with Cerny's ps4, gives him a nearly free hand with ps5 in 2015, saying to him 'we'll eat up to $159' per launch console.
Cerny decides to invest in cool technologies we haven't seen yet, and tells AMD to pull out all the stops in making a $650 BOM 2020 console. They staff up on software engineers and make a killer OS and fantastic dev tools.
Amd delivers the first chiplet console with 72 CUs (dual gpu), ray tracing, and their newest zen tech.
sony fans cheer wildly at February 29 reveal of the new 13+ TF $650 BOM console, preorders for $499 up now.
