thicc_girls_are_teh_best
Member
So a while ago I made some threads speculating on mid-gen refreshes for PS5 & Series S | X, and even 10th-gen plans for Sony and Microsoft. Since then I've been rethinking some things and retooling those ideas and I think THIS time, I might have a few magic bullets. Yes, I know there's a big chance none of this ends up happening as I speculate (or any of us speculate tbh), but it's fun to try and I've tried really looking at current market/technology trends/developments and extrapolate somewhat realistically where future developments could go with educated guesses.
Therefore, I'm redoing all of my earlier speculation and starting with mid-gen refreshes for both Sony and Microsoft. After this I will move on to 10th-gen console speculations for them both. That one will be a lot more numbers-heavy but if you're into this kind of stuff it'll be a treat.
------------------
[SONY]
[PLAYSTATION.FOLD]
>Portable-based PlayStation system capable of native play of PS4 games and streamed play of PS4 Pro ver. & PS5 games
>Built-in game controls with thumb sticks, 2x back touch sensors
>Three-part design; top part for screen, middle part for processing components, bottom part for controls
>Screen can be rotated to either horizontal or vertical (tate) positions as well as pivoted/tilted upwards 45 degrees on
the Z-axis. Screen is touch-capable and can automatically adjust settings for extended touch controls on detection
of controls deck portion's current in/out state
>Controls portion can be rotated along X/Y axis for left-handed or right-handed playing styles, or remote-style orientation
(one-handed play). Can be recessed along Y-axis to conceal/fold form factor, or pulled out along Y-axis to reveal controls.
>Built-in powerful megapixel camera
>Scaled version of PS4 spec design on 5nm process (in terms of raw performance and certain RDNA 2 features in PS5
not required here, such as USB Alt-Mode port modification for APU in regards to PSVR2)
>RDNA 2-based, with a few RDNA 3 features integrated into design, primarily some extended silicon support for SuperFidelity FX.
>In many ways a very scaled-down PS5 APU design with GCN silicon support for PS4 titles. This will allow for easy graphical
scaling of many PS5 titles that can potentially have PS.Fold ports, and creates a shared design platform to encourage cross-development
of unique games for both PS5 and PS.Fold
>Supports passthrough of image output to television via HDMI 2.0 port, streaming to smart TVs via installation
of companion app on smart TV and smart devices
>4x 2 GB 14 Gbps GDDR6 chips in PoP setup providing 224 GB/s bandwidth
>128 GB microSD at UHS-II interface speeds (variant could have 256 GB microSD capacity option)
>Single USB Type-C port; PS4 Dualshock 4 & PS5 DualSense controller-compatible
>Easy transfer of PS4 games to PS.Fold
>Will have a repurposed variant for smartphone line (top-end model in Xperia line)
>$299.99 MSRP
>Early/Mid-2023 Release
[PLAYSTATION 5 SLIM]
>Physically scaled down version of PS5
>5nm process
>Lower power consumption
>Slight clock boost (from 2.23 GHz GPU to 2.5 GHz)
>11.52 TF
>64 ROPs
>64 Shader Cores (per CU)
>144 TMUs
>8 prims/clock
>4 tri/clock
>160 Gpixels/sec
>360 Gtexels/sec
>20 Gpolys/sec culling
>10 Gpolys/sec rasterization
>Increase GPU L2$ size (8 MB vs PS5's 4 MB)
>Some tuned hardware changes to Primitive Shaders and Geometry Engine
>Fundamentally incorporates PS5 architecture elements for BC in an RDNA 4-derived design
>Changed memory: 16 GB GDDR6 as 8x 2 GB, 16 Gbps (64 GB/s) modules providing 512 GB/s on 256-bit bus
>Redesigned SSD; standardized M.2 form factor, 8 GB/s bandwidth, PCIe 5.0 with CXL integration, small
improvements/tweaks to various coprocessors, decompression bandwidth adjusted to 28 GB/s hardware cap.
Custom in-house SSD in M.2 form factor with 12-channel interface, but can be swapped out easily with
3P SSDs.
>Capacity increase to 1.536 TB
>Embedded 64 GB of NAND exclusive to OS for housing OS files, firmware patches etc. Interfaced to
I/O block as 2x NAND devices, 2 channels each. The OS *does* use the installed SSD; this private
pool is present for permanently storing OS and system files, updates etc. so when user swaps out SSDs
the contents can be easily reinstalled on the new drive.
>Digital-only
>Optional PS-branded disc drive module also available for users who still want
physical game support ($59.99 MSRP)
>$349.99 MSRP (digital version), $399.99 (disc module bundle; limited availability in select markets)
> $499.99 (digital version & PSVR 2 bundle)(2025 holiday bundle)
>Will be used to phase out original PS5 production by late 2025
>Late-2024 Release
[PLAYSTATION.STREAM]
>Soft replacement/product divergent of PS.Fold and PS5 Slim
>N5P process
>Built around technology features to be found in PlayStation 6
>Native spec capabilities on par with PS4 Pro (~ 4.2 TF), with feature sets and technologies based on
upcoming AMD Zen and RDNA generations (Zen 8, Zen 9; RDNA 7)
>Very small form factor, comparable to PS.Fold, just slightly larger
>No built-in screen or dedicated controls
>1 TB storage as custom USB slot-based "micro-storage" drive over USB Gen 4 2x2 (2.4 GB/s) interface
>Scaled-down version of PS5 Slim I/O block hardware (hardware decompression limit of 9.6 GB/s, reduced
I/O silicon performance for cost/heat/cooling/size considerations, etc.)
>8 GB HBM3 @ 5.2 Gbps, 128-bit I/O, 83.2 GB/s per module in 4-Hi stack for 332.8 GB/s on 512-bit bus
>Will be compatible with PSVR Gen 3 devices (to be introduced late 2027)
>2nd SKU with bundled Entry-level PSVR Gen 3 unit and controller planned for 2028 @ $299.99, to
fully replace PS.Fold with rebranding to PS.Fold-2
>$249.99 MSRP
>Mid/Late-2026 release
[MICROSOFT]
[SERIES.M]
>Streaming-focused small-box device for Gamepass & Xcloud on non-smart TVs
via connection through USB
>With smart TVs, can also connect wirelessly via WiFi 6
>Can be used as a wirelessly paired streaming client with Series X and S systems
for local game access and content sharing
>Extremely small form factor
>Compatible with existing Seagate expansion cards
>Includes 128 GB Seagate expansion card; replaceable
>2x USB Type-C ports (1 front, 1 rear)
>Compatible with XBO and Series controllers
>Comes with a custom media remote that has cost-effective buttons
and thumb sliders for physical button feedback, though any compatible
controller, keyboard/mouse (preferably wireless) etc. can be used
>$99.99 MSRP
>Strategically meant as replacement for Series S (Series S production
will be phased out by late 2024)
>Early-Fall 2023 release
[SERIES 17]
>Mid-gen upgrade for Series X
>RDNA 4-based
>52 CUs
>208 TMUs
>2.635 GHz clock
>80 ROPs
>64 Shader Cores (per CU)
>17.538 TF (44% increase over Series X)
>548 Gtexels/sec
>548 G.BVHI/sec
>210.8 Gpixels/sec
>21 Gpolys/sec culling
>10.54 Gpolys/sec rasterization
>Introduction of 4 modified ML-accelerated "mega cores" based on CDNA
architecture designs integrated into the Shader Arrays, one for each
Shader Array. Precursor to "Task Acceleration Engines" (10th-gen
systems)
>Backwards-compatible with Series X & S expansion cards
>Simple back M.2 port (NVMe Gen 5, PCIe 4.0 x4-CXL) for SSD expansion
>Comes with 1 TB SSD, 8 GB/s bandwidth
>Reworked I/O sub-system; hardware decompression limit increased to 24 GB/s
>Internal SSD and an expansion card can be used simultaneously
>Support for Wifi 6 included
>Added support for VR via included USB Gen 4 2x2 port in Alt Mode with
GPU/APU modification for support
>20 GB GDDR6+ (offshoot of GDDR6X; developed by Micron) as
10x 2 GB, 20 Gbps (80 GB/s) modules, for 800 GB/s on 320-bit bus
>Zen 4-based CPU with a few Zen 5 features mixed in
>Digital-only
>Approved 3P external disc drives will be supported via USB connection over
one of the USB Type-C ports
>Mid-2024 release
>$499.99 MSRP
>Replaces Series X at the high-end
[SERIES X-R]
>Revision for Series X
>Same specifications as Series X
>Lower power consumption
>5nm process
>No disc drive (digital-only)
>Smaller form factor
>Will be used to phase out Series X by late 2024 (Series 17 will be available by then)
>Will become the mid-end of Series family by late 2024
>$399.99 MSRP
>Late-2022 release
---------------
Let me know what ideas you guys have for mid-gen refreshes or new models (again, for those who already mentioned this stuff before but maybe your ideas on some stuff's changed since last time
). Sound off!
Therefore, I'm redoing all of my earlier speculation and starting with mid-gen refreshes for both Sony and Microsoft. After this I will move on to 10th-gen console speculations for them both. That one will be a lot more numbers-heavy but if you're into this kind of stuff it'll be a treat.
------------------
[SONY]
[PLAYSTATION.FOLD]
>Portable-based PlayStation system capable of native play of PS4 games and streamed play of PS4 Pro ver. & PS5 games
>Built-in game controls with thumb sticks, 2x back touch sensors
>Three-part design; top part for screen, middle part for processing components, bottom part for controls
>Screen can be rotated to either horizontal or vertical (tate) positions as well as pivoted/tilted upwards 45 degrees on
the Z-axis. Screen is touch-capable and can automatically adjust settings for extended touch controls on detection
of controls deck portion's current in/out state
>Controls portion can be rotated along X/Y axis for left-handed or right-handed playing styles, or remote-style orientation
(one-handed play). Can be recessed along Y-axis to conceal/fold form factor, or pulled out along Y-axis to reveal controls.
>Built-in powerful megapixel camera
>Scaled version of PS4 spec design on 5nm process (in terms of raw performance and certain RDNA 2 features in PS5
not required here, such as USB Alt-Mode port modification for APU in regards to PSVR2)
>RDNA 2-based, with a few RDNA 3 features integrated into design, primarily some extended silicon support for SuperFidelity FX.
>In many ways a very scaled-down PS5 APU design with GCN silicon support for PS4 titles. This will allow for easy graphical
scaling of many PS5 titles that can potentially have PS.Fold ports, and creates a shared design platform to encourage cross-development
of unique games for both PS5 and PS.Fold
>Supports passthrough of image output to television via HDMI 2.0 port, streaming to smart TVs via installation
of companion app on smart TV and smart devices
>4x 2 GB 14 Gbps GDDR6 chips in PoP setup providing 224 GB/s bandwidth
>128 GB microSD at UHS-II interface speeds (variant could have 256 GB microSD capacity option)
>Single USB Type-C port; PS4 Dualshock 4 & PS5 DualSense controller-compatible
>Easy transfer of PS4 games to PS.Fold
>Will have a repurposed variant for smartphone line (top-end model in Xperia line)
>$299.99 MSRP
>Early/Mid-2023 Release
[PLAYSTATION 5 SLIM]
>Physically scaled down version of PS5
>5nm process
>Lower power consumption
>Slight clock boost (from 2.23 GHz GPU to 2.5 GHz)
>11.52 TF
>64 ROPs
>64 Shader Cores (per CU)
>144 TMUs
>8 prims/clock
>4 tri/clock
>160 Gpixels/sec
>360 Gtexels/sec
>20 Gpolys/sec culling
>10 Gpolys/sec rasterization
>Increase GPU L2$ size (8 MB vs PS5's 4 MB)
>Some tuned hardware changes to Primitive Shaders and Geometry Engine
>Fundamentally incorporates PS5 architecture elements for BC in an RDNA 4-derived design
>Changed memory: 16 GB GDDR6 as 8x 2 GB, 16 Gbps (64 GB/s) modules providing 512 GB/s on 256-bit bus
>Redesigned SSD; standardized M.2 form factor, 8 GB/s bandwidth, PCIe 5.0 with CXL integration, small
improvements/tweaks to various coprocessors, decompression bandwidth adjusted to 28 GB/s hardware cap.
Custom in-house SSD in M.2 form factor with 12-channel interface, but can be swapped out easily with
3P SSDs.
>Capacity increase to 1.536 TB
>Embedded 64 GB of NAND exclusive to OS for housing OS files, firmware patches etc. Interfaced to
I/O block as 2x NAND devices, 2 channels each. The OS *does* use the installed SSD; this private
pool is present for permanently storing OS and system files, updates etc. so when user swaps out SSDs
the contents can be easily reinstalled on the new drive.
>Digital-only
>Optional PS-branded disc drive module also available for users who still want
physical game support ($59.99 MSRP)
>$349.99 MSRP (digital version), $399.99 (disc module bundle; limited availability in select markets)
> $499.99 (digital version & PSVR 2 bundle)(2025 holiday bundle)
>Will be used to phase out original PS5 production by late 2025
>Late-2024 Release
[PLAYSTATION.STREAM]
>Soft replacement/product divergent of PS.Fold and PS5 Slim
>N5P process
>Built around technology features to be found in PlayStation 6
>Native spec capabilities on par with PS4 Pro (~ 4.2 TF), with feature sets and technologies based on
upcoming AMD Zen and RDNA generations (Zen 8, Zen 9; RDNA 7)
>Very small form factor, comparable to PS.Fold, just slightly larger
>No built-in screen or dedicated controls
>1 TB storage as custom USB slot-based "micro-storage" drive over USB Gen 4 2x2 (2.4 GB/s) interface
>Scaled-down version of PS5 Slim I/O block hardware (hardware decompression limit of 9.6 GB/s, reduced
I/O silicon performance for cost/heat/cooling/size considerations, etc.)
>8 GB HBM3 @ 5.2 Gbps, 128-bit I/O, 83.2 GB/s per module in 4-Hi stack for 332.8 GB/s on 512-bit bus
>Will be compatible with PSVR Gen 3 devices (to be introduced late 2027)
>2nd SKU with bundled Entry-level PSVR Gen 3 unit and controller planned for 2028 @ $299.99, to
fully replace PS.Fold with rebranding to PS.Fold-2
>$249.99 MSRP
>Mid/Late-2026 release
[MICROSOFT]
[SERIES.M]
>Streaming-focused small-box device for Gamepass & Xcloud on non-smart TVs
via connection through USB
>With smart TVs, can also connect wirelessly via WiFi 6
>Can be used as a wirelessly paired streaming client with Series X and S systems
for local game access and content sharing
>Extremely small form factor
>Compatible with existing Seagate expansion cards
>Includes 128 GB Seagate expansion card; replaceable
>2x USB Type-C ports (1 front, 1 rear)
>Compatible with XBO and Series controllers
>Comes with a custom media remote that has cost-effective buttons
and thumb sliders for physical button feedback, though any compatible
controller, keyboard/mouse (preferably wireless) etc. can be used
>$99.99 MSRP
>Strategically meant as replacement for Series S (Series S production
will be phased out by late 2024)
>Early-Fall 2023 release
[SERIES 17]
>Mid-gen upgrade for Series X
>RDNA 4-based
>52 CUs
>208 TMUs
>2.635 GHz clock
>80 ROPs
>64 Shader Cores (per CU)
>17.538 TF (44% increase over Series X)
>548 Gtexels/sec
>548 G.BVHI/sec
>210.8 Gpixels/sec
>21 Gpolys/sec culling
>10.54 Gpolys/sec rasterization
>Introduction of 4 modified ML-accelerated "mega cores" based on CDNA
architecture designs integrated into the Shader Arrays, one for each
Shader Array. Precursor to "Task Acceleration Engines" (10th-gen
systems)
>Backwards-compatible with Series X & S expansion cards
>Simple back M.2 port (NVMe Gen 5, PCIe 4.0 x4-CXL) for SSD expansion
>Comes with 1 TB SSD, 8 GB/s bandwidth
>Reworked I/O sub-system; hardware decompression limit increased to 24 GB/s
>Internal SSD and an expansion card can be used simultaneously
>Support for Wifi 6 included
>Added support for VR via included USB Gen 4 2x2 port in Alt Mode with
GPU/APU modification for support
>20 GB GDDR6+ (offshoot of GDDR6X; developed by Micron) as
10x 2 GB, 20 Gbps (80 GB/s) modules, for 800 GB/s on 320-bit bus
>Zen 4-based CPU with a few Zen 5 features mixed in
>Digital-only
>Approved 3P external disc drives will be supported via USB connection over
one of the USB Type-C ports
>Mid-2024 release
>$499.99 MSRP
>Replaces Series X at the high-end
[SERIES X-R]
>Revision for Series X
>Same specifications as Series X
>Lower power consumption
>5nm process
>No disc drive (digital-only)
>Smaller form factor
>Will be used to phase out Series X by late 2024 (Series 17 will be available by then)
>Will become the mid-end of Series family by late 2024
>$399.99 MSRP
>Late-2022 release
---------------
Let me know what ideas you guys have for mid-gen refreshes or new models (again, for those who already mentioned this stuff before but maybe your ideas on some stuff's changed since last time
). Sound off!
