Patent Reveals Sony to Increase PS3 Power via External Processor

[Ex-Cyber]

This patent is a continuation of an application filed 5 years ago, and it's describing features of a bus controller on the Cell processor.

[Hammerstorm]

Sony's attempt to make the PS3 more of a PC by allowing optional upgrading. Pish. Hell people just make your own PC rig and upgrade it as the tech advances =P.

exactly, whats supposed to be good about consoles anyway is that they dont need you to upgrade your hardware every now and then to play all its game, otherwise a pc is alot more capable

[DeadlyFoez]

Sony Fail.

This is the worst idea ever. This seems rather similar to that device that would allow all PS3's to play PS2 games.

[eldeladi]

I know this wasn't meant for the PS3, but just in case, they could plug it in where the harddrive goes. two different versions, one for the phat and one for the slim. this addon would have cpu, ram and hardrive caddy for the harddrive to go in.
it could be modeled so that it is a continuation of the shape of the console like what those fan coolers looked like.

but in any case, this is not meant for the PS3. the next consol will probably be designed for it. it could have a custom port like the IBM X40 that has a port that connects to the dockin station.

the most efficient way they could design this is by allowing an extra port for Ram like on PCs. the PS3 will probably come with 2GB of XDR-Ram, that would be upgradable as it gets cheaper

[Rufus]

Or they can forget about everything,open up the current ps3(rsx and the cell) and we will do our own upgrade and tweaks.......
What do you say,sony...?

[tzily]

The worst part is they'll probably start releasing games that require more power so that they can force the users to upgrade. Mother ****ers!!
It's a cheap attempt on making the shitbox360 adversary more hardware inferior without the costs and development time for a new console (not that i'd ever buy a PS4 unless it get's hacked).

[progaor06]

hdmi would not work but an hdd would exspecially with techoogy going now with the processor built in it it reads the games faster process more rpm thru the hdd with processor built in the hdd its only way im seeing this working

processor built in the hdd then installing game data on the hdd where it reads the specs from hdd uses rpm to output that cpu power thru hdd to the game thru the os in the ps3 itself is only way i can think of this workinh

[DeadlyFoez]

they could plug it in where the harddrive goes..... this addon would have cpu, ram and hardrive caddy for the harddrive to go in.

If you know anything about technology then you would understand that your idea does not make sense. A hard drive interface can not be used to add more processing power.

Although Sony can probably make anything they want to happen with the PS3 since it is all proprietary, it still is not ever going to happen.

This thing was probably for the PS2.

[evilOvum]

i feel its for the PS4. according to what ive heard about the cell processor being discontinued in some form, to have backward compatibility on the PS4 they will probably release this thing which will play all your ps1,ps2,ps3 games on the ps4. the port for the connection will already be built in and that way they can keep the initial cost of the ps4 down for people who want it just for the new games, and for people who want BC they will buy this, which will probably be sold at a profit as opposed to the loss they take per console during its first few years, the profit could help offset any loss on the ps4 and help keep the launch price efficient.
i seriously hope thats what they are doing. coz just sticking some more processors on a ps3 wont help its ram problem.

[n1s]

This has to be a load of hot air from Sony, if true.

Firstly, the PS3 has a 9 core CPU (with one core disabled) which has no where near come close to being fully utilised!!!

Secondly, it is the GPU which has the most impact on a console, so given the PS3 already has ample processing power, it would have little or indeed NO effect on the games and how they look to the end user.

Sony's main problem is with the GPU and the limited memory of the system in general. They were working on their own GPU for the PS3 but that failed miserably and they ended up rushing the job and asking Nvidia to provide a GPU for them, which they did but they did not have sufficient time to customise the GPU before going into full production.

The PS3 had already suffered great delays due to the blu-ray issues so Sony decided to rush the most important part of the console.

Which is why in my opinion the Xbox 360 which launched over a year earlier still matches the PS3 in general terms to this day, and maybe will continue to do so for the duration of its life cycle.

To conclude, if Sony are actually serious about this external processor upgrade it is ONLY a money making exercise as it will make little or indeed NO difference to the user!!