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Beyond benchmarks: potential PSP 2 GPU candidate churns out tech demo images

Posted Nov 28, 2008 at 7:27AM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: PSP Tags: DirectX, GPU, OpenGL, Sony

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If you've been following the recent chronicles about that PSP 2 rumor, here's some more fodder. Image renders have surfaced from labs of Imagination Technology, the guys who are supposedly providing the graphics chip for the PSP 2.

Everything started the other day with Imagination announcing via press release that they've signed a deal with a new partner (read: Sony, sources say) and that they're cooking up a new graphics chip, the SGX55x graphics core. Just to give you an idea of what's expected of this next-gen chip, here are the current specs that we know off:

CURRENT PSP GPU Specifications:

166 mhz core speed
2 MB VRAM
Up to 33 million polygons per second
664 million pixels per second (fill rate)

CURRENT PowerVR SGX530 Specifications:

200 MHz Core Speed
13.5 million polygons per second
1200 million pixels per second (fill rate)
DirectX 9 Shader Model 3 support / OpenGL 2.0
128-bit color precision
Multi-sampling and anti-aliasing

Powerful? Yes. But apparently, that's not enough. Amp those specs to a small scale RSX chip much like the ones found in PS3 units. That's the potential of the SGX55x. (Or so they say, with the GPU's unified shader architecture and OpenGL 2.0 support.)

The images you see below are tech demos of what Imagination Technology's SGX GPU is capable of in the realm of pixel shading.

Via PSPWorld

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That's all very impressive but I'm more interested in the next PSP's CPU, load times, online connectivity (please please please support everything the PS3 does with accounts, friends etc) and battery life. I'm more than happy with the PSP's graphics at this point.

Though DirectX 9 capable visuals do excite me a little :3

# Meh — blackthorn 2008-11-28 10:21

Power and potential are only half the equation.

You have to get the developers to produce decent games for the system before it's worth your time. All the power in the world isn't going to matter if the games are crap.

# True but — Hekynn 2008-11-28 11:26

True but these things might be able to handle a DX9 gpu if they can get Nvidia to really shrink the GPU to fit into the PSP2 now that would be awsome!

# dude — hush404 2008-11-28 12:04

The PSP only has 2mb of VRAM?

# .... — Silver-Tiger 2008-11-28 12:17

Not that I'm against development, but From 166 MHz to 200 Mhz.... I expected a little more.....

DirectX 9 seems very nice, though. Isn't DX not from Microsoft? Seems also a bit weird, I think.

# think im missing something — Aces In The Palm 2008-11-28 12:18

why is directx 9 support a good thing

PSP doesnt even use direct x

and i think chances of microsoft letting sony use directx are very slim

# Batt Life? — Aiden636 2008-11-28 12:33

With this revamped processing power, I wonder if they're going to come out with a battery that'll stand up to this and last for a substantial amount of time.

# ... — TheLastGuitarHero 2008-11-28 12:44

I was thinking the same thing.

I know, I know, not to compare it to Pandora which is a totally different machine, but if you can overclock theirs to 900, then Sony could have at least made it a little higher then 200.

# ... — TheLastGuitarHero 2008-11-28 12:56

Ah crap not to double post, but I was just thinking. Don't worry, I can already see the "stfu nooob u dnt kno what ur talkn bout" coming. But how about a PS2 emulator? And I don't mean with the specs provided above either, they'd obviously have to amp them up, I'm not asking the question honestly, instead just the thought of how freakin' cool that would be.

# - — APerson 2008-11-28 14:38

No, it means it supports the DX technologies. And these companies don't operate like fanboys, they license tech off each other and make money from it.

Also that jump might be little but compare the power of a P4 3ghz to a 2ghz C2D. The new chips would likely be much more effecient with the speed they have.

# - — APerson 2008-11-28 14:39

As somebody who never had a PS2 I would be completely for that. It should certainly be possible, a 2009 (or whatever) handheld emulating a 1999 console? Easy! So long as we have enough buttons and such.

# .. — Torch 2008-11-28 15:24

This doesn't look like a worthwhile upgrade from the PSP1. I doubt it would be even 50% faster.

It should have forced, free antialiasing as well.

I don't care if it costs 250$!!!! But make the bloody thing worth my money!

Now days the first though that comes to mind when I play a PSP game is "Crap, it looks like *****.".

# You said it man. — PinCushion 2008-11-28 15:43

Give me good games and I'll be happy.

# Look at the part numbers again. — PinCushion 2008-11-28 15:46

They're saying these are the specs of a GPU in the same family. They haven't released specs on the new one yet. It may, and probably will, be more powerful.

# ... — TheLastGuitarHero 2008-11-28 15:50

Oh man you never had a PS2? You don't know what you were missin'. : P

Yeah I would be hoping it would be possible, it is a far stretch, but it would be awesome.

Also, Torch, I think the same exact thing. I don't understand how God of War (as an example) looks like a PS2 game practically, yet all the newer games coming out look worse. Like noooo? I guess it just goes to show the talent of the ReadyAtDawn team.

# wasnt one of my smartest moments lol — Aces In The Palm 2008-11-28 22:55

i overlooked the fact that nvidia and radeon are directx 10 compliant yet arent exclusivly microsoft

need a breathalyser on my keyboard i think, stop idiotic posts :o)

# um — Aces In The Palm 2008-11-28 23:03

i dont think you'de notice much difference with anti-aliasing on psp's small screen

and whats wrong with the way it is now

PSP games look great

if you think the PSP's graphics are crap then you expect too much from a portable system

# :/ — Neko Kyu 2008-11-28 23:46

Though the graphics chip might be capapble of directX rendering, Sony will most certainly use its Open GL mode of rendering like they did in the PS3, though i could be wrong :) seeing as how DirectX is a Microsoft brand, and sony would need to liscense it, whereas

# whoops — Neko Kyu 2008-11-28 23:51

sorry, accidentally hit submit :/

Whereas OpenGL is heavily backed by Sony

# i wish the psp 2 looked like this — bsanehi 2008-11-29 03:05

# ... — Manhunt0r 2008-11-29 03:13

dunno, imo the ps2 aint old enough to let it become virtual console level stuff, after all new games still get released for it afaik.

not like we know anything about the final hardware but i just cant imagine sony being unable to write a proper emulator for their own hard-/software that wouldnt run on an atom cpu or something comparable.

on second thought though, didnt they mess up the backwards compatibility of the latest grillstation?

# Yay — Ivory_soul 2008-11-29 03:38

This all sounds great, but the GPU's speed isn't much difference at 200mhz. Like you guys were saying it won't be DX9 because MS won't license it to Sony so it'll be OpenGL. While OpenGL is buggier than DX9 I'll still live with it. I'm hoping the CPU goes from the current 333 to a good 500-800mhz so we're looking at an Xbox1 type CPU.

# & Brian — Stewies 2008-11-29 04:19

Once again people, this is all speculation and should be taken with a grain of salt. Perhaps then one day...

Victory shall yet be mine!

# lol — Aces In The Palm 2008-11-29 05:59

you guys are funny

look at the gameboy, lynx, gameboy advance, game gear and nintendo DS

and tell me PSP doesnt have best looking screen and graphics

it does

if you want more from a 2 nearly 3 year old portable system

yuou expect too much....period

the sony PSP is an awesome piece of hardware and people saying it could be better are right

it could be

but it is what it is

lets concentrate on what is instead of complaining that it could be better, because if you look at things, everything could be better

# why dont they — sycoblast 2008-11-29 07:05

rebuild the ps2 chip to work on a protable console without taking so much power, im sur eits possible maybe an even more powerful chip.

Be better for developpers havign the software to create good games and therefore psp will finally get a greater amount of good games, and son saving on making another developers kit.

# 33Mhz only?? — mohf 2008-11-29 07:11

Not improved at all...

The old one had 166Mhz and the new one ONLY 200?? THATS JUST 33Mhz EXTRA?!?

And secondly SONY said that the PSP1 will have a 10 year spawn, remember? This is 100% FAKE.

# OK lets say — PT-X 2008-11-29 07:31

First of all I think .... as some other say...its gonna be OpenGL and about the Mhz 200 is k to me as....

and just like other guys said....screw the graphics stuff ...... and freaking hell ...!! bring us a worth buy handheld and worth why psp games like Final fantasy and GTA and God of War and MGS and I dont knw more games... I want second analog give us 2nd analog Sony plsssss!!! so we can play shooting game like COD 4, 5 ..... cuz shooting game liek COD doesnt belong to DS WTF....c'mon..

# ... — Manhunt0r 2008-11-29 09:51

admit it, all we care about is that fancy second nubstick.

# FAKE — mohf 2008-11-30 06:06

JUST LIKE I SAID

THIS IS JUST FAKE. SONY SAID THAT THE PLAYSTATION PORTABLE IS GOING TO HAVE A 10 YEAR LIFE, AND ITS JUST BEEN 4 YEARS, SO THIS IS 100% FAKE.

I am waiting for a official announcement.

# Subject — Advertising 2008-11-30 09:10

We all do sometimes, I bet those keyboards would really sell.

# Then wait. — Advertising 2008-11-30 09:21

And while you are at it STFU.

# no it is true — argor 2008-12-01 03:47

no it is true if the psp has 10 YEAR LIFEtime dont mens that i can co*****e with newer hardware like the ps1 ps2 and ps3

games were still being publictic on ps1 10 years after it came out last game was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Football_2005

# you have to remember — argor 2008-12-01 03:58

you have to remember you need to do things dirfretli on heldhelds than on pc also PowerVR has a few DX10 gpus

as it stand now PowerVR is the best for handhelds they have some gpus that perform a lot better than ps3 and xbox360 gpus at just fraction of the power that gpus of the ps3 and xbox360 need see SGX555

# Being a little more technical... — Derjyn 2008-12-02 11:42

#1 - You don't need to license DirectX. You can use it right now to make a game and sell it... the only thing you'd have pay for as far as game dev from Microsoft would be stuff like getting a developer version of the 360, or paying for the Creator's Club for making games using XNA and transferring them to the 360.

#2 - Sony has always used OpenGL. I doubt that will change.

#3 - That new GPU, if used in the PSP2 is a pretty big upgrade. Of course, it would most likely change during development cycle of the PSP2... meaning, it would most likely be a little more custom tailored. I doubt Sony plans on "starting from scratch" with the hardware design, and building the PSP2 solely around that GPU isn't likely. Kind of how the 360 and PS3 have custom GPUs.

# handheld as a BC console — atomike14 2008-12-16 08:15

it would be neat if they just made the PSP2 their backwards comaptible console and stripped it out of the PS3 so they could make the PS3 cheaper but they've basically done that already they just have no alternative for a PS2 emulator other than the PS2.

# to be honest — atomike14 2008-12-16 08:19

I'm pretty sure Sony has stated that if the game plan needs to change then it will too. I can see the PSP on a 5-6 year lifespan before they'll need to bring out a PSP2. the handheld market is much more volatile as Sony has witnessed with the PSP tanking right now (in terms of new releases). Sony wants a 10 year life span, doesnt mean the market will allow it.

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