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Forums - Gaming Discussion - If Sony makes a "Playstation Switch" could it succeed?

 

Could Sony make a successful Switch ?

Yes 25 14.37%
 
No 83 47.70%
 
Depends on many things 62 35.63%
 
see results 4 2.30%
 
Total:174
EricHiggin on 21 December 2017
HoangNhatAnh said:
EricHiggin said:

If PS has any chance of creating a portable/hybrid that plays console games, their best chance is explained in this article.

https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amd-delays-introduction-of-k12-based-processors-to-2017/

It talks about AMD's x86 Zen and ARM K12 processors being developed together with high compatibility. It also mentions a potential K12 APU, with two cores and a 'next gen' GCN arch (Vega?). The biggest thing is that this APU is supposed to be around 02w TDP, which is insanely low. If this is true it may not be all that impossible for PS to do it from a hardware standpoint. If the compatibility is there, then software shouldn't be too much of an issue either. I've been waiting to hear more about K12 after AMD went dark with it right around the time that Ryzen launched. Most recent articles I can find say K12 was supposed to launch sometime in 2017, but AMD seems to be keeping quiet.

If PS could create a PS5 portable/hybrid using K12 and have PS5 using Ryzen, with both using future Radeon GPU tech, it could work. Not to mention if they could achieve PS4 BC for all PS5 hardware.

With 500$ price point and 1.5 hours battery life? Possible, yes. Sell good? Nope

Where did you get $500 and 1.5 hr battery life? If AMD has an ARM APU (which they also say it's part of their semi-custom line), then AMD can make it to fit in whatever performance and price bracket PS requires for the handheld/hybrid. Assuming PS would design it so it cost $500 and only had 1.5 hr battery life is like assuming the next Tesla model will have a gasoline engine, but will only have half the range of an electric Tesla, and will cost so much only few will be able to afford it. It makes no sense, especially after seeing what they've done with PS4 and Pro in terms of price/performance and how well that has turned out.



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HoangNhatAnh on 22 December 2017
bonzobanana said:
I think the time is too early for a portable of the same power as ps4 but it needs to run similar code so perhaps a portable with quad core cpu's at 2ghz and gpu power in portable mode of about 300 gflops and the same 4GB of main memory as Switch but perhaps 2GB of video memory. Architecture very similar to standard ps4 with broadly very similar cpu power but much reduced gpu power. So it can run all the logic and game engine routines as a standard ps4 but output is much reduced in visual quality. Needs to be a little bit smaller and more compact with longer battery runtime. The screen would be 1080p but mainly streamed games from a ps4 or ps4 pro would take advantage of that plus simple games. Most big games would be forced to upscale from a much lower resolution, mainly 720p. I wouldn't bother myself going for a much more powerful docked mode due to cooling issues and the console being more compact than Switch.

1080p screen for use in a VR visor with games both streamed wired and wireless (wired to prevent lag) plus simple native rendered VR titles.

Long battery runtime 7 hrs plus.

5.5" to 6.2" screen, no removable controllers. Would look very similar to a DS4 but flattened with a screen in the middle and joysticks reduced in height closer to Vita. Also functions as a DS4. Would emulate Vita, PSP, PS1 and PS2 (as in if you own those games on psn it would run them). Dual micro SD slots and sim slot all models. Dock would be a simple power, hdmi and usb device but would allow for wireless display so you can remove the console from the dock to control games but would still have hdmi output. That's my idea of a good basis for a hybrid console.

What price?



HoangNhatAnh on 22 December 2017
EricHiggin said:
HoangNhatAnh said:

With 500$ price point and 1.5 hours battery life? Possible, yes. Sell good? Nope

Where did you get $500 and 1.5 hr battery life? If AMD has an ARM APU (which they also say it's part of their semi-custom line), then AMD can make it to fit in whatever performance and price bracket PS requires for the handheld/hybrid. Assuming PS would design it so it cost $500 and only had 1.5 hr battery life is like assuming the next Tesla model will have a gasoline engine, but will only have half the range of an electric Tesla, and will cost so much only few will be able to afford it. It makes no sense, especially after seeing what they've done with PS4 and Pro in terms of price/performance and how well that has turned out.

PS4/PS4 Pro is home console. This one is a hybrid and a portable at core. Switch already cost 300$ and 3 hours battery life. What price this system with ps4 power and games will have? And mobile chip with Tegra X2 or even X3 will be a great leap over what AMD can do. They are not even reach X1 power yet with 300$ only in mobile  chip



Ruler on 22 December 2017
Birimbau said:

Sony can't even make their smartphones and TVs sell like Samsung do for example. Just because a product has sales and it doesn't mean they can enter the market and rock it.

Thats because it isnt supposed to, they make more money than Samsung with them as they are high end products



Why i left PC gaming

 

(2015) Question for PS4 owners: if the situation would be reverse? would you still play on PS4?

(2015) The "I don't care PS4 is the most powerful console" thread

nemo37 on 22 December 2017

Depends. If it ends up splitting Sony's resources where they have to build completely different games for both systems then it is likely not going to do well. This resource splitting is what hurt Wii U and Vita as their respective developers decided to focus 3DS (the portable which has been Nintendo's stronger suite and the platforms with their largest installbase) and PS3/PS4 (the home consoles which has been Sony's stronger suite and the platforms with their largest installbase). Now if Sony makes a portable PS4, maybe with weaker specs (which is the only way I can see them doing it right now since there are really no affordable mobile alternatives to a full PS4) but where ultimately most current games will be able to run with a patch, then that has a good chance of doing well (assuming the price is good, the hardware is good, etc). The problem is that while the CPU tech is there, the Vega GPUs even in the new Ryzen 5 ultra mobile parts are not really up to the snuff.



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bonzobanana on 22 December 2017
HoangNhatAnh said:
bonzobanana said:
I think the time is too early for a portable of the same power as ps4 but it needs to run similar code so perhaps a portable with quad core cpu's at 2ghz and gpu power in portable mode of about 300 gflops and the same 4GB of main memory as Switch but perhaps 2GB of video memory. Architecture very similar to standard ps4 with broadly very similar cpu power but much reduced gpu power. So it can run all the logic and game engine routines as a standard ps4 but output is much reduced in visual quality. Needs to be a little bit smaller and more compact with longer battery runtime. The screen would be 1080p but mainly streamed games from a ps4 or ps4 pro would take advantage of that plus simple games. Most big games would be forced to upscale from a much lower resolution, mainly 720p. I wouldn't bother myself going for a much more powerful docked mode due to cooling issues and the console being more compact than Switch.

1080p screen for use in a VR visor with games both streamed wired and wireless (wired to prevent lag) plus simple native rendered VR titles.

Long battery runtime 7 hrs plus.

5.5" to 6.2" screen, no removable controllers. Would look very similar to a DS4 but flattened with a screen in the middle and joysticks reduced in height closer to Vita. Also functions as a DS4. Would emulate Vita, PSP, PS1 and PS2 (as in if you own those games on psn it would run them). Dual micro SD slots and sim slot all models. Dock would be a simple power, hdmi and usb device but would allow for wireless display so you can remove the console from the dock to control games but would still have hdmi output. That's my idea of a good basis for a hybrid console.

What price?

Less than Switch more than 3DS. Sony normally offers much better hardware value in performance terms and I feel they should focus more on portability than performance so it should sit at a early Vita price point $250/£210 with the VR visor another $50/£40. Should then drop to $200/£170 for its first big price drop. There is absolutely no reason why this price point isn't easily achievable and profitable for Sony. It really just has to be more powerful and more portable than Switch which will be easy to do if launched lets say late next year. It would need to be fully compatible with all playstation VR titles as well. The visor could also be used portably to give augmented reality etc and more basic VR experiences, maybe ps2/ps3 level VR titles. 

I do think Sony needs to integrate VR into their portable platform. It may even be that the only offer a hybrid style VR platform in the future so if you want to play VR on ps4, ps4 pro or ps5 it will be making use of their hybrid console in a visor.  If they have a tablet with a high definition display why not combine it with a VR visor. Sony have less need for a dock anyway with their more powerful home consoles, a hybrid portable/VR system in many ways would be better and tv output while supported would be more of a minor feature. 



Nem on 22 December 2017

Sony is leading the market. It doesn't need to copy anything. They are doing well as they are.

 

Tbh it is early to call something like the switch as a trend. The Wii created a trend and it went up in smoke after a couple of years. It's a big risk.



Conina on 22 December 2017
Lawlight said:
Think of it this way:

PS4 : sold 70M so far
PS4 with play on the go option: Will it sell less than 70M?

How many PS4 gamers would double dip for a "on the go option", probably with some compromises regarding resolution, effects/shadows, storage space...?



Azelover on 22 December 2017

I wouldn't bet on it.

Anything is possible, but is it likely: Heck no.. and I have VERY good reasons to believe this.



TallSilhouette on 22 December 2017

Thinking a little more about this...the only way I see Sony realistically making another portable in the future is as a streaming device once 5G has a decent presence (or even LEO satnet, depending on its success and required antenna size). Your device would link up with an expanded PS Now or your PS5 via remote play. There would be a data subscription, of course, but maybe they could roll that into a Plus or Now sub, somehow. With most of the processing being done remotely, the device wouldn't need powerful, expensive hardware and could be priced relatively cheaply, say in the $100-200 range (or even subsidized with the right subscription). Of course, this technology wouldn't require its own dedicated portable, either. Any 5G smartphone or tablet could access the same services with a PS app and linked DS5.