silvergunner said:
Keep in mind Nintendo passed on using a much higher performance PowerPC processor (G4, G5, A2 etc.) in the Wii-U in favour of a processor (PowerPC 750 aka. G3) that Apple stopped using 10 years before, and the system itself struggles to match the previous generation PS3 and Xbox 360. Even now cellphones have better processors than the Wii-U, and they are only going to get better. If Nintendo have any sense at all they'd use the chip you suggested, or go to x86 like Sony and Microsoft. But its unlikely considering their recent record of going for cheap, obsolete hardware. |
They likely will use a mobile chip, but it'll be their own design with their own partners like AMD and ARM (not Nvidia).
It's just more of a point that you can today get that level of performance from a mobile chip already.
Nintendo's job listing for a Next Generation Graphics Engineer Lead from last year also specifically cited that they're looking for someone with experience with low power/mobile chips. So that's kind of another tip off.
A lot of the bad design decisions with the Wii U were rooted in having to have backwards compatibility with the Wii because of its early market success. Since Wii U is a total dud sales wise, Nintendo is freed of the obligation of having to have direct Wii U backwards comp next time out. So that gives them more freedom too. No business suit at Nintendo is breathing down their engineers' necks saying they must incorporate the Wii U backwards compatibility.
