First of all let me apologise as I won't be replying much on the thread as I read more and comment less as you can see from my post history. However, reading across forums this topic has been going back and forward and many people believe the Ps5 will cost more to develop.
I'm not an industry insider but I think I have a good general understanding of how business works and what costs more and what costs less and some of the arguments don't make sense to me.
This is not about hate or picking sides about which is better. This is strictly about getting a better understanding of why one consoles may cost more than the other to develop so we can all hopefully learn a bit more from those who are more tech savvy.
From my basic understanding of consoles, I believe the 5 most expensive components that make up the price are:
1) amd processors
2) RAM
3) cooling solution
4) SSD
5) controller
AMD processor cost
mfrom what I've read so far, the x1sx has 30% more CU that will probably increase the cost of the X1sx whilst the argument for the ps5 is the higher clock rates will increase yield deficiency and Sony will have to eat up the cost. However, everything we've heard so far poibts to yields being great for the ps5. The difference in cost surely is massively in favour for the ps5 as having 30% more CUs won't come at a $5-10 difference will it?! Also, correct me if I'm wrong but more CUs also could mean higher yield deficiencies and we've heard nothing from the xbox camp to say otherwise.
Result: cheaper for ps5
RAM: same ram, but faster on the x1sx.
Result: same for both or near enough the same
Cooling solution: x1x won't go with a cheap solution. Possibly use the same colling solution as the X1X. Ps5 won't use mercury cooling, but cheaper alternative with a casing they have designed.
Result: cheaper on x1sx, but will it really be $40-50 more expensive?!
SSD: my understanding is they both use the same SSD, but how it connects is different. Ps5 has more lanes and esram I think. The tech used isn't new and expensive, its been out together by existing tech. The Esram is probably the cost differentiator, but then the xb1sx is paying for an additional 175GB of SSD.
Result: in my head at least anyway, the x1sx as the cost of the additional 175gb will out weigh the cost of the esram and other bits.
Controller: people assume there is a lot of new tech in the dual sense, but in reality it's just a DS4 with a cheap ass mic that they usually throw in for free in the earphones and they have replaces the rumble with haptic feedback. Everything else is from the DS4, and the haptic feedback alone is less new tech than going from DS3 to DS4, which had the light bar, touch controller, new rumble, speaker and headphone jack.
Results: same as they are both using mostly same tech
Outside of these differences I think there are 2 more factors to take into consideration:
Manufacturing: we know Sony not so long ago finished building their own state of the art manufacting factory. If sony is building a lot of these themselves they will save massively on manufacturing. Some how I find it hard to believe they would build this facility for the ps4 knowing the ps5 is coming out.
Result: cheaper for sony
Bulk buying: the ps5 will be ordering the same of everything with the exception of the disc drive. 10 million orders for the same ram, sad, processor etc. MS on the other hand are ordering in smaller figures for two separate machines and at least 3 different types of Ram. They won't have the bulk buying power that Sony do.
Result: cheaper for sony
Overall: everything points to a cheaper cost to Sony.
Again people, this is not about console waring, this is about understanding where the costs might be for either machine and why.
Thanks :)
