The PlayStation 4 will not use Sony's Cell processor nor any possible successor to the vaunted chipset that was introduced to the world through the PlayStation 3, gaming industry sources tell Kotaku.

What we're hearing from sources follow a Forbes rumor last week that chip-maker AMD would make the graphics chip for a PS4, a shift from the PS3's use of a graphics chip from AMD rival Nvidia.

The abandonment of the Cell architecture would thrill the many game developers who have struggled with the complex chipset, but it could also be viewed as the admission of a mistake.

Cell was the pet project of PlayStation creator Ken Kutaragi, who dreamed that the chip—a "Power Processing Element" married to eight "Synergistic Processing Elements"—would make the PS3 the most impressive gaming console ever. He spoke of a home equipped with multiple devices that were powered by Cell, all of them linking to each other to increase the computational power driving any of the devices.

Cell was not the revolution Sony hoped and hyped that it would be. It also never managed to make the PS3 appear to be significantly more powerful than the year-older Xbox 360. That could have been the Cell's fault or simply the result of development decisions that compelled game creators to make their games run on both the PS3 and the generally-more-popular Xbox 360.

But with no Cell or Cell successor in the PS4, what would Sony do? Here's where the reporting turns to speculation. One theory I've heard is that AMD will provide both the CPU and GPU for the PS4, meaning that AMD, not Sony, would engineer the main processing and graphics chips for the machine. Should AMD be doing that, they could go with the AMD Fusion architecture, which puts CPU and GPU on the same chip. AMD has already been putting chips like this out (one was considered for the MacBook Air), which would enable Sony to turn to developers and say: you could be working with the PS4 architecture right now; just work on an AMD Llano chip or something. Would developers like that? They'd have to prefer it to Cell and—what do you know—here's one of gaming history's best programmers, id's John Carmack, saying in an interview with PC Perspective last year that AMD Fusion-style chip architecture is "almost a forgone conclusion" for the future of computing.

A Sony rep declined to comment on this story, citing the company's policy not to comment on rumors and speculation.

Sony hasn't even acknowledged the existence of the PlayStation 4 let alone detailed the guts within it. But we're beginning to hear trickles of information about Sony's next gen. It's all vaguer than the talk for next Xbox, code-named Durango, which Microsoft has been showing to publisher and developer partners.

The lack of chatter on PS4 would suggest that Sony will once again put its next console out after Microsoft. But if the chipset for the PS4 is actually one that already exists, then aspiring PS4 developers might find themselves capable of ramping up for this new machine faster than expected. And if that happens, the code-named Durango, probable for 2013, might have a sparring partner from Sony sooner than we thought.

http://kotaku.com/5889410/playstation-4-ditching-the-cell-processor-sources-say-which-leads-to-some-wild-theories

Are Sony going to ditch the Cell and with it backwards compatability, or is this just wishful thinking on the part of a dev?

Now people will finally realize the true power of the CELL. It can do everything including disappear!

One one hand, I'd prefere they keep it, so you'll be able to play ps3 games on the machine.. And because I think the structure, when used properly, is badass.

On the other hand. A lot of people who are not sony, have problems using the structure properly, and a more common structure, will likely allow developers to invest less into making games on the machine.. Since they wont have to figure out how it works first :P

Cell has been doing some nice shrinking over the years and I'm not an expert or anything but Cell packs quite a punch. Those processors will be cheaper by 2014, but I don't know much about the cost difference with any AMD CPU. I've been kind of thinking Sony would stick with Cell, they have a great group of developers who work well with Cell and other developers have been using it for multiplats. Whether they like it or not they are learning how to use it. As far as the GPU being AMD, I could see that. I don't think Sony needs to stick with NVIDIA, but maybe NVIDIA has some awesome chip in the lot for Sony's attention too, its too early to confirm. By E3 we might have some solid info going on the start of developer models and therefor some internal specs.

There is only one possible explanation.

TEH CELL grew too powerful, so they had to destroy it for the good of humanity.

On a serious note, PS3 R&D must have been a disaster under Ken Kutaragi, spending billions of dollars to make a processor architecture just to ditch it next gen. Not efficient at all.

Since a lot of titles seem to suffer on the PS3 (because they're ported from Xbox or PC), it could be a good move for Sony to do that. Maybe gamers will be getting games of equal quality to that of Xbox.

Would the lack of Cell prevent ps3 games from playing?

Have Team Ico said it's the PS3 architecture that's the problem, or is it simply turning their vision into a playable game? I don't think you can necessarily assume delays are due to teh C3ll. What have Sucker Punch said?

Teh C3ll hasn't stopped Naughty Dog or Insomniac from being fairly prolific, and producing good quality games.

One of the deliverables for PS4 will have to be backwards compatibility for ongoing sale of PSN games released late in PS3's life (i.e. from now on). As long as AMD/Sony can deliver b/c then it doesn't matter.

The good thing about the Cell was that PS3 wasn't simply a PC in drag and it allowed Sony to put out some fantastic looking and performing exclusive games, that for whatever reason weren't matched in the 360 exclusive stable.

Generic PC architecture means PS4 won't be able to use it's exclusives as showcase premium products. But still with a good stable of exclusives they will be still be selling points even if qualitatively they are no better than the multis.

It wont be backwards compatible anyway, Sony plan to sell PS3 for years and years after PS4 releases just like the PS2