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Forums - Nintendo - Will Nintendo's next handheld and console use Power PC like the Wii U?

generic-user-1 on 02 August 2014
zarx said:
Most likely they will just drop backwards compatibility with home consoles. I think a ARM based architecture across both make the most sense for handheld/console architecture. I seriously doubt PowerPC is really suitable for a handheld system. They would need to spend a lot of time modernizing the architecture for the needs of a low power, battery based device. AMD are developing some ARM based designs, so they could provide a design for both systems. ARM is a scalable architecture that is just as prevalent as x86 plus Nintendo already use it for their handhelds.


and ARM cpus are cheap and powerfull, and porting from mobile isnt a big deal.

a nice Dodeca-Core AMD ARM handheld.



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amak11 on 02 August 2014
JazzB1987 said:
PigPen said:
Nintendo will be smart and keep backward compatibility so yes.


Nintendo just needs to add a PowerPC cpu to the x86 CPU. No need to go PowerPC only.

And in lets say 5 years  the WiiU CPU which is  an overclocked Wii CPU times 3 -which is an overclocked GameCube processor from around 1999 or someting should be pretty cheap. (I know that its heavily modified each time but still)


They will ensure backwards compatibility by adding a yet again overclocked WiiU/Wii/GC processor with probably 1 additional core. Why 4 cores?  Because the WiiU uses an ARM Dualcore CPU to handle OS/ Menu and security stuff. This is not needed when they can use the WiiU CPU for stuff like that and they will add a fourth core so they can even have security/menu/OS stuff going on while the WiiU mode uses the 3 other cores that existed in the original WiiU for gaming.

So if it will have BC it will go for X86 + WiiU CPU (a having a different GPU is almost completely irrelevant for BC so no need for the WiiU GPU to be in there. I mean WiiU can also play GC games without emulation!)

That's wrong, it uses an ARM tri-core CPU. Most games now don't even use the third-core of the Wii U. It will likely be the next generation ARM processor, and likely will be triple or double what the Wii U currently has in power. Also, Wii mode supports the tri-core processor as it's a custom OS. 

This would ensure backwards compatibility to Wii U and Wii, possible 4K/2K support. Would likely have 8gb of RAM, a slightly better GPU than what's in the PS4 and One.  In 5 years all this stuff would help Nintendo again create a 300 dollar machine because the basic rule of technology... Everything get's cheaper over time.



Frogger on 02 August 2014
JazzB1987 said:

Nintendo just needs to add a PowerPC cpu to the x86 CPU. No need to go PowerPC only.

And in lets say 5 years  the WiiU CPU which is  an overclocked Wii CPU times 3 -which is an overclocked GameCube processor from around 1999 or someting should be pretty cheap. (I know that its heavily modified each time but still)


They will ensure backwards compatibility by adding a yet again overclocked WiiU/Wii/GC processor with probably 1 additional core. Why 4 cores?  Because the WiiU uses an ARM Dualcore CPU to handle OS/ Menu and security stuff. This is not needed when they can use the WiiU CPU for stuff like that and they will add a fourth core so they can even have security/menu/OS stuff going on while the WiiU mode uses the 3 other cores that existed in the original WiiU for gaming.

So if it will have BC it will go for X86 + WiiU CPU (a having a different GPU is almost completely irrelevant for BC so no need for the WiiU GPU to be in there. I mean WiiU can also play GC games without emulation!)


Would that make the console more expensive than just having all X86 or all PowerPC?  Also, since when can the Wii U play GC games without emulation?



Frogger on 02 August 2014
zarx said:
Most likely they will just drop backwards compatibility with home consoles. I think a ARM based architecture across both make the most sense for handheld/console architecture. I seriously doubt PowerPC is really suitable for a handheld system. They would need to spend a lot of time modernizing the architecture for the needs of a low power, battery based device. AMD are developing some ARM based designs, so they could provide a design for both systems. ARM is a scalable architecture that is just as prevalent as x86 plus Nintendo already use it for their handhelds.


But Sony and Microsoft don't, which causes an issue for ports, right? And they can't make x86 and PowerPC scalable? I don't think they'll drop BC for anything. The last time they did that was with the GCN. Dropping BC would go against everything they said in January.



Frogger on 02 August 2014
amak11 said:

That's wrong, it uses an ARM tri-core CPU. Most games now don't even use the third-core of the Wii U. It will likely be the next generation ARM processor, and likely will be triple or double what the Wii U currently has in power. Also, Wii mode supports the tri-core processor as it's a custom OS. 

This would ensure backwards compatibility to Wii U and Wii, possible 4K/2K support. Would likely have 8gb of RAM, a slightly better GPU than what's in the PS4 and One.  In 5 years all this stuff would help Nintendo again create a 300 dollar machine because the basic rule of technology... Everything get's cheaper over time.


That doesn't help at all with porting to and from those systems and their successors, though. All that sounds well and good, but no one is questioning portability between the Wii U and it's successors. The question is if it can do both - Port to the XBO/PS4/successors as well as remain BC with the Wii U while remaining $300 or less.



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Mnementh on 02 August 2014

It's a wrong assumption, the difference between x86 and PowerPC is a hurdle for porting. These days it does not involve much mpre than a recompile, the same compilers are available for all major CPUs. Think for a moment about cross-buy. It means porting between PS3 and Vita is so inexpensive, that it is enough to buy one of the games. The difference between PS3 and Vita is a lot more than the CPU.

The reason why 3rd-parties don't release multiplats for WiiU isn't that is as a different CPU. More of an impact is, that the WiiU is less powerful. But most importantly games sell bad on WiiU.

As compilers are readily available for all major CPU-architectures, the only consideration is, if the CPUs can be produced:
a) reliable
b) cheap
c) in big amounts
PowerPC, x86 and ARM are currently fitting that.



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jonathanalis on 02 August 2014

but psvita is less powerfull than ps3 and sells worst too...



amak11 on 02 August 2014
spemanig said:
amak11 said:

That's wrong, it uses an ARM tri-core CPU. Most games now don't even use the third-core of the Wii U. It will likely be the next generation ARM processor, and likely will be triple or double what the Wii U currently has in power. Also, Wii mode supports the tri-core processor as it's a custom OS. 

This would ensure backwards compatibility to Wii U and Wii, possible 4K/2K support. Would likely have 8gb of RAM, a slightly better GPU than what's in the PS4 and One.  In 5 years all this stuff would help Nintendo again create a 300 dollar machine because the basic rule of technology... Everything get's cheaper over time.


That doesn't help at all with porting to and from those systems and their successors, though. All that sounds well and good, but no one is questioning portability between the Wii U and it's successors. The question is if it can do both - Port to the XBO/PS4/successors as well as remain BC with the Wii U while remaining $300 or less.

Architecture isn't a problem now, devs complained about power. In 5 years a lot of the technology in the PS4 and One will be outpaced by phones. 



Frogger on 02 August 2014
Mnementh said:
It's a wrong assumption, the difference between x86 and PowerPC is a hurdle for porting. These days it does not involve much mpre than a recompile, the same compilers are available for all major CPUs. Think for a moment about cross-buy. It means porting between PS3 and Vita is so inexpensive, that it is enough to buy one of the games. The difference between PS3 and Vita is a lot more than the CPU.

The reason why 3rd-parties don't release multiplats for WiiU isn't that is as a different CPU. More of an impact is, that the WiiU is less powerful. But most importantly games sell bad on WiiU.

As compilers are readily available for all major CPU-architectures, the only consideration is, if the CPUs can be produced:
a) reliable
b) cheap
c) in big amounts
PowerPC, x86 and ARM are currently fitting that.

But look at things like FFXV and KH3 on the XBO. Those are easy ports from the PS4, and I'm sure that the reason is because porting between the two is so easy that all they can stand to do is profit. If the Wii U was x86 instead of PowerPC, I'm sure the Wii U would be getting those games.



Frogger on 02 August 2014
amak11 said:

Architecture isn't a problem now, devs complained about power. In 5 years a lot of the technology in the PS4 and One will be outpaced by phones. 


In 5 years, a lot of the tech in the PS4 and XBO will be outpaced by everything, including the next x86 whatever. Architecture clearly is a problem. If it wasn't, games like Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warefare would be on the Wii U. A game like that would have no problem selling, but the extra work porting is obviously an issue on the Wii U that doesn't exist on the PS4 thanks to nearly identical hardware.