Rumour: PSP2 Features Quad Core Graphics Chip

By Richard Leadbetter Published 7 July, 2009

Digital Foundry investigates the tech.

Eurogamer.es is reporting that PowerVR technology from Imagination Technologies will form the basis of the still-in-development PSP2. The site claims to have insider sources that reckon that a quad core iteration of the low-power SGX543MP chip, codenamed "Hydra", will be present in the next generation handheld, not to be confused with the forthcoming PSPgo.

The chip itself appears to be very close indeed to the enhanced GPU experts say resides within the iPhone 3GS, providing a generational leap in performance over older PowerVR MBX processors found in the previous models. The same technology is also found in select netbooks such as the Dell Mini 12, as part of the new low power Poulsbo chipset. The single core version of the chip has been demonstrated at CES running Quake 3 Arena at 30FPS.

The obvious difference of course is that the SGX543MP is a multicore processor, available with anything up to 16 cores on tap. According to the original report, PSP2 opts for a quad configuration offering notional specs of 133 million polygons per second, and 4Gpixels/sec fillrate, assuming that Hydra operates at the chip's low-end of 200MHz (higher speed variants are also available, presumably for desktop use). While specs like this are always subject to interpretation, these figures are a ballpark match for the original Xbox. However, PowerVR's tech includes tile-based deferred rendering, which should provide a nice performance boost.

Also of interest is the fact that Imagination Technologies itself describes the chip as a GP-GPU, meaning it has the ability to operate as both CPU and graphics processor in one handy package, similar to projects being worked on by Intel and AMD. It may well be that PSP2 will centralise all of its processing into a single chip, thus saving power and providing other efficiency savings from a programming perspective (lightning fast interaction between game logic and graphics, for example).

So just how plausible is the original Spanish Eurogamer report? Having shared with us some of the more "off the record" information about the source of the info, it's a likely proposition, not least because Sony is hotly rumoured to have been the mystery "major international consumer electronics company" mentioned in this press release issued back in November last year.

Picture of Richard.

About Richard Leadbetter

Rich has been a games journalist since the days of 16-bit and specialises in technical analysis. Commonly known around Eurogamer as the Blacksmith of the Future.

Read more articles from Richard by visiting the Richard Leadbetter archive page.

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Comments (35) 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • woodnotes #1 3 years ago

    If Sony is implementing quad-core graphics chips in the PSP2, it still clearly doesn't understand the handheld market IMHO. The problem with the PSP certainly isn't its graphics capabilities.

  • Vistrix #2 3 years ago

    @woodnotes The PSP is the only handheld to successfully compete with Nintendo in this market.

    Im sure they know what they're doing.

    Everybody is hoping for PS2 emulation, im sure this quad core has something to do with it.

  • mrharvest #3 3 years ago

    Does it have the nub in the right place this time?

  • Uncle_Spanks #4 3 years ago

    ....But will it have a nub that you can play Tiger Woods accurately with?!

  • Eraysor #5 3 years ago

    If it has PS2 emulation I would probably buy it the moment it bacame available.

  • videogangs #6 3 years ago

    @woodnotes

    Actually by using a GPGPU they might be able to reduce production costs to something sensible (less hardware onboard, more efficiently used) if that's what you're suggesting. It's certainly what's always put me off the PSP (besides the pretty shite software catalogue).

  • Dizzy #7 3 years ago

    The return of the DC!

  • ShinMegami08 #8 3 years ago

    Oh my god TEH PSP IS TEH DOOM3D!!

    if the software sales were so bad, than why is every popular franchise coming to the PSP? MetalGearSolid, Resident Evil, Rockband, Persona, LBP, Motorstorm, Tales of, FinalFantasy Dissidia, FinalFantasyXIII, GrandTheftAuto, Silent Hill Gran Turismo,.... and dont get me started. And dont forget: The PSP is since five years on the market, so I imagine that the publishers would have noticed till now if the sales were bad....

    GTA ViceCityStories sold about 4 million copies on the PSP... How much did it sell on the DS?

    Ok, PSP games dont make it often in the charts, because they probably are less Day One purchases. They have strong legs.

  • Dizzy #9 3 years ago

    "Ok, PSP games dont make it often in the charts, because they probably are less Day One purchases. They have strong legs. "

    ROFL... good one.

    Probably more due to piracy.

  • Kay #10 3 years ago

    It's a bit worrying seeing all these rumours before the PSP Go has even been released. Considering how expensive the new model will be, anything earlier than a 2011 release for its successor would piss many PSP Go owners off, I would imagine.

  • SEVQA #11 3 years ago

    WILL YOU GET THAT ROLL OVER OUT OF MY FACE!

  • Zomoniac #12 3 years ago

    if the software sales were so bad, than why is every popular franchise coming to the PSP?

    Notice how they all suddenly appear in one massive batch, to coincide with the launch of a new PSP that Sony believe will be pirate-proof. Most of those games were probably finished months ago, but were held back until Sony felt they had a way of guaranteeing some decent sales. I don't think they'll get any, cos nobody's going to buy a Go!, but we shall see.

  • makeamazing #13 3 years ago

    I didnt think anyone would buy a DSi, so Im not convinced that no one will buy a PSP GO... guess we will have to wait and see.

  • louyfitz #14 3 years ago

    Can we have the second half of the controls yet please?

    Thats all I care about with PSP2, I want to play FPS games properly on a handheld.

    Most people will disagree with me on this of course, but I'm fed up of handheld games always being let down by the control system, touch is not the way forward for gaming. Touch is the way forward for computing, browsing and graphic design. But some people like to play games traditionally. Lots of buttons and two sticks.

    Don't get me wrong some of the games coming out on iphone are amazing, but not my sort of thing.

    DS also could have done quite well in the FPS space if third parties made a few more games of that genre. Metroid is awesome tho, considering the hardware it runs on.
    Edited by 1 at 07/07/09 @ 14:10

  • penhalion #15 3 years ago

    Sounds interesting at this early stage, though I'm immediately worried that the battery life of this thing is going to be abysmal.

  • peterfll #16 3 years ago

    The existing PSP isn't miles away from emulating PS2 performance. In the hands of the right developers... there just haven't been lots of examples of developers getting peak performance from it. Which is a shame, because the PSP can still impress the hell out of me when developers get it right.

  • ShinMegami08 #17 3 years ago

    @mappman

    from the twelve AAA-games that I have wroten down only three (LBP, Motorstorm and Gran Turismo) are from Sony. All other games are from third parties.

    Don't understand why the PSP gets always bashed in the forums. I have it since day one, it still works great and the software lineup is really brilliant. Can remember when I had a GBA, only bought like four games because they sucked so much.

  • ShinMegami08 #18 3 years ago

    And people:

    The PSP Go is a Deluxe version of the PSP. Nothing really new, something for the geeks and nerds.You could compare it in my opinion to the GBA SP.

  • peterfll #19 3 years ago

    Hmm, although the GBA SP sold loads as people thought it was a significant upgrade, it will be interesting if the market reacts the same with the PSPGo.

  • peterfll #20 3 years ago

    "Can remember when I had a GBA, only bought like four games because they sucked so much".

    Really?! I still play some of my GBA games on my DS. I loved the GBA, I bought loads of games, it has a huge library across so many genres.

  • BOFH_UK #21 3 years ago

    @peterfll : the GBA SP WAS a significant upgrade for one reason: you could actually see the screen without needing a 1000w light pearched on your nose thanks to the built-in frontlight. Plus it was a far more portable and pracitcal form factor than the original GBA.

    @ShinMegami08 : In denial much? Look, I've got a PSP and it's a decent little platform but there's no doubt it's been suffering a MASSIVE lack of publisher support mainly because of poor sales and high piracy. How many good games (note good, not even great) came out in 2008? How many have their been in the first half of 2009? Maybe 5? It's got some major design issues (location of the analogue nub chief amongst them) and Sony themselves don't seem to really know what to do with the platform going forward.

    The PSPGo is an experiment to see if consumers are ready to go for digital download as their only source of games and it's one that Sony aren't particularly confident in. They've clearly reused the design of the Mylo and, in so doing, screwed up the control placement quite badly IMO and, the killer, the PSP3000 is going to still be on the market at a much lower price point. That's not the action of a company confident they're about to strike a killer blow with their new hardware.

    As for the PSP2 (yay, back on topic!) more power is always nice but they really need to think about the market they want to capture. If they're after the hardcore crowd they need to make sure they don't repeat the mistakes of the PSP (2nd analogue nub and proper game support for a kick off) and make damn sure it can't be cracked as easily. If they're after the casual market it needs to be MUCH sexier than the PSP and offer more than just £30 downloadable games. Keeping backwards compatibility with the PSP library, even if only on the digital download side, would also be crucial.
    Edited by 1 at 07/07/09 @ 13:55

  • ShinMegami08 #22 3 years ago

    No good games in 2008?

    2008: God of War, FF7 Crisis Core, Star Ocean, Patapon, Echochrome, Disgaea, Locoroco 2. Good enough for me...

  • ruttyboy #23 3 years ago

    Anyone who looks at the Chart Track figures every week will be in no doubt that software sales on the PSP are nothing short of abysmal. If it wasn't from Sony then plenty of retailers would have dropped it as a format a long time ago.

    Sure it sells millions of hardware units, but for software sales it is a dog, there is no real argument here, at least from anyone looking at the reality of the situation.
    Edited by 1 at 07/07/09 @ 16:59

  • ShinMegami08 #24 3 years ago

    @ruttyboy

    Your argument only works for the US and europe. In Japan PSP games are very often in the top10. So it's just not true that PSP software doesn't sell software.
    And if you look at GTA (4 million sold copies), Ratchet&Clank (1,5 million sold copies), MonsterHunterFreedom (3 millions?) Wipeout (1 million), MetalGearSolid PO (2 millions) nobody can really say that only hackers are using the PSP.
    Just wait how much Gran Turismo will sell...

    Edited by 1 at 07/07/09 @ 17:11

  • ShinMegami08 #25 3 years ago

    Crisis Core: 2,5 millions
    God of War: 2 millions
    Tekken: 2 millions
    ...

    There's just not so much shovelware as on the DS.

  • Marshall2008 #26 3 years ago

    I have had a PSP since day one. It is running the current hacked firmware so I can download and play any of the new games. The thing is, I cannot even remember the last time I even turned it on to play a game on it. Last time I charged it up was to make a Pandora battery so that I could flash my mates slim for him.

    Even my kids have no interest in the PSP. They tend to stick to the PC and 360 now with some occasional LBP on the PS3.

  • rhubarbandcustard #27 3 years ago

    My DS collection consists of Professor Layton and GTA China Town Wars.

    My PSP has around a dozen games downloaded to memory card from the PSN store.

    When people suggest that the PSP beats the DS in hardware specs but not in the games catalogue what are they referring to exactly? Seriously. I would expand my DS collection if there are good games, but I've just scanned Play again and the DS library is still all kiddie crap.
    Edited by 1 at 07/07/09 @ 18:25

  • InternetRed #28 3 years ago

    Only really want a power increase and quad cores, if it means I can play PS2 games on it (as long as it comes with two more shoulder buttons and two analogue sticks that are responsive).

  • raion #29 3 years ago

    there simply are a $%/"$load of good japanese games that never get a worldwide release, because there's the general idea that we only care about shooters and sports games. I'm amazed that locoroco and patapon made it over actually.
    the psp still doesn't compare to the ds even in japan, but it's far from being a failed system without support.
    I for one, love mine, and regret buying the ds.

    so I await excited the psp2, hoping they really work on the ps2 support, even if it halves the battery life. people always complain about ps2 ports, but really, I think it's amazing to have console-like gaming experiences on a handheld, wherever whenever.

  • ShinMegami08 #30 3 years ago

    Oh yeah and I almost forgot: Tekken, Soul Calibur, Assasins Creed, Tenchu, StarWars Battlefront, Lord of the rings, Army of Two, Dantes Inferno... All third party games.

    At the E3 conference of Sony the PSP took quite a lot of space. That isn't a coincidence: The PSP is Sony's money cow at the moment.
    Edited by 2 at 07/07/09 @ 22:21

  • Skywise #31 3 years ago

    No matter what you say for defense of the PSP, fact is that its cause seems lost in Holland.
    The DS has more shelf space in the shops and in the last year this gap has become bigger.

    There are some pretty cool games for PSP but unless the PSP2 has 2 analogue nubs, a touch screen and good battery life I won't rush to buy it. I would welcome a DS-like machine with better graphics and movie playback :-)
    Edited by 1 at 08/07/09 @ 00:16

  • flanker22 #32 3 years ago

    sony is the market leaders.... in making difficult hardware to program for.

  • Bravestinsane #33 3 years ago

    @Vistrix

    The PSP is the only handheld to successfully compete with Nintendo in this market.

    ...

    errrm i didn't realise there was a 3rd hand held. If there isn't of course the " PSP is the only handheld to successfully compete " it's the only other bloody one that can.

    Without including Mobile Phones, Or the Ipod Touch. Name another handheld CURRENTLY out that has a wide range or games that can match Nintendo DS or PSP

  • DryHeat #34 3 years ago

    PSP1 plays ps1 games
    The PSP2 should play PS2 games. It should have 2 memory sticks 1 internal and 1 external instead of 1 internal memory which cant be upgraded and 1 eternal memory stick.
    The PSP3 should play PS3 games in the future, by then 1TB or 2TB M2 cards would be out by then.

  • chargen #35 2 years ago

    Actually, the iPhone has been out-competing the PSP in this market. Though both are still miles behind the DS.