Like its two predecessors, the PlayStation 6 console will be powered by an AMD chip, but that apparently wasn’t guaranteed until 2022, when Intel lost the bid to design Sony’s new system.
According to a new report from ReutersIntel and AMD were the final two contenders in the bidding process for the contract. Reportedly, a dispute over how much profit Intel would make on each chip sold to Sony prevented Intel from reaching an agreement on price. AMD, on the other hand, won the contract through a competitive bidding process that eliminated other contenders until only Intel remained. Discussions between Intel and Sony continued for a few months in 2022 and involved meetings between the CEOs, engineers, and executives of the two companies.
Intel provided a comment to Reuters on the failed PlayStation 6 offering, saying they “I strongly disagree with this characterization, but I will not comment on any current or potential conversations with clients.” AMD declined to comment.
While the inability to decide on a price played some role in the decision, compatibility concerns were also taken into account, as switching from AMD to Intel for the PlayStation 6 would put backwards compatibility at risk. This was a matter of discussion between engineers and executives from both companies.
With the PlayStation 6 still years away from release, it’s no surprise that we know very little about the system so far. Earlier this year, we learned that Sony intends to make it the most powerful next generation system and Machine learning will play a major role in realizing what manufacturers are billing as the biggest generational leap ever.