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[ozfunghi]

Eclectic Jabber Monkey found an interesting article, closed for non-subscribers, in a now closed thread .

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=203525625&postcount=4855

It’s new console time again and SemiAccurate brings you news of Nintendo’s NX silicon. If you recall our past guesses were pretty spot on and this time should be the same. You might also recall we made some pretty surprising calls on the console silicon front too, and this one will probably make most of you pick your jaw off the floor.

Fourth Storm read the article:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=203545875&postcount=4890

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=203546787&postcount=4899

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=203546301&postcount=4896

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=203547291&postcount=4905

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=203547777&postcount=4914

It's Tegra.

Seems like it may be talking about the handheld? No idea about the home console, but NVidia confirmed according to SemiAccurate. Nvidia's stance on console's was supposedly a cover for the fact that MS and Sony wouldn't let them in on negotiations after the previous console contracts.

Yes, this info is from the article.

Apparently, the loss of consoles was a huge blow to NVidia's pride behind the scenes, and the team were told to get a "win" or don't bother coming to work. Nintendo got a good price on the chips. And yes, this is for the handheld only.

According to one of the SA sources, NVidia may even be taking a net loss on this one after software, support, and the whole shebang are done with. Crazy.

There's nothing mentioned about a home console. My own speculation: That could still be AMD. If they share an ARM CPU type, the whole common platform would be doable with Vulkan as an API.

Thraktor also posted an interesting hypothesis in the other thread (which he reposted below).

 

[Pokemaniac]

Probably would be better to put the full quotes from Fourth Storm in the OP.

 

[Eolz]

As said in the other thread, extremely interesting news, and great as well!
Hope it's true, lots of potential behind that.

Really weird after what happened with the 3ds.

 

[Übermatik]

Promising, contrary to Emily's rumours on the suspected home hardware.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Please can you post all the posters who summarized and explained everything before it turns into Nintendo doom and gloom lol

 

[Lilalaunebaer]

Nvidia in the Handheld.

Emily Rogers stuff.

 

[TwilightPrincess]

Originally Posted by Fourth Storm

According to one of the SA sources, NVidia may even be taking a net loss on this one after software, support, and the whole shebang are done with. Crazy.

I hope that´s true.

 

[georly]

Cool, hope this means that they can possibly make a more powerful handheld than 3DS for less than the price of the N3DSXL.

The expensive stuff on the 3DS is clearly the screen(s) and tech related to those, so if they get rid of the dual screens and the 3D, we could be looking at a sub 199 handheld with power comparable to last gen, no? Meaning it'd be possible to port some Wii U games to this handheld, if they wanted (and the chips/ram are good enough).

 

[Trace]

Honestly a Tegra chip would probably get me to buy one. Would be nice to have a Nintendo handheld that wasn't hilariously underpowered at launch.

 

[Vena]

Cool, hope this means that they can possibly make a more powerful handheld than 3DS for less than the price of the N3DSXL.

??

 

[Retromelon]

I hope the stable 3d is kept for the new handheld. Pls drop dual screens, eats up battery life and gpu resources when i can just press start if I want to look at menus

 

[Bony Manifesto]

A Semi Accurate rumour that paints Nvidia in a negative light? Surely not!

 

[Thraktor]

Just to quote my theory from the other thread:

Well, for all we know Nvidia could have done Nintendo a deal on the X1 simply to use up a TSMC 20nm wafer purchase commitment (as the X1 is their only 20nm chip, and it's only been used in the Shield TV and the Pixel C, neither are big sellers). It may have been cheaper for them to sell the chips at a loss to Nintendo than to pay a penalty to TSMC for dropping out of their wafer order.

The reason I was talking about it there is that it would explain why Nvidia would be willing to make a loss on the deal. As a point of reference, AMD was penalised to the tune of $320 million when they pulled out of a wafer order commitment with Global Foundries a few years back. That's the kind of order of magnitude you'd be looking at if (and it's a bit if) Nvidia had committed to large 20nm purchases from TSMC and they had to renege on them due to poor sales of the Nvidia X1. They'd be desperate to make the sale to Nintendo, as Nintendo would be pretty much the only customer buying in the quantity necessary to cover their wafer commitments, so would be willing to offer Nintendo an absurdly good deal, even to the point of making a loss on each chip sold, as it would still be better than paying the penalty to TSMC.

It's only a theory, but it would explain why Nvidia would be willing to take a loss on the chips. (Which could also extend to a custom-designed 20nm chip).

 

[godhandiscen]

Not surprising. Nintendo almost went with Tegra for the 3DS.

 

[Renekton]

Nvidia likes fat margins, doubt they will deal with Nintendo.

 

[georly]

Not surprising. Nintendo almost went with Tegra for the 3DS.

Was that ever confirmed or was that just a false rumor?

 

[ozfunghi]

Just to quote my theory from the other thread:

It's only a theory, but it would explain why Nvidia would be willing to take a loss on the chips. (Which could also extend to a custom-designed 20nm chip).

Thanks, i was going to mention them in the OP, but i was still adding Fourth Storms quotes.

 

[Mindlog]

lol
A tegra win would be pretty surprising.

 

[Thraktor]

Thanks, i was going to mention them in the OP, but i was still adding Fourth Storms quotes.

Probably better off not mentioning it, to be honest (or people will assume it's from the article, rather than just my own speculation).

 

[James Scott]

The source posted a thread as well http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=203563272&posted=1#post203563272
Not sure which to stick with.

 

[Eolz]

Should merge both threads now.

 

[thefro]

Fourth Storm started his own thread, so this one should probably be merged with that. (as he's the source summarizing the article)

 

[CO_Andy]

Casual market don't care for AAA graphical fidelity on portables. The only audience that would care is of course Nintendo's...

 

[Blanquito]

Just to quote my theory from the other thread:





It's only a theory, but it would explain why Nvidia would be willing to take a loss on the chips. (Which could also extend to a custom-designed 20nm chip).

Hmm interesting, I wasn't aware that chipmakers may require some sort of minimum order, but it makes sense

 

[ozfunghi]

Fourth Storm started his own thread, so this one should probably be merged with that. (as he's the source summarizing the article)

God damn it! lol.

Up to the mods.

 

[akidnamededdy]

Ditch the 3D but I can't imagine a new Nintendo handheld without dual screens anymore. I love dual screens.

 

[Occam]

As I said in the other thread, what matters more to me is the screen of the handheld.
Please let it be good this time. And don't region lock it, or I'm automatically out.

3D in high res would also be awesome.