Nintendo Revolution specs leaked online (by Han Solo?)
by Dan Choi 
{ Sep 22nd 2005 at 9:00PM }
A Factor 5 employee (who goes by the alias
"Han Solo") has purportedly leaked the specs to the Nintendo
Revolution.
Whether we can trust
an online
forum poster for the Revolution lowdown, however, is another question. Apparently, Solo delivered the goods on
the 360's specs in the past, so he may actually know what
he's talking about. Follow the link
here
to see the points we're talkin' about, of which a few highlights are listed below:
-
1 dual-threaded IBM Custom PowerPC 2.5 GHz core with 256KB of L1 cache, 1MB of L2 cache, and maybe a rumored L3 cache as well.
-
256MB of 1T-SRAM for an ATI Custom-based RN520 600 MHz GPU that will support up to 2048x1268 resolution, though HD support is still being decided.
-
512MB of 700 MHz 1T-SRAM for the Revolutions main memory.
-
And an extra 32MB just for a Physical Processing Unit (PPU) chip to help the CPU and GPU with the processing load.
Does this mean 1 dual-threaded processor cant compare to the 360s
3 faster dual-threaded cores (or
the Cells 7 SPUs)? Nintendo stated in the past that it
wasnt aiming to win the processing-power arms raceand specs leaked in the past were more than
a little suspectbut were hoping that ease of development
for a single core, as well as the capabilities of the other respectable components mentioned, will help calm the fanboy
flames just a bit.
[Thanks, Blake]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Won't believe it til Nintendo says so.
metal_gear_jello @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Indeed, it does look like the revolution will be the easiest platform to develop for.
The processor spec seems to be the run of the mill PPC processor. I've seen similar spec like that on a Powermac, though the revolution seems to have plenty more room in its cache.
It's kind of funny though, *if these rumours prove true*, the revolution will have more memory than the PS3 and 360. though, by only 256 MB.
Again, like Dmitri said, I'll believe it when i see it.
Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Of course not, because you're horribly obsessive when it comes to following Nintendo blindly. Those specs don't sound bad at all considering they admitted to dropping out of the "more polys" race.
Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Well you'de think it would have to have a little more memory considering all of the technology that is going into the controller.
1984 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
nobody cares about its specs
Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Oh, btw, PS3's specs were upped to 512mb last I heard.
Zlatko @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
So ummm ... hmmm ... until we see some screenshots from an actual game we cant make straight comparisons...
lupes @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
:(
Iced_Eagle @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
metal_gear_jello: The X360 does have 512mb of RAM though. Not sure about PS3 though.
They originally planned to only put 256mb in the X360 but the design spec was changed earlier this year.
Google Nazi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
The reason why Nintendo doesn't reveal their specs is because they are not sure how it will be in the final product since it is a while til. Even though these specs may be real it might not be the same specs by the end.
The rev is expcted to be a real tiny machine and of course going from small to tiny will have variable specs especially when deciding what would be best for the consumer.
I do believe that the specs are lower than what the rev really is though. Until an official confirmation, we will have to wait and see.
PS. Wasn't it Factor 5 who allegitly revealed the revolution aspecs of the revolution and it turned out to be fake? hmmm.. oh well!
superberg @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Considering the fact that Factor 5 announced PS3 exclusivity in May, I doubt anyone there has any idea what the specs for the Revolution will end up being.
Furthermore, I think its important to point out that while every company uses theoretical specs in terms of poly count, Nintendo has always been far more conservative in their estimates. I'd wager Metroid Prime 2 gets a lot closer to the 14 million poly GameCube spec than Halo 2 does to the 100 million the Xbox is supposed to handle.
Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Oh yeah, if it helps any, I added a link to the 360's official specs in the original post. Here's the same link I used up top:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox360/factsheet.htm
Pectorialsaures Rex @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
These are great specs..... for me to poop on.
I doubt that Nintendo will be the easiest system to program. I don't think it gets much easier than Microsoft's Direct X.
James @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Easy to develop for sounds good in the begining but at the end it means nothing. Developers complained at how hard the PS2 was to develop for, and the Gamecube and XBox were supposed to simplify things for the developers. Yet the PS2 ended up with the largest software library. Go figure.
But I'd say it's defintley a good thing that Nintendo wants to cater to developers. They really need the controller to take off, and it's better the developers work on innovation rather than programming.
MosquitoControl @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Old news:
http://www.planetgamecube.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=12687&STARTPAGE=1
Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
There are many similarities there, MC, but also a few changes from back in May. Nice to see rumored specs get updated a little, 'ey? =)
Mike @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
The big question about the CPU is whether or not they are using the same crippled IBM core as the 360 and ps3 are. If they are, then the processor spec is verry underwelming. however if they are using a full featured core (out of ordrer processing) like IBM's 970fx then this could be a Verry Good Thing as the rev would almost certainly be better at AI processing.
Plus, if they are really putting a physics processing chip on the board, then this would be a feature that would be just as revolutionary as the controller. not only would that take a huge portion of the CPU workload away, but it would allow for physics that would make HL2 look amatureish.
But I have a hard time believing these specs. If they are true, then this box would easially measure up to the ps3 and X360. The GPU would be a match for the PS3, with the unified shader architecture on the 360 being a wild card that may significantly improve performance. The CPU, if a 970 instead of IBM's game system core, would be at least comparable to the X360 in the long run, and possibly significantly faster for the first few years out the gate. The SPU's on the PS3 could provide a significant benifit to graphics, AI, and physics if they can be harnesed well, which will take time.
The true wild card is the PPU, which, if included, will give a huge benifit over the 360 and PS3 in terms of physics. the SPU's on PS3 could be harnesed to work in much the same way as a PPU, but again it remains to be seen if the code can be written to work efficiently with them. Not to mention the fact that they are going to be harnesed for AI and graphics code as well.
And so, my vote on these specs is a firm thumbs down. Way to powerfull for what nintendo has been describing. But I can hope...
Psiven @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
I like what I see, esp. the PPC, high memory bandwidth, and very capable GPU. I'm a little skepitical however because heat must a huge factor when the Revo's case is so small. So I'm hopeful but hesitent to completely buy in.
Psiven @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Re:Mike
Great analysis. What do you think about the impact of the heat this thing would generate? Now were talking about a revolution in cooling too. So WTF?
Mike @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Also, if these specs are true, then there is a big question rased about launch price/date. the processor will have a significantly smaller die than the 360 or ps3, so will be significantly cheaper, however the r520 card with all 32 pipes enabled is a major silicon hog that will cost several hundred dollars on its own. add the PPU, 512 megs of flash, and extra main memory and it becomes questionable if this will launch at less than 400 dollars, especially since Nintendo doesn't like loosing money on consoles.
If dropping the HD really let them make this good a system afordable, then it is completly acceptible, and all wins to nintendo.
Just please make that 512 megs of flash in the form of a user accesable compact flash card that I can replace with a 4 gig one in a year when they cost $100. Hell, give me TWO slots for STANDARD cf cards.
Mike @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Yah, the 970 fx is a low power processor, desigined for laptops, and I'm assuming thats what they are talking about here. However the r520 and all of that fast ram is going to need a LOT of cooling horsepower. Just look at the blowers monted on the prototype PC cards. Add to that the complete lack of visible air intakes on the prototype boxes and plastic case, and... well... The only realistic solution is a lot of heat pipes and rear mounted fans. Although that would be relatively expensive.
Maybe its cooled by pixy dust
Sandman @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
For all of you PS2 fanboys out there boasting Sony's "largest software library" (To quote James a few posts up). How many of those suck? Remember release games like Fantavision? PS2 has a bad habit of releasing quantity rather than quality. I would much rather have ONE good game than TEN crappy ones. A massive software library doesn't mean a thing if the games are terrible.
Slashbunny @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
A physics chip could be another "surprise" that Nintendo has for us. Interacting with objects with the Revolution controller would be greatly enhanced by realistic physics. And, as stated, the capability of such would blow HL2 physics out of the water.
You move the controller in such a way that gives a realistic effect in-game, not just a psuedo-physics effect. The more I think about it, the more plausable this seems.
Glenn @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
"Of course not, because you're horribly obsessive when it comes to following Nintendo blindly"
Said the guy who follows Sony blindly...
I love this site!
LOL
It's all good @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
If you remove all the terribly bad games ps2 has you get a roughly about the same library of good games among the consoles.
My library of each console's games are approximately the same because I dont buy crappy games. However I seen more budget titles for ps2 than any of the rest.
Nick Reed @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
If you've listened to Nintendo's comments about dev kits being in developers hands for a while and read between the lines, it seems like what they suggest is that existing GameCube development kits are similar enough to the Revolution dev kit that they can be used to get work done for future games.
If you've also read developer comments regarding Xbox 360 and PS3, the consensus was that regardless of specs, because of the difficulty of developing multi-core capable software, both systems were running at roughly double the speed of the previous generation. (i.e Xbox360 is a bit faster than PS3 but not overwhelmingly)
I know towards the end of the life cycle, those issues will be past us and they might have the performance up to what in theory could be 5times the performance of previous generations (just a random guess), but if you're only going to be able to get double the speed, I think its smarter to go Nintendo's route and release what in effect is an overclocked GameCube.
ill trooper @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Chewie!
Chris @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Get in there you big furry oaf, I don't care what you smell!
soco @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
i'm sure nintendo is aiming to bring the console in at no more than 250$, and very likely 199$. so i'm gonna call hoax on the specs. since they're releasing like 9 months after MS, they'll have something that's probably almost as good as the 360 and quite possibly better, but not 768MB of ram. combined with the cost of all the peripherals would throw the console into a very expensive range.
epobirs @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
On the issue of cost alone I find these specs highly dubious.
And yes, the PPC core is very likely a variant of the same one IBM is using in Sony's and Microsoft's CPU parts. At that clocok speed it will still live up to Nintendo's previously quoted '3 or 4 times as powerful' while offering full compatibility for GameCube software. The full 970 part would be too expensive and would carry a lot of wasted functionality for a game console's needs.
While it may raise complaints from developers who've become accustomed to out-of-order execution CPUs, the in-order CPU isn't a big penalty for game software. This is applications where nearly all situations are anticipated and tested against in advance. The environment is very controlled compared to a PC under any OS. There is no excuse for not achieving high code optimization in a console game.
mocax @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
PhysX chip + ATI = leaves cpu with nothing to do but AI, basic data organization
Developers also won't have to crank out thousands of lines of E=MC^2 code, they just need to call physx_bouncefromwall() :D
On the other hand, PS3 may also be using PhysX chips...
Zane @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
lmao, I know that guy. Awesome.
WizarDru @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Specs are generally meaningless, and these are pretty suspect. Given how well Nintendo kept a lid on the controller, I expect the system stats are probably just as well guarded.
That said, Nintendo has been very specific on a couple of points, the most relevant of which is: they know they need 3rd party development and they need to make development simple for the Rev to invite said development. Making the Rev a souped-up Gamecube is not a bad approach, if they choose it. Consider: a skilled batch of developers already exists for that platform, and now they could push the hardware much harder. Imagine if the Revolution had a game like Resident Evil 4 AT LAUNCH.
For most practical applications, I don't give a flying fig about the tech specs; the actual game and how it plays is the issue. Let's not forget, the Gamecube is on a par with the current Xbox...and pure tech doesn't translate into sales. It's all about the content.
Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
i don't follow Sony at all... I don't quite get what you, Glenn. I like my PSP and correct people when they point out skewed observations and pass them off as facts (example - "the PSP has no games" followed by "the PSP only has rehashes" or "the PSP battery dies in 23 minutes of use"). The only company you could ever say I follow blindly would be Square-Enix. They're the reason why I bought a 'cube, a GameBoy, the reason I bought a DS(even though I sold it), a PSP, and the PS3 will be purchased because of them. So make your *keen* observations of me following any company, but just know you're wrong.
Back on topic, the r520 was having a lot of problems I thought? I mean, they've been pushing that card back for a few months now. Also with my latest two endeavors with ATI (X800 XL and Radeon Xpress 200 chipset), I think I'd like to steer clear of their products. The chipset on my mobo I just bought is horrible, the PCI bus controller to be specific. I never had this strong distaste from Nvidia after using their products.
Doesn't the revo have Compact Flash/Memory Stick formats on it? I thought I read that somewhere else already that they were doing that? I'm really curious(afraid) with how this emulation thing is gonna work. I think it'll end up being wifi dependant, and you download to play whenever you want. Kind of like you have a virtual arcade that only your MAC adress can access, then it just zips the files down to you. I mean, with the lack of a hard drive, I don't know how else you'll be able to fit multiple N64 games permanently.
metal_gear_jello @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
In terms of the RAM discussion. I was refering to the total RAM amount. The consoles make it confusing and difficult to communicate.
X360: 512 MB of shared memory between the GPU and CPU.
PS3: 256 MB of system memory, 256 MB of VRAM. BUT! The GPU can use the 256 MB of XDR system memory. So depending on how you look at it, the GPU has 2512, while the cpu has 256.
Revolution: If this rumour proves true though I doubt it, the GPUhas 256 MB of RAM while the CPU has 512. 768 in total. The article does not mention if there is a layer between those two or if its shared.
The people at Beyond3D has pretty much dismissed this as an attention grabbing whore.
mo @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Tech specs are just not the priority for Nintendo as they are with MS/Sony.
Nevertheless, I've always wondered how powerful Rev will really turn out to be.
Think about it for a moment: the rev is tiny and, in keeping with the design aesthetics that Nintendo have gone for, it doesn't have any air vents either.
Just what kind of processing power can you contain in a system of that size?
The only thing that comes to mind is the Mac Mini (which is a similar size to Nintendo's Rev.) which have either a 1.25Ghz or 1.42Ghz Power PC processor and an ATI Radeon 9200 graphics chipset.
Like the DS compared to PSP, Nintendo just aren't going to get in a hardware race with MS/Sony but are instead concentrating all their energies on the gameplaying experience.
Spartacus @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
These specs are highly doubtful. RAM is a huge cost (even MS thought long and hard about bumping up to 512MB total RAM) and Nintendo is trying to keep costs down. Especially if the CPU was a full blown OoO core, this system would probably cost $300 or more even WITHOUT Nintendo making a profit on each console. Add that speculative PhysX chip (even more doubtful) and a 600MHz GPU (50MHz FASTER than the PS3?) and you have a serious price contender with the 360... At least the Core system anyway.
Someone also said that Sony may be using the PhysX chip. This is not true. Sony has lisenced Aegia middleware, not hardware. The Cell will be taking care of physics calculations along with all the other CPU intensive tasks just like the Xenon chip in the 360 will be. That's what the CPU is for- everything non GPU related. If PhysX chips were going to be built into the system, neither Sony nor MS would've dumped so much time or resources into custom designing their powerhouse CPUs, as they would be overkill.
Glenn @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
"i don't follow Sony at all... I don't quite get what you, Glenn"
In every Sony post you are there only to defend.
In every Xbox post you are there to say "I like it, but" and then defend Sony.
In every Nintendo post you are there to say "I like it, but" and then defend Sony.
The fact that you sold your DS says it all.
Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
All right, Chris, Glenn et. al.: let's keep this thread on-track (and on-topic). Just a reminder to keep things nice 'n civil. Impugning someone's particular record of console preferences just isn't very polite (regardless of who started it). Let's not make it personal.
Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
*wonders why he's being told to simmer down when he was the one who was being harassed, already kept it civil and remained on topic within the same thread*
Eh, talk about player hatin'.
Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Of course, Christopher, there were your comments from #3: "Of course not, because you're horribly obsessive when it comes to following Nintendo blindly. Those specs don't sound bad at all considering they admitted to dropping out of the 'more polys' race."
When you say someone's "horribly obsessive"/"blind," people are bound to respond in somewhat unpleasant ways. Let's all play nice!
anon @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Ease of development really has nothing to do with how many cores there are. A 360 developer makes this point with an interesting analogy in this blog:
http://angrydev.blogspot.com/2005/09/clarification-is-in-order.html
Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Yes. But remember what the Japanese devs said about the x360...
From Software producer Masanori Takeuchi, who's been working on Enchant Arm, a role-playing game slated to be an Xbox 360 launch title, said developers will also be running into issues of storage space in the next generation. While the Xbox 360 is a next-generation console, Microsoft decided to equip it with a normal DVD reader rather than give it HD-DVD or Blu-ray reading capabilities.
"The volume of data in Enchant Arms won't fit into a single DVD. It's an RPG, so we're thinking it would be inevitable that we release it on two discs," says Takeuchi. "But to be honest, that's even looking grim."
Source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/08/30/news_6132218.html
mike @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
yes the claims regarding multicores working together have been seriously thrown into question.. for developers it's not that easy..
Mario @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Ok the specs look ok but the contoller sucks ass
Rain @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Ehhh....Mario, how can the "controller suck ass"--when you've never touched it?
Babu @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Well, from what I've read, it appears as though your best bet in terms of overall performance is either the long awaited playstation 3, or the highly anticipated Nintendo Revolution. As for the xbox360, this seems to be a hastily assembled piece of various microsoft components (junk) with a few nuts and bolts which are required to keep the machine from bloating and exploding due to the 6(more or less) cpu therein. I am certainly not looking forward for this xbox360. It is simply microsofts attempt to get their product out before sony's for many reasons.
Of course this is my own opinion but the competition really comes down to the ps3 and Nintendo Revolution - which seems to be causing quite a stir. Ignoring the specs, the new revolutionary controller of the latter and the new not-so-revolutionary controller of the former seem to be the focus of much negative discussion. "A wise housewife once said: 'Variety is the spice of life, now put down the salt shaker or you wont be getting laid tonight', as the man moved to season his dinner." - or something to that effect.
Lets take the first line of that quote, right before the coma, and consider the revolution's new controller. Picture this, 'The Legend Of Zelda Revolution'. You are using a 'sword shell' on your controller, controlling the sword precisely with the flick of your wrist. The prospect is exciting to me. I feel that while the ps3 is a ps2 with some new bells and whistles and a ruby-colored ribbon holding together the gift-wrap, the nintendo is the embodiment of creativity and ... revolution; hence the name.
Of course the revolution could be a total failure (tiananmen square china), or it could be a success (the french revolution). But just like in both forementioned cases, a change is in order. This change will take place sooner or later, perhaps in the summer of 2006?