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Nov 11, 2017
2,744
Final dev kits are out for both. I know a dev working at a UK studio that received theirs. Sony are ahead in terms of getting kits out there and devs getting hands on. I guess there could be a few tweaks to clock speeds and such. But hardware will now be set in stone.

A year out from launch it's more important for devs to get hands on time and experience with these machines.
Final kits are definitely not out
 

BitsandBytes

Member
Dec 16, 2017
4,576
I am still expecting the usual 5-10% last minute overclock from MS. They'll find a way.

I'm not so sure.

Assuming MS stick to the design philosophy of the One X with the compact case and quality cooling system and the fact Phil said all the way back at E3 he knew what the final ID/design of Scarlett would be, it suggests the cooling system (and its limits) is also a known quantity. Unlike the OG Xbox One which had both a very low power usage (~100W) and OTT case and cooling system that then allowed the small 7% & 9% clocks increases.

I wouldn't quite rule it out 100% yet but I'm close at this point.
 

Dokkaebi G0SU

Member
Nov 2, 2017
5,922
Wait, so are final hardware designs sent to developers on the first communication?
trying to figure out the time-line release of testing Environments/ devkits.

just curious on why dev kits are not just one kit and instead they are sent in versions because of "maturity". Wouldn't that cost the studio more money to keep buying the newer versions of the dev kits that lead up to a final version? Or is the hardware received definitely the final dev kit but updates are provided to enable more features in the hardware provided.

edit: sometimes I hate autocorrect on Apple phone.
 

Navid

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,017
Microsoft wants to surprise Sony this time
Personally I very much doubt that this is the real reason why MS hasn't sent out dev kits to many developer, but if it's true then I feel like surprising Sony at the cost of also surprising developers is certainly not ideal...
 

dedge

Member
Sep 15, 2019
2,429
Personally I very much doubt that this is the real reason why MS hasn't sent out dev kits to many developer, but if it's true then I feel like surprising Sony at the cost of also surprising developers is certainly not ideal...
That sweet sweet Sega Saturn strategy.
 

RedRum

Newbie Paper Plane Pilot
Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,364
How about this take?

Maybe all MS 1st party devs have had the devkits and anything 3rd party at the moment is secondary?
 

Pryme

Member
Aug 23, 2018
8,164
Don't know about that last line, but I know for sure Tom Warren is usually very reliable.

Certainly far more reliable in my books than the insiders threadmarked in that next gen thread.
 

Plankton2

Member
Dec 12, 2017
2,670
Sounds like it could be a gamecube situation all over again. PS2 devkits had a full year on the gamecube.

If Microsoft wants to "surprise" the competition that's different, but if it's not finalized that could be worrisome and might even delay first party stuff or even third party stuff which they need both.
 

pharmboy044

Member
Oct 27, 2017
253
Less then a year away from launch and dev studios don't have Scorpio dev kits? Anyone else slightly concerned or is this a normal thing?
 

SharpX68K

Member
Nov 10, 2017
10,511
Chicagoland
Here's some interesting tidbits about Xbox 360 hardware development.


quote:

Microsoft began the Xbox 360 project in late 2002.
- In 2003, Microsoft decided it wanted to launch its next-generation console before Sony.
- IBM put 400 engineers to develop the Xbox 360 CPU.
- IBM taped out (finished the design) of the CPU in December 2004.
- ATI put 300 engineers to developer the Xbox 360 GPU, aka Xenos.
- ATI finished its GPU design on November 2004.
- Todd Holmdahl, who we interviewed here, came up with the idea of changing the manufacturing scheme. Now Microsoft will acquire IP instead of buying parts.
- More than 1,000 engineers worked under the leadership of Todd Holmdahl.
- There are more 10,000 people working to make sure the Xbox 360 arrives on time in November.
 

B.C.

Prophet of Regret
Banned
Sep 28, 2018
1,240
The defensiveness is hilarious.
Defensiveness? Lol.

But, I mean, clearly the thread title has more than a few people shook and triggered. It's just a statement and rumor. Just like the rumors of PS5 being more powerful is just a statement and a rumor. No one knows for sure. I still find it hilarious how many arm chair devs in this thread seem to know more than the actual people behind the scenes. Some of these posters take their Arm chair positions a bit too seriously.

In other news, next gen is sounding super interesting. Can't wait to see the final results, especially for camp Green.
 

FrostweaveBandage

Unshakable Resolve
Member
Sep 27, 2019
6,606
In "surprising" Sony, Microsoft also surprises publishers.

Honestly, it sounds more like PR speak to me. Publishers are likely on intense NDAs.
 

Gamer17

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
9,399
Don't know about that last line, but I know for sure Tom Warren is usually very reliable.

Certainly far more reliable in my books than the insiders threadmarked in that next gen thread.
Hmmm shots fired Kleegamefan . Klee what's happening? Tom is saying MS is hiding the dev kits to surprise Sony. Did you hear anything on that front ?
 

RedRum

Newbie Paper Plane Pilot
Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,364
Defensiveness? Lol.

But, I mean, clearly the thread title has more than a few people shook and triggered. It's just a statement and rumor. Just like the rumors of PS5 being more powerful is just a statement and a rumor. No one knows for sure. I still find it hilarious how many arm chair devs in this thread seem to know more than the actual people behind the scenes. Some of these posters take their Arm chair positions a bit too seriously.

A better word would be "concern". There's so much concern in every MS thread that I should be a worry bug by now visiting them. Spencer seems to be all in pm this console release and I'm inclined to believe that MS knows what they're dong. There were some people even mentioning insiders. I thought the age of insiders died with CBOAT and Mort, but these things happen with the rise of new consoles I guess.
 
Feb 10, 2018
17,534
Sony caught with their pants down! Secret dGPU hidden in power brick!

No,, just

th
 

Oticon

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,446
Defensiveness? Lol.

But, I mean, clearly the thread title has more than a few people shook and triggered. It's just a statement and rumor. Just like the rumors of PS5 being more powerful is just a statement and a rumor. No one knows for sure. I still find it hilarious how many arm chair devs in this thread seem to know more than the actual people behind the scenes. Some of these posters take their Arm chair positions a bit too seriously.
It's not armchair, it's reality. To be able to sell the console in a year they need to produce the console - and not just 1 console, millions of them. You can't be doing designing phase right now if you plan to ship it in a year. This isn't even a controversial statement in the tech community. Go to a forum like Anandtech and ask them how long it takes to bring a processor to the market and how well in advance the actual design is finalized. Zen 3 design was finalized before Zen 2 even launched, and Zen 2 launched like 2 months ago lol.
 

thuway

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,168
"Microsoft wants to surprise Sony this time"

That... this entire supposed timeframe is not how software engineering, OS engineering, or APU engineering works.

And more importantly, MS is simply no longer in the "console sales marketshare matters" business. Their entire business model does not surround needing a marketshare advantage. And even if it were, MS' biggest issues have never been power - they've had the more powerful hardware on shelves for 2 years now and it hasn't made a difference in their sales trajectory.

Projecting fanboy console wars onto how businesses operate leads to leaps in logic that makes guys like this entirely dismiss-able.
Listen to him.
 

Borman

Digital Games Curator at The Strong Museum
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
843
All of this is typical for Microsoft really, bar maybe the XBO (though not far off for that either.)
 

Pryme

Member
Aug 23, 2018
8,164
It's not armchair, it's reality. To be able to sell the console in a year they need to produce the console - and not just 1 console, millions of them. You can't be doing designing phase right now if you plan to ship it in a year. This isn't even a controversial statement in the tech community. Go to a forum like Anandtech and ask them how long it takes to bring a processor to the market and how well in advance the actual design is finalized. Zen 3 design was finalized before Zen 2 even launched, and Zen 2 launched like 2 months ago lol.

Why do you think they're just beginning design phase right now ? Current devkits were handed in to devs months ago. It's a bit weird to imagine hardware is completely set in stone 1.5 years from release.
 

Dr Pears

Member
Sep 9, 2018
2,671
Remember when Microsoft was caught using PCs to promote their games around the time of before Xbox One launch?

They might pull that shit again tbh
 

Borman

Digital Games Curator at The Strong Museum
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
843
For reference, OG Xbox used alpha kits through e3 2001 with beta kits shipping after. Xbox 360 they used alpha kits in e3 2005 though some beta kits had started to arrive to select studios. Xbox One I'm less certain about when the zebra kits started to arrive, but it was earlier than the previous two iirc.

Original Xbox alpha kits were Intel PCs with early GeForce 3 cards for the alpha 2 phase. 360 were apple power Mac kits with at least two different graphics cards depending on the phase.
 

RedRum

Newbie Paper Plane Pilot
Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,364
Here's another question I have.

How is it that a quote by a journalist about MS surprising Sony something that some of you are taking as gospel as MS actually adopting?
 

B.C.

Prophet of Regret
Banned
Sep 28, 2018
1,240
It's not armchair, it's reality. To be able to sell the console in a year they need to produce the console - and not just 1 console, millions of them. You can't be doing designing phase right now if you plan to ship it in a year. This isn't even a controversial statement in the tech community. Go to a forum like Anandtech and ask them how long it takes to bring a processor to the market and how well in advance the actual design is finalized. Zen 3 design was finalized before Zen 2 even launched, and Zen 2 launched like 2 months ago lol.
Im sure we should all be concerned about a trillion dollar company and how they handle their development process. Absolutely!

/s

Pretty sure the "concern" being displayed in this thread is based on a very surface level. Nay, less so. All this concern is based on a mere tweet! Look how many pages thusfar. Its insane!
 

Oticon

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,446
Why do you think they're just beginning design phase right now ? Current devkits were handed in to devs months ago. It's a bit weird to imagine hardware is completely set in stone 1.5 years from release.
If you are making changes to the APU like the "rumor" claims you have to be design phase, once the APU is taped out you can't really make changes to the design.
 

ShadowFox08

Banned
Nov 25, 2017
3,524
They are probably just saying that on purpose so Sony doesn't change the specs at the last minute to one up them.
 

Oticon

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,446
Im sure we should all be concerned about a trillion dollar company and how they handle their development process. Absolutely!

/s

Pretty sure the "concern" being displayed in this thread is based on a very surface level. Nay, less so. All this concern is based on a mere tweet! Look how many pages thusfar. Its insane!
It's not concern... I am calling out the rumor.
 

DukeBlueBall

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
9,059
Seattle, WA
Final kits not being there is par norm for MS. Actual Scorpio/Durango silicon was in devkits 6 months before launch.

Sony having final silicon more than a year in advance is the outlier.
 
Feb 10, 2018
17,534
I'm not so sure.

Assuming MS stick to the design philosophy of the One X with the compact case and quality cooling system and the fact Phil said all the way back at E3 he knew what the final ID/design of Scarlett would be, it suggests the cooling system (and its limits) is also a known quantity. Unlike the OG Xbox One which had both a very low power usage (~100W) and OTT case and cooling system that then allowed the small 7% & 9% clocks increases.

I wouldn't quite rule it out 100% yet but I'm close at this point.

Things like the cooling system can be changed, the fan and heatsink would be harder because they would of secured manufacturers, however they could of changed the design or specifications of these parts as they won't of been made yet, the console enclosure would be easier to change as those are made from rather simple parts and the design is probably a Cad file or something similar.

I really hope its like

Scarlett 3.2ghz zen2 8 core, 11.2tflop gpu 20gb ram

PS5 3ghz zen2 8 core, 11.4tflop gpu, 20gb ram

Then the hardware conversation would be over.
 

Ushay

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,342
Yikes man, that comment russled a lot of jimmies.

That being said we know the consoles are very close to each other but there's been a lot more online chatter about PS5 than Scarlett, probably due to popularity.

I just hope they're both superb performers. Both will likely have a place in my TV cabinet.
 

melodiousmowl

Member
Jan 14, 2018
3,774
CT
Some things to note:

1 - This is the first "generation" where the architecture doesnt fully change (except some nintendo ones, but thats not really part of this discussion)
2 - I have said this before and I think it's still relevant. I think MS has a way better supply chain for making computer-like products. This can tie into not just cost but shorter lead times and more capacity (how much of an advantage if any would be a lot of research)
3 - its very unlikely many 3rd party games will fully exploit the new hardware /at launch/. Or worst case, they are "crossgen" and will be patched. this ties into point 1 - these games all will either be "crossgen" or if they are this gen only they could have started years ago and not lost any time to switch to the new systems (if they planned for it)
4 - Robust dev tools that didnt fundamentally change. Also ties into point 1.
5 - you can almost fully develop these games on a PC thats specced correctly - dev kits arent strictly needed on the get-go
 

natestellar

Member
Sep 16, 2018
835
Microsoft isn't keeping their partners/publishers in the dark due to some imaginary scenario of surprising Sony, jesus christ!