Couldn’t there simply just be a contract between sony and Microsoft about the specs and keeping them under a specific umbrella and that’s it? I feel like it’s an incredibly easy solution

[–] woelkchen 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Couldn’t there simply just be a contract between sony and Microsoft about the specs and keeping them under a specific umbrella and that’s it?

That's what the World Wide Web Consortium did for the internet and then Microsoft made Internet Explorer, used their Windows monopoly to push IE onto every PC, "enhance" the specs umbrella in incompatible ways, and squeeze competitors like Netscape out of the market.

[–] SpezCanLigmaBalls -2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Sony would absolutely come after Microsoft if there was any breach of contract. You’ve seen this whole way sony has reacted throughout this when they pay a ton of companies to keep games ps5 exclusives and/or timed released and/or timed content releases.

There is also a difference where by the time ps6 is in protype phase and for games to be tested on it the new Xbox would be also. There is no way after years of development on a console that Microsoft would re architecture their console because of something they saw on ps6

[–] LetMeEatCake 6 points 1 year ago

The kinds of hardware changes that Microsoft would make in response to knowing Sony's decisions would be the kind that can be made later in the process.

Imagine it's two years out from new console release and Microsoft gets their hands on Sony's specs. They look at them and realize that Sony's next-gen console is noticeably faster than the next-gen Xbox. Microsoft could shore up their hardware by requesting a larger GPU, more cache on the CPU, more system RAM, or higher clocks. Those aren't changes that can be made on a dime, but they are doable at that stage of development. Higher clocks in particular would be relatively easy: it means eating a higher defect rate and likely spending more on the power supply + cooling, but the silicon itself can be unchanged.

Alternatively, imagine this scenario in reverse: Microsoft learns that their next-gen Xbox is substantially faster than Sony's PS6. They could have their hardware parred back so as to lower manufacturing costs.

It would represent an enormous competitive advantage for Microsoft.

[–] woelkchen 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There is no way after years of development on a console that Microsoft would re architecture their console because of something they saw on ps6

You're funny. PS5 and Series X are already based on the same AMD architecture with differences in the details, such as Dual Sense. Chances are it'll be AMD again with PS6 / Series Y. MS could copy controller ideas within months. It's not like Microsoft is sharing early specs and prototypes with Sony San Diego Studio (developer of MLB The Show, also for Xbox) either.

[–] SpezCanLigmaBalls 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Good point. So then if sony wont send a prototype or give specs would the ps6 just get a miserable port?

[–] woelkchen 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

So then if sony wont send a prototype or give specs would the ps6 just get a miserable port?

PlayStation will not get any ports of any Activision Blizard game except maybe Call of Duty if MS succeeds. The sole concession MS made to authorities was about Call of Duty. No Overwatch 3, no Diablo 5, no Pyro, no Tony Hawk Pro Skater, no Candy Crush, no "upcoming game with new name by the makers of Call of Duty",...

[–] ZephyrXero 1 points 1 year ago

Another example is Pyschonauts 2. It was already announced and in the works before they bought Double Fine, so they still released a PS4 version. But only the Xbox Series got current gen releases, there is no PS5 edition (although TBF it can be played in backwards compatibility)

[–] ZephyrXero 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The port would only be miserable if, assuming they released a new one during the launch window of the new consoles, they rushed it out around the same time. More likely the port would come out six months to a year later than the Xbox and PC versions. Early access to prototype hardware only gives you a head start. And they would still get the generally available version of the dev kits (post announcement) about a year before release.

Not exactly this, but roughly the timeline for devkits goes something like 3-4 years before: Only a handful of internal teams get access, 2 years before: select 3rd party partners, and most internal teams get access, 1 year before: everyone gets access.