NVIDIA Demos "RSX" Sony PS3 Graphics Processor

NVIDIA provided a first look at the powerful graphics architecture of PLAYSTATION®3 at a press conference held today by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). NVIDIA and SCE are jointly developing a new graphics processor for PLAYSTATION®3. Codenamed “RSX,” the new processor will connect directly to Cell, the advanced microprocessor developed by IBM, Sony Group, and Toshiba.

“RSX is jointly developed by NVIDIA, the number one company in PC graphics, and SCE, the leader in computer entertainment,” said Ken Kutaragi, president and group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “This cutting-edge graphics processor will give freedom in graphics expression and accelerate the fusion of entertainment content.”

“PLAYSTATION 3 will be the most important computer entertainment and digital media platform of the decade,” added Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO, NVIDIA. “The combination of Cell and RSX will enable the creation of next-generation real-time 3D imagery that will take your breath away.”

During the press conference, Mr. Huang demonstrated examples of graphics breakthroughs that will be available to future PLAYSTATION 3 developers and end-users. His presentation included real-time demos created by NVIDIA as well as a new demo developed by Epic Games. The demos illustrate how RSX will enable PLAYSTATION 3 games to realize stunning immersive and interactive environments, compelling and believable characters, and experiences beyond what was previously thought possible.

RSX will be the most sophisticated graphics processor ever built, representing 1500 person-years of investment. When combined with Cell, it will provide an astounding two teraflops of floating point horsepower. A measure of the extraordinary processing power of RSX compared to current-generation game consoles is the numbers of transistors it will contain: 300 million. This is more than the total number of transistors in both the central processing units and the graphics processing units of the three leading current-generation systems, combined.

RSX will be manufactured at Sony Group’s Nagasaki Fab2 as well as OTSS (joint fabrication facility of Toshiba and Sony)