It seems like we have an idea of what Sony may be planning for the PS4, as they have filed a patent which is called “Dynamic Context Switching Between architecturally Distinct GPUs”.

Before you roll your eyes, this is quite an ingenious patent when you think about it. So basically what it means is that Sony could be going with an APU+GPU combination in its next-gen system. If they can ensure compatibility between two architecturally different GPUs as this patent suggests, they can dynamically handle the load while intelligently maintaining a low power draw.

Here’s the official description of the patent: “Graphics processing in a computer graphics apparatus having architecturally dissimilar first and second graphics processing units (GPU) is disclosed. Graphics input is produced in a format having an architecture-neutral display list. One or more instructions in the architecture neutral display list are translated into GPU instructions in an architecture specific format for an active GPU of the first and second GPU.”

This indicates that Sony could go with a high powered GPU and a mobile GPU as it was rumoured earlier.

For example, the apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first GPU is a high power GPU and the second GPU is a low power GPU having lower power consumption than the high power GPU and a maximum processing capacity that is less than a maximum processing capacity of the high power GPU.



This makes complete sense and should create ways to provide significant performance without drawing too much power.

Tell us what you think of this in the comments section below.

(via FPO)