New PS5 model makes the console cheaper again, just not for us
The PS5 will be cheaper to produce, but that hasn’t impacted the retail price yet.
A new model of the PlayStation 5 is already being rolled out in some territories, and it has recently been noted that it consumes less power and weighs less. Now the chip of the revised revision could also be checked. This is quite a bit smaller than the original, which could benefit the console’s availability. A price reduction would also be conceivable, but the probability of this is low.
Better availability due to smaller chips
The processor of the previous PlayStation 5 variants “CFI-1000” and “CFI-1100” was manufactured in a 7 nanometer process at the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturer TSMC. After measuring the chip of the new CFI 1200 series, the page comes Angronomicswhich specializes in in-depth analysis of processors, came to the conclusion that the built-in computing unit is manufactured using the modern 6 nanometer process.
This is behind the nanometer designations
When naming the production process, the structure width of individual chip components is only roughly classified. Many other factors are also summarized under this, such as the lithography method used, with which processors are “printed” on a piece of silicon (a so-called “wafer”), and the arrangement of the transistors. The latter perform the calculations on the chip. It is therefore not an actual indication of size, but a marketing term that stands for numerous advances.
More consoles can be made: According to Angstronomics, the total area of ”Oberon Plus” – the code name of the shrunken chip – is reduced by 15 percent to less than 260 mm². The traditional Oberon processor of the previous PS5 revisions was still over 300mm².
In production, almost 20 percent more chips would fit on a silicon wafer, which significantly increases the yield. Since the 6 nanometer process is actually an improved 7 nanometer process, there shouldn’t be any major initial difficulties, since the technology used has been tried and tested for almost three years.
A smaller chip could better fill the available area of the wafer – including at the edges. (Image source: TSMC)
Simpler chips are crucial: However, it is often not the highly complex, high-performance processors that determine the production volume of a console, but “pocket goods” such as control units for voltage regulation, the Blu-Ray drive or the connection to the home WLAN network. Such chips can now be found in almost every everyday device, which is why they are in extremely high demand and therefore scarce.
Lower production costs, but we don’t benefit from them
Angstronomics assumes that the new console will save around twelve percent in material costs. Not only the smaller chip has its share, but also the trimmed cooler, which is largely responsible for the fact that the device is around 200 grams lighter. This does not result in more waste heat, the smaller processor emits much less heat.
More news about the PS5:
However, players interested in PS5 will probably not be able to count on the recently raised sales price being reduced to 549 euros, after all the increase had many other reasons, for example increasing inflation and higher energy and personnel costs.
In addition, the price increase was announced for markets where the new model was already on sale at the time. Another note that leads us to believe that the suggested retail price will not be reduced any time soon.
How much did you spend on your PlayStation 5?
Reference-www.gamepro.de