Intel made an attempt to secure a contract to become the chip manufacturer for Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 6 but ultimately lost out to AMD, Sony’s long-time partner, according to a new report.
Sources familiar with the situation revealed that Intel had projected the PS6 contract could be worth around $30 billion USD over the console’s lifecycle.
Sony chose to remain with AMD, citing a better deal and a smoother path to maintaining backward compatibility with previous PlayStation models.
The report indicated that Intel and Sony held high-level discussions about the potential switch, but concerns over compatibility risks played a significant role in Sony’s decision to stick with AMD.
An Intel spokesperson responded to the report, stating, “We strongly disagree with this characterization but will not comment on current or potential customer conversations.
We have a robust customer pipeline across our product and foundry business, and our focus remains on innovating to meet those needs.”
It was noted that no other companies involved in the bidding process, which reportedly took place in 2022, provided comments.
Sony has yet to officially announce the PS6, having recently introduced the PS5 Pro, a refreshed version of the 2020 PS5 that offers modest upgrades, though its pricing has faced some criticism.
Leaked documents from Xbox suggest that the next console generation could arrive in 2028.
Historically, Sony and Microsoft have launched their new consoles around the same time, making this a likely timeframe to watch for both companies.