Sony Interactive Entertainment may be preparing for a shift to a different architecture for its next-gen console, PS6, possibly ARM.
A new job listing for the position of system software development (system development with program compatibility between different architectures) at Sony Interactive Entertainment states that the company is looking to build a system that allows programs developed for its existing game consoles to run on game consoles with different architectures. Specifically, it aims to be able to run many games developed for PlayStation on a system with a new architecture.
The skills required for this position include experience in program development using C/C++ language, familiarity with recent major CPU architectures, experience with assembly language development for one or more of these architectures, familiarity with JIT/AOT technology, knowledge of the structure and implementation of major game engines such as Unity and UnrealEngine, and experience working on game applications.
The need to port existing PlayStation console games to a different architecture may be due to a number of scenarios. One likely case may be that Sony Interactive Entertainment is looking to port its first-party titles over to mobile platforms, which are powered by ARM-based processors. Another possible scenario may be that the company is researching on a potential standalone PSVR headset similar to the Oculus Quest, which, again, runs on an ARM chipset. The third and most likely scenario is that Sony Interactive Entertainment is conducting early R&D for a shift to the ARM architecture for its next-gen console, PS6.
The mention of the need to be able to run “many game titles developed for PlayStation on a system with a new architecture” suggests that the company is looking to design this proposed system to be able to offer backward compatibility with existing PS4 and PS5 titles on a new console that is not based on the x86 architecture. The only other plausible option for the PS6 would be an ARM-based SoC, as is the case for the Nintendo Switch (and possibly its successor) as well as mobile platforms. Previously leaked documents suggested that Microsoft is also thinking along those lines for the next-gen Xbox console.
