PS3/X360/Wii - any of these use 64-bit CPUs?

[veronica_marsfan]

Or are they still using classic 32-bit addressing/CPUs? (Like a PC.)

[bcombee]

The XBox 360 uses a 64-bit PowerPC architecture, similar to what's in the G5 PPC Macintoshes, but with multiple cores. Instructions are still 32-bits wide, but it can directly access 64-bit values in memory.

The Wii uses a slower PowerPC but an upgrade from what's in the Gamecube. I think it's primarily a 32-bit device.

The PS3 uses a totally different architecture called the Cell. This uses a technique called VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word) and most closely resembles the Intel Itanium architecture. It's also has multiple cores running at once.

[veronica_marsfan]

PowerPC == 32 bit

So the Xbox360/Wii are still using 32-bit instructions.

How do you know PS3 is similar to the IA64/Itanium processor? The Cell was not developed by Intel, so I am doubtful that it has any connection to Intel's CPU. In fact wikipedia says, "Both the PPE and SPE are RISC architectures with a fixed-width 32-bit instruction format..... a Cell word is defined as 32 bit." Therefore:

PS3 == 32-bit instructions too.

So today's consoles are just like the previous PS2/Xbox/Gamecube/PS1/N64 consoles..... still using 32 bit instructions sets & words. Thanks for the info.

[icbrkr]

Might want to do a little research on the net. PowerPC 970s are very much 64 bit chips. Are we going to have a big ol' "Why MOAR bitz is bettah?" argument again? I'd like to grab some popcorn for this one.

[badinsults]

Having a 128 bit processor is likely a bit excessive. The Dreamcast and PS2 both had them, I believe.

[njiska]

Having a 128 bit processor is likely a bit excessive. The Dreamcast and PS2 both had them, I believe.

Not for the CPU but for the GPU.

[veronica_marsfan]

Might want to do a little research on the net. PowerPC 970s are very much 64 bit chips.
Do either the X360 or the Wii use the PPC970?

Nope [according to wikipedia]

So non-relevant. They use 32-bit versions of the PPC.

[icbrkr]

Do either the X360 or the Wii use the PPC970?

Nope.

So non-relevant. They use 32-bit versions of the PPC.

Soooo....

If you knew the answers to this why'd did you bother posting the question again?

[veronica_marsfan]

Soooo.... If you knew the answers to this why'd did you bother posting the question again?

I didn't know the answers at that time.