Quite a lot of rumors about Sony's and Microsoft's next-gen consoles have hit the web this week. IGN claims this new console, codenamed "Orbis", will feature AMD's A8-3850 APU and the Radeon HD 7670 graphics card. However, the source of the rumor stated that while current plans for the device make use of the chips mentioned, it's possible that changes could be made prior to the system's launch.

By current standards, the HD 6670 is an entry-level processor with a price of about $74.99. Benchmark tests place framerate performance for taxing titles games like Metro 2033 and Crysis 2 set to high settings at a resolution of 1920x1080 (1080p) with average framerates of just over 30 frames-per-second. The chip also supports HDMI1.4a output, which is necessary for the system's rumored 4k output. Naturally, a comparably lightweight operating system and console-optimized games will likely improve performance, but the PS4's real edge could come from the secondary GPU provided by the APU.

Onboard the A8-3850 is an HD 6550D, which makes the APU capable of running games at baseline specs and lower resolutions without the help of a discrete GPU. When the APU is paired with the HD 7670, however, Sony will be able to utilize an asymmetrical CrossFire configuration to share the load of realtime graphics processing.
VG247 on the other hand has some details about the launch date. It's said to be 2013 and Sony is reportedly gunning to be ready with the PS4 before Microsoft launches the Xbox 720.

Following continued reports last week that PlayStation 4 is to be based on AMD hardware and is being planned for a 2013 release, a VG247 source has said Sony is aiming to get the machine to market ahead of Microsoft