PlayStation 2 to Reach 128 bits?

According to information posted by the EETimes, the PlayStation 2 packs a mighty wallop - and might just qualify as Sega's worst nightmare. A few days ago, we reported rumors about Sony and Toshiba working on a faster chipset that may be used to power the next version of the PlayStation. Today we know a little more.

According to the EETimes, the chipset will run internally at 128 bits and could give almost unlimited power to game developers. EETimes spoke to Toshiba's general manager about the possibility, which he did not deny, and he replied by saying that the two companies would make a public announcement about their partnership in February.

We've heard rumors that Sony has held announcements back about the PlayStation 2 because the company is trying to figure out if it wants to grow the gaming machine out into a multipurpose device or keep the device a gaming machine. With Sega's new emphasis on Internet gameplay and the ease of programming for Windows CE, it looks like Sony's best way to stop Sega in its tracks is to make the system a DVD-based system. This news combined with Sony's projected announcement of PS2 later this month - as reported by another Japanese business wire service - means the Dreamcast launch could turn out to be very interesting indeed.