Sony announced that, in partnership with IBM and Toshiba, it is working on developing a Cell chip, which is designed to deliver high-definition content in an efficient manner. The new chip will be used in home servers and high-definition TV systems.

The three companies have been working on the chip since 2001 and plan to ship out electronics based on Cell sometime in 2006. However, neither partner disclosed much detail regarding the chip or its release date.

The companies will release technical details of the chip at International Solid States Circuits Conference, which will take place in San Francisco, United States on Feb. 6th, 2005.

The chip is made of 64-bit power processor core that is designed to handle digital content at efficient speeds. IBM is currently developing the Cell chip in a joint lab that is shared by all three firms.

Sony also announced that its PlayStation 3 gaming console will include the same chip for futuristic and rich content, as "PC architecture is nearing its limit".