This is not how it works. I worked for Sony earlier, so I had some insight. The AMD semi-custom division is very independent in an R&D standpoint. They create custom designs with independent engineers and software team. The main source is the RTG and the CPU division. They got the architectures designed for PC workloads, and then Sony, Microsoft and the other guys will specify their needs. This means they will licenc IPs for AMD or/and ask them to licenc 3rd party IPs. In the and the semi-custom division have a lot of IPs from different companies, and then they will design a chip. It's like building something from lego for your friend, and he or she allow you to use his or her bricks. This is the main reason why all the consoles are based on 2nd generation GCN with some custom IPs and some changes. AMD give the GPU, the CPU, the uncore design, and some other IPs for the upgraded consoles, while Sony and Microsoft tell the semi-custom division how to change that for their needs. And of course they provide some engineers, because they defend their IPs, so there will be no engineers at AMD who knows how it fully works. Even that AMD has the licenc, they have to implement their own physical solution to it, with their own software implementation, and they are not able copy it from Sony or Microsoft. This is why security is the number one priority for semi-custom, because AMD have to convince Sony, Microsoft and the others, that their physical implementations for their IPs are in good hands and the RTG guys won't look into it, and even none of their engineers have the complete picture. The only advantage for AMD is knowing their partners ideas.
I personally think semi-custom is a hard division for them. When I first heard about it, I said this is redacted, it won't work, knowing how paranoid are these IT companies, when they try to defend their technologies. But somehow AMD gain their trust, and Sony and Microsoft ordered 3-3 designs from them. I still don't know how they manage it, but yeah it worked. And the interesting thing is, that Sony and Microsoft are pleased with the results. Mostly Microsoft, because you probably don't know that the original plan for the Xbox One is to release the console in 2014. But AMD provide them the SoC earlier, for a head-to-head start with the PS4.
For the next-gen, well AMD has the upper hands. Microsoft and Sony are trust them. I have heard that Intel want to get in to the business, but it's too late for them. Imagination always want to sell their IPs, but it is not scalable enough, while TBDR would be an interesting solution for this market, AMDs DSBR is not much different. For Nvidia, I think they had a chance before the Switch, but Nintendo is not too happy with the Tegra. The hardware is very buggy and vulnerable. The Switch is now fully crackable, because of a Tegra design flaw, and they need a hardware revision to solve it. This is a nightmare for Nintendo, now they have to build anti-cheat systems for their games to kick all the cheaters, who run modified code on their cracked Switch.
No profanity in the tech areas.
AT Mod Usandthem