Arm's legendary rival was in the original PlayStation; now, in a twist of fate, MIPS has been sold to AMD's former foundry

MIPS R3000.

• MIPS once rivaled Intel and Arm, but now it's trying to matter again in AI chips
• From NASA probes to gaming consoles, MIPS quietly shaped modern computing before fading out
• Thirty years after leading RISC, MIPS is still hunting for a stable business model

MIPS, once a central player in the early RISC revolution and a long-time rival to Arm, has once again changed hands.