Sony unveils PS6 GPU specs that could redefine console graphics
What's the story
Sony is in the early stages of developing its next-generation gaming console, likely to be called the PlayStation 6. The company has teased some groundbreaking GPU technology that will be a part of this new console. Mark Cerny, the lead architect behind the PS5 and PS5 Pro, joined Jack Huynh from AMD in a video detailing these co-developed advancements in graphics tech.
Tech partnership
Focus on graphics upscaling, ray tracing, and path tracing
Cerny and Huynh revealed that their companies are working together to improve future GPUs' capabilities. The focus is on making them more efficient at handling graphics upscaling, ray tracing, and path tracing techniques. These methods are crucial for creating realistic game worlds. Cerny said that "the current approach has reached its limit," hence the collaboration with AMD to integrate parts of its next-gen RDNA architecture into future consoles.
GPU enhancement
Radiance Cores will be dedicated to ray and path tracing
Huynh introduced Radiance Cores, similar to NVIDIA's RT Cores, which are dedicated to ray tracing and path tracing. These cores will be part of Sony's new consoles and likely AMD's future desktop GPUs too. The idea is that these Radiance Cores will improve performance speed by allowing other components to quickly process shaders and textures without overloading them.
Performance boost
Compression improvements for better performance
Another key area of improvement is compression. Sony is working on Delta Color Compression, a technique used on PS5 and PS5 Pro to compress textures and render targets. The next hardware will use a more efficient method called Universal Compression that compresses everything in the pipeline. Huynh said this would allow the GPU to deliver "more detail, higher frame rates, and greater efficiency."
Handheld impact
Benefits could extend to handhelds too
The improvements in GPU technology could also benefit a rumored PlayStation handheld that is allegedly in development. Sony and AMD's efforts to reduce GPU stress could be applied to any form factor, including a handheld. Sony has already improved efficiency on PS5 with a new Power Saver mode that can reduce game performance for lower power consumption.