The not so secret next gen PlayStation has finally been “slightly” revealed! In a new exclusive interview with Wired, system architect Mark Cerny outlined some of the key components that will be found in the next gen PlayStation. The CPU in use will be from the upcoming line of Third Gen Ryzen processors which will provide a massive boost in compute power over the current gen PS4 Pro or Xbox One X. Even on Microsoft’s exceptionally powerful console many games today are limited by the older Jaguar CPU. Remember when Assassin’s Creed Unity maxed out the CPU capabilities of the PS4 and Xbox One within a year of launch? With a more powerful CPU the number of characters and AI that can be in play will expand dramatically!
To further push the power of the net gen PlayStation will be a Custom designed Navi GPU. This new GPU is slated to provide a serious amount of Pixel pushing power. The new GPU is rumored to provide more raw power than even that of the recently announced Google Stadia. The new GPU will also be fully capable of providing Ray Tracing effects and 8K video output. 8K output also suggests that the next gen PlayStation will utilize the HDMI 2.1 standard so hopefully we can finally see higher framerates and variable refresh rates come into play on a Sony machine.
Ray Tracing is also capable of being used for more than visual effects. The technique can also be applied to audio design and be used to determine when something would be audible for both players and AI. Cerny also states how important audio upgrades are for the new system and how it will include this new 3D Audio!
“As a gamer, it’s been a little bit of a frustration that audio did not change too much between PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. With the next console, the dream is to show how dramatically different the audio experience can be when we apply significant amounts of hardware horsepower to it.”
Possibly the biggest advancement in play on the new system will come in storage technology. The next gen PlayStation is set to use an incredibly fast SSD. This SSD will be specialized for the platform to ensure maximum performance for use in gaming. Cerny provided a loading demonstration using Insomniacs Spider-Man where results on the next gen PlayStation saw 19x better results over the current tech! Cerny has also made the claim that the drive provides more bandwidth than anything on the market available today for PC’s. this could suggest that the next PlayStation will be utilizing the new PCIe 4.0 standard for storage but no claims of this have yet been made.
The final import key detail in the interview was the fact that the next gen PlayStation will be fully backwards compatible with PS4 games! Earlier rumors have suggested full compatibility dating back to the very first PlayStation. That wasn’t touched on in today’s reveal but maybe as we start to learn even more about the system information on the specifics of the feature will be revealed. In the meantime knowing that everything from current gen will be usable is a huge relief. Even the current gen PSVR headset is going to be usable on the new system!
“VR is very important to us and that the current PSVR headset is compatible with the new console.”
While no specifics have been made about the amount of RAM, CPU/GPU clockspeed, there is a ton of info here to be excited about. The next gen PlayStation is shaping up to be a true power house of a platform! Today’s reveal has also coincided well with the rumors which have been circulating over the past couple of months. The next gen PlayStation is not shipping in 2019 with a solid 2020 release set for the cards.
Share what you would like to see most out of a next gen PlayStation in the comments below!
