Sony's next-generation console, the Playstation 5, is knocking on the door to enter a new battle during the last quarter of 2020. After many months of waiting, the Japanese company shared the final specs of your console, thus ending the wave of speculation and rumors that emerged from the previous year. Mark Cerny, main architect of the mentioned hardware, explained multiple technical details with which they will once again try to dominate the market.
- Custom AMD Zen 2 processor with 8 cores at 3.5GHz.
- GPU with custom RDNA 2 (AMD) architecture, 32 computing units and 10.28 Teraflops.
- 16 GB GDDR6 RAM and 448 GB / s bandwidth
- 825 GB internal SSD storage
- NVMe SSD external storage slot
- 4K UHD Blu-ray Optical Disc Drive
CPU and GPU
First is the heart of the console. The CPU of the PlayStation 5 is a custom AMD chip based on Zen 2 architecture. Integra 8 cores at a variable clock frequency of up to 3.5GHz. Although the processor can "boost" – that's why the variable frequency – Sony says that the paradigm is different from that of the PC, in which increasing the clock frequency also impacts the temperature, and this can lead to performance drops. "Instead of running at a constant frequency and letting the energy consumption vary depending on the workload, we run at a constant consumption and let the frequency vary depending on the workload," said Cerny to Eurogamer.
The GPU, also signed by AMD, boasts a custom RDNA 2 architecture, which reaches 36 computing units at a variable clock frequency of 2.23GHz, which generates a final graphic performance of 10.28 Teraflops and support for Ray Tracing. Although the performance of this component is below the Xbox Series X, Sony will compensate it in the following way: they will use AMD's SmartShift technology so that the CPU shares the unused energy with the GPU, allowing the latter to increase its performance. Thanks to the above, the console can take more advantage of the 36 computing units of RDNA 2.
Although they haven't mentioned anything about the PS5's ventilation system, they noted that having a constant energy consumption will help them to better manage the heat generated by both the CPU and the GPU. In addition, Cerny recognized that the thermal solution of the PlayStation 4 was not the most optimal, but that will change in the new generation. A recent report from Bloomberg He anticipated that Sony was planning to significantly improve the PS5's ventilation, thereby reducing noise.
RAM and storage
Moving on to RAM, we will find a memory 16 GB GDDR6 and 448 GB / s bandwidth. The most important thing, however, is the Ultrafast ssd. Cerny says that one of the biggest requests from developers was the integration of an SSD storage system, as this would greatly benefit loading times. Interestingly, its capacity will be 825 GB instead of the usual 512GB or 1TB, to name a few. For what reason did they choose an unusual number? Turns out it's a Sony's patented storage technology, and 825 GB is the ideal figure to cover its 12-channel interface. Having designed your own solution means that you will get more out of it.
Developers, Cerny explains, will have access to 6 priority levels to load data from the SSD, each of different performance depending on the needs of the game. Thanks to the compression technologies they have implemented, the system can offer 8 to 9 GB of data per second.
Now, facing the consumer, 825 GB will fall short sooner or later. To solve the above problem, Sony to Offer Support for External SSD Storage Drives and, even more interesting, it will have a PCIe 4.0 slot for NVMe drives. However, it seems that the company will validate the products with support for the console, since its reading speed will be essential to maintain good performance. Cerny advises against purchasing any units until they are officially approved.
3D Audio
The three-dimensional audio It will be one of the main features of the PlayStation 5. The console will integrate, for the first time on the platform, the Tempest engineIt will offer "unprecedented 3D audio" in which you can even identify the individual sound of each drop during a shower, for example. The key to their technology, says Cerny, is identify the location of the places where the sound is produced, how it travels and where it arrives. Obviously, they also take into account how the human auditory system works.
Thanks to HRTF, (Transfer function in relation to the head), the console can simulate in real time how the audio reaches your ears. This is quite a demanding task in terms of resources, and this is where the GPU comes in again. Yes, the graphics component will receive much of the 3D audio process. As it is a software solution, Sony says that no need to buy high-end headphones to start enjoying it.
All humans are different, so they will offer up 5 types of presets that will try to adapt to the hearing system of most players. However, this proposal may not be enough to get the most out of 3D audio, for this reason Sony is still studying solutions; One of them is that users send a photo or video of their ears so that a neural network is in charge of processing the appropriate HRTF adjustment.
Backward compatibility
Sony had already revealed that the PS5 would be backward compatible, however, until today it detailed how it will work. During the launch of the console, it will only be possible to enjoy the 100 most popular games on the PlayStation 4. Why? They hinted that the titles need to be adapted to run correctly on the new console. In other words, it will not be an automatic process. Fortunately, as the months go by, the list will grow in number; They promise that they will dedicate efforts to achieve it. They have not mentioned anything about the alleged backward compatibility with PS1, PS2 and PS3.
Pending details
Sony is still keeping other PlayStation 5 data secret, like its design, price and release date. This information will be revealed soon, but we do not know exactly when it will occur. It is likely that during June we will have more data about it, since it will be the month in which various video game companies will present their news for the next generation. Microsoft, for example, plans to hold a digital event for the Xbox Series X to reveal the rest of the missing details.
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