PlayStation Lead Architect Mark Cerny is back again to explain the nitty-gritty details of how the achieves its various graphical improvements. Cerny first in September and in , he gets into how the Pro’s improved GPU uses tech from AMD and announces a “deeper collaboration” between Sony and the chip maker.
The PS5 uses AMD’s RDNA 2 GPU architecture originally released in 2020, while the PS5 Pro uses what Cerny refers to in the video as RDNA 2.X. The new GPU is a mixture of what was already offered on the , with some cherry-picked features from the more advanced AMD introduced in 2022. That’s paired with ray tracing techniques that Cerny says are from future RDNA tech on AMD’s roadmap, and custom machine learning features created for the PS5 Pro. Those machine learning components are also apparently a key part of AMD and Sony’s future work together.
“AMD has been a fantastic partner for SIE for many years now,” Cerny says. “And I’m honored to announce that we have begun a deeper collaboration with a focus on machine learning-based technology for graphics and gameplay.”
“Amethyst,” the name the companies chose for their new project together, is primarily concerned with creating “a more ideal architecture for machine learning,” according to Cerny. The new hardware architectures the companies are developing could benefit future consoles and AMD’s own GPUs, but they’re just one part of the plan. Sony and AMD are also working towards the “democratization of machine learning,” which sounds like possible software tools to make it easier for developers to implement AI in gameplay and graphics.
The whole video is jam-packed with information on the thinking and engineering that went into the PS5 Pro and worth a watch if you’re looking for more detail on what “Pro” means in this case. It might not convince you to upgrade to the new $700 console, but it certainly makes the case that Sony didn’t take designing it lightly.
