Sony confirms PS5 to get 8K support, real-time ray tracing and super-fast SSD

Q12. This is an aphorism on the subject of Video Game design. How do we better know this? “All the best games are easy to learn and difficult to master. They should reward the first quarter and the hundredth” (Image: Reuters)

Sony plans to launch a next-gen PlayStation console is common knowledge among the gaming community at large. And, while we know that a PlayStation 5 is coming, a lot of questions about its specs and release date remained unanswered - until now.

Some official details of the upcoming console have just been confirmed courtesy of PS5 lead system architect, Mark Cerny. In an interview with Wired, Cerny confirmed multiple details of the forthcoming console that included an impressive spec sheet. He also mentioned that the PS5 wouldn’t release in 2019, which all but confirms a 2020 launch.

In the interview, Cerny confirmed that the upcoming PlayStation console would feature a version of AMD’s third-generation Ryzen processor with 8 Cores. AMD is expected to release its 3^rd Gen Ryzen CPU built on 7nm Zen 2 microarchitecture at Computex 2019. The new Ryzen processors are also set to offer more performance while consuming less power.

In terms of graphics, the PS5 will sport a modified version of Radeon’s Navi family. Cerny also confirmed the graphics card on the new PlayStation 5 is going to be an absolute powerhouse with support for real-time ray tracing.

The last big improvement in performance for the new PlayStation 5 includes a super-fast SSD. Cerny told Wired that the SSD on the PS5 would feature a raw bandwidth higher than any SSD available for PCs.

Apart from talking about the PS5’s CPU and GPU, Cerny also confirmed that the chipset on the upcoming console would deliver a new “gold standard” in 3D audio.

The PS5 will also support games and video playback at 8K resolution, assuming your TV supports it.

Sony’s upcoming console will also feature backward compatibility with PlayStation 4 games, including VR titles.

While Sony hasn’t provided a detailed report about the hardware in the upcoming PlayStation, the details they’ve provided are more than enough to give us an idea on exactly how powerful it will be. Based on the upgraded CPU and GPU alone, we’re like to see a significant boost in performance from the current generation of consoles.