The lead architect of the PS4, Mark Cerny, has revealed some important details regarding GPU of the PlayStation 4 and how it is extensively customized and will be future proof.
“You’ll see the benefits in terms of the graphics and the quality of the world simulation and the like. On top of that we did significant customisation of the GPU to make sure that there was that extra target for people to go after in 2016/2017. Put that all together, I think the future’s looking very bright for PlayStation 4,” he said to EuroGamer.
Cerny then explains the compute process for the GPU and how each process does not affect each other. For example compute processes like collision detection, physics or ray-casting for audio won’t affect the graphics.
“If you look at how the GPU and its various sub-components are utilised throughout the frame, there are many portions throughout the frame – for example during the rendering of opaque shadowmaps – that the bulk of the GPU is unused. And so if you’re doing compute for collision detection, physics or ray-casting for audio during those times you’re not really affecting the graphics. You’re utilising portions of the GPU that at that instant are otherwise under-utilised. And if you look through the frame you can see that depending on what phase it is, what portion is really available to use for compute,” he explained.
A lot of developers also feel the same thing with Avalanche CTO famously stating that the PS4 will outpower PCs for years to come and more recently Witcher 3 developer telling us that the PS4 is a high end PC.
It will be interesting to see how soon PS4 games will take full advantage of the system. The PS3 got its first benchmark game in MGS4, which was almost 18 months after launch. PS4 launch games like Killzone Shadow Fall and DriveClub are already looking solid and we can only imagine what Naughty Dog will do with their game on the PS4, if they are working on one.
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