Even though PlayStation 5 is a great success, the fans are already thinking about the new PlayStation 6 features and components. The rumors are based on the current knowledge about developers and manufacturers for Sony videogames consoles. You can also enjoy PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 offline and online features while waiting.
The first hint at PlayStation 6 was a work offer from AMD. They were looking for engineers to create a chip for a new generation videogame console. Sony has already worked with AMD and the specialized journalism took this offer as a PlayStation 6 related one.
Multichip configuration for the new PlayStation 6
In order to reduce costs, AMD uses a multichip system to distribute work among different small chips. This helps to create smaller and cheaper chips as well as reduce the node requirements to work simultaneously. The AMD Ryzen for desktop computers are the best example of this technology.
Multi GPU approach
Sony has a new patent for a more complex system than the PlayStation 5. The main idea is a multichip console and the patent name is Scalable Game Console CPU/GPU design for home console and cloud gaming.
The system for the Sony console is similar to the SLI NVIDIA and Crossfire technology from AMD. The new PlayStation 6 should be designed to take advantage of these features. This characteristic can make the production of PS6 cheaper as the chips would be smaller.
The multichip system for PlayStation 6 could be divided in the following chiplets using the knowledge we have now:
- A CPU.
- A IO DIE, peripherals, FrontEnd and L3 cache for GPU.
- 2 Shader Chiplet Die.
Four different chips with older nodes to separate the FrontEnd and GPU in order to set several GPUs but having the system recognize them as one.
PlayStation 5 Slim should come first
Sony tends to launch a revised version of the current PlayStation before announcing a new device. The PlayStation 5 Slim should be closer. There are rumors about a PS5 Pro model, but in fact Sony should be considering a cheaper and revised model as well as the new generation console. This decision seems more appropriate for a director’s board that doesn’t like having several hardware models in the market. The main features of the new PlayStation 5 Slim, if it’s real, should include 4K resolution and real 60 FPS.
In order to achieve these features, Sony could make use of AMD FSR 2.0. It is an algorithm to update resolution automatically. The GPU generates the frame with a lesser resolution and then it generates the image with bigger pixels.
The New PlayStation 6 should have 8K standard resolution
If the PlayStation 5 Slim reaches 4K, Sony must take a step forward with PS6. Nowadays, 8K resolution is very hard to achieve. A computer needs a RTX 4090 in order to get 8K and 60 FPS. The requirements for this achievement include more bandwidth and more power in GPUs.
The limitations for 8K today are the high costs and bottlenecks. To generate 8K graphics we need 1 TB/s bandwidth memory, minimum. We also need a 384 bits bus and GDDR6X memory working at 21 Gbps. These features are extremely expensive nowadays.
The new GDDR7 memory can be the solution for developing costs. It can use 4 GB per chip memory and a bus of 256 bits to make the new PlayStation 6 a next generation console with incredible features.
The balance of power computing and bandwidth
When designing a GPU the engineers take into consideration the arithmetic intensity. It’s a number we obtain by dividing the total bandwidth with the video memory and its processing power total. The result is a theoretical teraflops number. The wanted number is 1 FLOP per transmitted byte. However, reality is very different. The number of flops with each new console drops because memory video advances slower than CPUs.
Building the base system for new PlayStation 6
After revising the picture of videogames console technology, we can start guessing what the PS6 will include. The GPU should include 72 Compute Units working at 2.65 GHz. The RX 7900 XTX only reaches 2.3 GHz. It is also possible that AMD achieves a 3 GHz speed.
In order to obtain 8K resolution and 60 FPS there will also be technical tricks. For example, IA accelerators, Ray Tracing and more computational power. Regarding the CPU, the rumors indicate a 16 cores CPU. It’s also mentioned the possibility of Zen 5 and the hybrid configuration of GPU and CPU in order to get balance.