Going Beyond Brute Force
The next generation of consoles will once again be powered by AMD GPUs and Ars Technica has posted a bit on the thinking that is driving the development of the PlayStation 6. We are hitting a scaling problem, where software driven upscaling solutions like FSR and Sony’s PSSR are superior to squeezing in more powerful hardware. That’s not to say better hardware isn’t needed for Project Amethyst and the PlayStation 6, more that the hardware is going to be optimized differently. Instead of adding raw power, AMD and Sony are looking to make the neural network type software which powers current upscaling technology run more efficiently and effectively on next generation hardware.
There aren’t any prototypes yet, Project Amethyst exists as a a simulation but the two companies are very excited about what they are seeing. The PlayStation 6 is still a few years off but if you are curious about the novel solutions being developed to make the next generation console you can check out the video which Ars linked to.