PlayStation Official PS | PS Studios Megathread, v.6

[GearSolidMetal]

Here's the thing.

If you buy a product, you should want the producer of the product to make money, correct?
You should never begrudgingly buy a premium product, or else don't buy it because you won't appreciate it. You'll actually resent it.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

Lets give Sony credit.
At least they're putting in some effort in a mid-generation upgrade.

Microsoft seriously offered a standard SeriesX with 2TB SSD for $600 and thought fans would be satisfied.

 

[Madmick]

No full tech specs in that video was a decision....

Sony PlayStation 5 Pro Specifications Confirmed, Console Arrives Before Holidays​

The console is expected to feature an RDNA 3 GPU with 30 WGP running BVH8, capable of 33.5 TeraFLOPS of FP32 single-precision computing power, and a slightly quicker CPU running at 3.85 GHz, enabling it to render games with ray tracing enabled or achieve higher resolutions and frame rates in select titles. Sony anticipates GPU rendering on the PS5 Pro to be approximately 45 percent faster than the standard PlayStation 5. The PS5 Pro GPU will be larger and utilize faster system memory to bolster ray tracing performance, boasting up to three times the speed of the regular PS5.

Additionally, the console will employ a more powerful ray tracing architecture, backed by PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), allowing developers to leverage graphics features like ray tracing more extensively...The PS5 Pro will also feature modifications for developers regarding system memory, with Sony increasing the memory bandwidth from 448 GB/s to 576 GB/s, enhancing efficiency for an even more immersive gaming experience. To do AI processing, there is an custom AI accelerator capable of 300 8-bit INT8 TOPS and 67 16-bit FP16 TeraFLOPS, in addition to ACV audio codec running up to 35% faster.

The embedded AI processor is clearly a bet on future developments in that sector because right now it will be doing effectively nothing. I don't really understand why the audio codec needed to be 35% faster, theirs is already the best-compressed in the business, way better than what is required, and this is already a small part of the overall processing workload, but maybe they hope to get more Playstation gamers streaming. Taking any workload off the main processing components in the console while streaming is a big plus.

The biggest development is the 33.5 TFLOP GPU. That is a massive upgrade, and far greater than I expected. As an RDNA 3.0 GPU that puts it just shy of the RX 7700 XT. An upgrade to the CPU wasn't expected at all.

Sony was a lot more ambitious with their mid-generation revamp than Xbox. But if the last generation offers any insight it's that it won't matter, and will largely go unused. The XSS is a minor annoyance to developers chiefly because it just hasn't shipped enough units, so they're annoyed they even have to bother (they accept if they want to port to the Switch they're undertaking a substantial project). For developers making more demanding mulitplat games, it's clear that for the remainder of the 9th generation the original PS5 is the foundational target hardware.

 

[rikwebb]

Sony PlayStation 5 Pro Specifications Confirmed, Console Arrives Before Holidays​

The embedded AI processor is clearly a bet on future developments in that sector because right now it will be doing effectively nothing. I don't really understand why the audio codec needed to be 35% faster, theirs is already the best-compressed in the business, way better than what is required, and this is already a small part of the overall processing workload, but maybe they hope to get more Playstation gamers streaming. Taking any workload off the main processing components in the console while streaming is a big plus.

The biggest development is the 33.5 TFLOP GPU. That is a massive upgrade, and far greater than I expected. As an RDNA 3.0 GPU that puts it just shy of the RX 7800 XT. An upgrade to the CPU wasn't expected at all.

Sony was a lot more ambitious with their mid-generation revamp than Xbox. But if the last generation offers any insight it's that it won't matter, and will largely go unused. The XSS is a minor annoyance to developers chiefly because it just hasn't shipped enough units, so they're annoyed they even have to bother (they accept if they want to port to the Switch they're undertaking a substantial project). For developers making more demanding mulitplat games, it's clear that for the remainder of the 9th generation the original PS5 is the foundational target hardware.

I've already seen those from the initial couple of leaks, that post was more about the fact that it was marketed as a "Technical Presentation" and didn't really feel like it compared to previous ones they did for the Road to PS5 and PS4 Pro

 

[Fury]

Don't see a compelling reason to buy it at the moment. Maybe they'll give me one when some new games drop. The price isn't offensive though and I have no problem with just not buying it.

Still, anyone who does isn't dumb in the way of people who paid flipper prices for a PS5.

But I'll enjoy the rage of other people's entitlement. Sony released a thing at a price that is above what they feel they deserve to pay for it.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

I haven't heard this anywhere, but I have a feeling this may have been said by somewhere else.

This entire situation is remiscent of the PS3 launch for $600, which set Sony back for that console generation in a major way for most of it.

But.... this is just a mid-generation upgrade, and they're WAY ahead of Microsoft for this generation by 30.5 million console sales.

PS5 vs Xbox Series X|S Sales Comparison - July 2024

The VGChartz sales comparison series of articles are updated monthly and each one focuses on a different sales [...]

www.vgchartz.com

This is an experiment to gauge if console gamers are willing to accept a higher price for consoles, and possibly charge an even higher price for the Playstation 6.

If that pisses you off, you're not alone. However we absolutely will be receiving more for our money by that time... 2028 at the earliest.
The question is if Microsoft would be able to produce an XBox follow-up comparable to the PS6 at a cheaper price... kinda like the opposite situation of the XBoxOne & PS4 launches... which the XBoxOne was $100 more expensive to pay for an accessory no one wanted, and played like shit.

Or, vice-versa. Maybe Microsoft will make their next console too expensive, and Sony would undercut them. (Just like the PS4 / XBoxOne launch)

And don't forget when the Series S/X & PS5 were released during the pandemic some idiots were paying $1000 on Ebay because of scalpers. So yes, some are willing to pay a premium for the most up-to-date console gaming experience.

Which makes me wonder... how powerful of a console would $900 buy you? Or what kind of performance would you demand of a $900 console?

For me, it'd be -
*4K (Non-Upscaled)
*All games run at a consistent 90FPS.
*Top-Tier Ray Tracing.
*Everything I purchased for the prior console to be transferable & optimized, or at least most.

 

[SwamiLeoni]

Seeing reports that Gamestop will buy your old PS5 in the $300 range (in-store credit) and $250 (cash).

 

[Madmick]

I've already seen those from the initial couple of leaks, that post was more about the fact that it was marketed as a "Technical Presentation" and didn't really feel like it compared to previous ones they did for the Road to PS5 and PS4 Pro

I always assume you've seen everything before I have, you obviously have a much more developed personal ecosystem of feeds and insider social media followings, and I know this is hardly a thorough overview of the hardware specifications, but your post seemed as appropriate as any to anchor a subthread within this thread devoted to discussion of the hardware side of the new console.

 

[rikwebb]

Digital Foundry's Reveal Reaction

 

[Madmick]

Digital Foundry's Reveal Reaction

Impossible not to notice Alexander Pattaglia's snicker when he mentions the "machine learning" as part of the "Big 3 Enhancements".

 

[GearSolidMetal]

“The lack of competition means it is an easier decision for Sony to run with a higher price point to protect its existing margins,” Harding-Rolls added. “For most prospective PS5 consumers, the standard edition will represent the value sweet spot."

So, as Harding-Rolls notes, there is no pressure on Sony to undercut its competition because there is no competition. “The price point of the PS5 Pro will inevitably cause a lot of commentary,” Harding-Rolls said.

The analyst expects the PS5 Pro to sell around 13 million units by 2029, which, if true, would be similar to the PS4 Pro. That console is estimated to have sold around 12 percent of total PS4 sales."

PS5 Pro at $700: ‘Lack of Competition’ Made It an ‘Easier Decision’ for Sony to Run With Higher Price - IGN

www.ign.com

 

[GearSolidMetal]

"The PS5 Pro launches November 7, 2024, with up to 50 PS5 Pro Enhanced games. Here's a list of all the PS5 Pro Enhanced games confirmed so far."

"Up to 50."



Alan Wake 2
Assassins Creed Shadows
Demon Souls
Dragons Dogma 2
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Gran Turismo 7
Hogwarts Legacy
Horizon Forbidden West
Spider-Man 2
Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart
The Crew Motorfest
The First Descendent
TLoU2

Don't get me wrong I'm rooting for Sony to pull this off, but Microsoft literally has hundreds of older games optimized for newer hardware and with superb performance.

Of that list, I'd be interested in TLoU2 & FF7R (I want the 1st one to be optimized too).

 

[Valhoven]

69 players across the PS-verse platted Concord, it's been shown. Possibly never to return, the Living Legend trophy would remain a collector item and one of the rarest Plats, no doubt. For me, any title – even playing while sitting on broken glass – comes second to the Plat for Wolfenstein II (New Colossus). That was torture and I quit. So my difficulty rank is Wolfenstein II > A game that no longer exists, lol.

 

[SwamiLeoni]

I know someone made a Crimson Desert thread, I just can’t find it. Anyways, 50 minutes of gameplay here:

 

[avenue94]

Which makes me wonder... how powerful of a console would $900 buy you? Or what kind of performance would you demand of a $900 console?

For me, it'd be -
*4K (Non-Upscaled)
*All games run at a consistent 90FPS.
*Top-Tier Ray Tracing.
*Everything I purchased for the prior console to be transferable & optimized, or at least most.

That's an insane loss leader if you're asking for the equivalent of a 4080 or more for under $1,000

 

[GearSolidMetal]

That's an insane loss leader if you're asking for the equivalent of a 4080 or more for under $1,000

Haven't kept up with PC hardware in a number of years so I have no idea what the capabilities of a 4080 are.

But keep in mind I'm speculating about a console that will be released in 2028, or maybe even 2029.

 

[avenue94]

Haven't kept up with PC hardware in a number of years so I have no idea what the capabilities of a 4080 are.

But keep in mind I'm speculating about a console that will be released in 2028, or maybe even 2029.

There's only a handful of GPUs capable of 4K at 90fps native with raytracing and they start around $1,000, and that's ignoring any of the other costs of producing a console like that. Your only option will be Nvidia, so you're most likely talking RTX 50 since RTX 60 wouldn't be mature enough and yielding enough just a year into launch.

I'm not sure there's much demand for over 60fps 4K given what TVs the mass public owns, and consoles are all about volume sales to recoup money.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Impossible not to notice Alexander Pattaglia's snicker when he mentions the "machine learning" as part of the "Big 3 Enhancements".

I’m pretty sure Alex was laughing because John cracked a joke. Rich was listing out the the “Big 3 Enhancements” and John said “that’s us” causing Alex to laugh.

It wouldn’t even make sense for Alex to snicker at the mention of machine learning since PSSR is probably the thing that the DF crew is most interested in with the Pro since they don’t like FSR.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

There's only a handful of GPUs capable of 4K at 90fps native with raytracing and they start around $1,000, and that's ignoring any of the other costs of producing a console like that. Your only option will be Nvidia, so you're most likely talking RTX 50 since RTX 60 wouldn't be mature enough and yielding enough just a year into launch.

I'm not sure there's much demand for over 60fps 4K given what TVs the mass public owns, and consoles are all about volume sales to recoup money.

Its 2024.
I'm just speculating about what's going to be released for consoles 4 or 5 years down the line.

Pretty sure most new consoles are comparable to top-end gaming PCs from four to five years before, for only $400-$500, because new and cheaper hardware is being created that up to par with older top-performance PC components.



BTW maybe this Mid-Generation upgrade is a way to extend Sony's lifecycle for the PS5s by a year or two (2029-2030), forcing Microsoft to develop and release their next console earlier because the SeriesX/S will really be showing its age by 2028.

 

[Dizzy]

Impossible not to notice Alexander Pattaglia's snicker when he mentions the "machine learning" as part of the "Big 3 Enhancements".

Impossible not to notice the autism in this post.