Detailed Analysis of PlayStation 5 Pro Specs: PS5 System Architect Mark Cerny Debunks ‘FLOPflation’ Myths

Yesterday, PlayStation treated fans to an inside look at the PS5 Pro through a video featuring Mark Cerny, the system architect, at Sony Interactive Entertainment HQ. Cerny took the stage to explain the advanced specs of the PS5 Pro, while also quashing some wild rumors that had been circulating. A big topic of discussion was “FLOPflation,” a term sparked by a misleading figure of 33.5 TFLOPs. This number spread due to a leak misinterpreting the hardware with assumptions about extensive use of an RDNA 3-like architecture.

In reality, Cerny clarified that the PS5 Pro hits 16.7 TFLOPs, a step up from the PS5’s 10 TFLOPs. Amongst the handful of credible leaks, one correctly pointed out that the PS5 Pro could handle 300 TOPS with 8-bit calculations, and 67 TFLOPs with 16-bit calculations. As Cerny detailed, Sony’s customized AMD RDNA 2.2 architecture in the PS5 Pro integrates several RDNA 3 features but sticks closely enough to RDNA 2 to avoid the hassle of rewriting code for the new console.

Mark went on to emphasize the PS5 Pro’s substantial advancements, particularly in its Ray Acceleration setup enhanced with BVH8 (Bounding Volume Hierarchy), alongside improvements in “Stack management” at the hardware level. These updates mean graphics shader code has become more straightforward and efficient on the latest hardware.

For those unfamiliar, BVH is pivotal for 3D rendering, affecting how reflections and other calculations are processed. The PS5 leveraged BVH4 (grouping bounding boxes in fours) for RT calculations, whereas the PS5 Pro now uses BVH8, doubling up on its potential. Similarly, the Ray Intersection Engine has progressed from evaluating rays against 4 boxes and 1 triangle on the PS5 to refreshing 8 boxes and 2 triangles on the PS5 Pro.

The enhancements in the ray tracing department, thanks to the PS5 Pro’s adaptive RDNA 2 GPU architecture, significantly boost performance, especially noticeable with intricate and textured light reflections, though the improvements for shadows and flat reflections are moderate.

Those eager to dive deeper should check out the 37-minute seminar video for a detailed breakdown. It’s an insightful exploration of the gaming console market and the technology battles that define it.

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