2020 is the year when next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X will finally replace the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. As we await full unveilings from Microsoft and Sony, fans have been given a closer look at the technology that will power the consoles when the holiday 2020 release dates hit. Unfortunately, however, it looks like it could be bad news for Sony ahead of the next-gen war.
In a recent post on Digital Foundry, it was suggested that the high-end Xbox Series X console will be more powerful than its PlayStation counterpart.
According to the post, the Xbox Series X will be powered by a GPU with 56 active compute units for a target of 12 teraflops of power.
That’s a big step up from the suggested 9.2 teraflop GPU powering the PlayStation 5.
“the test leaks that emerged in recent days tell us nothing about the CPU component but confirm 36 available compute units running at 2.0GHz – which while unconfirmed would give us a 9.2 teraflop GPU for PlayStation 5,” Digital Foundry points out.
Of course, it’s too early to understand what this means for developers, and what the pros and cons are for each system.
JUST IN: GTA 5 for just £1 – Grand Theft Auto joins Xbox Games Pass
JUST IN: Resident Evil 3 Remake could force PS4 and Xbox One owners to make some tough decisions
A fascinating read, the article also suggests that the PS5 GPU can be switched between three different modes.
This will give Sony the ability to provide backwards compatibility with PS4 and PS4 Pro releases.
Regardless of which machine is ultimately more powerful, both next-gen consoles will be capable of delivering some truly stunning games.
Sony’s next-gen console will support 8K resolution, ray-tracing technology and have much faster loading times.
The speedy (or non-existent) loading times are possible thanks to the specialised solid-state drive, which will make a huge difference to processing speeds.
In Spider-Man on a PS4 Pro, for example, it can take upwards of 15 seconds to fast travel from one location to another. The PS5, on the other hand, will be able to handle the same task in less than a second.
Worlds can also be rendered at far greater speeds, which should inject more pace into games.
The next-gen PlayStation console will also ship with a brand new DualShock controller.
These controllers will feature “highly programmable voice-coil actuators located in the left and right grips of the controller”, which will provide all-new controller feedback sensations.
The controller will be able to provide different sensations when running in sand compared to swimming in water or moving over a wooden bridge.
The DualShock 5 will also benefit from adaptive triggers, which will greatly benefit shooting games.
Adaptive triggers will provide varying levels of resistance depending on the in-game experience. Tension will increase when firing a bow, for example.