Tuesday, December 12th 2023
Sony PlayStation 5 Pro Packs an Updated RDNA3 GPU with 60 CU
Sony is developing the PlayStation 5 Pro console that targets higher refresh-rate gaming at 4K Ultra HD, or higher in-game eye-candy, given its faster hardware. Details about the console are few and far between, given its late-2024 tentative release, but by now the company would have co-developed its semi-custom SoC, so it could spend the next year extensively testing and optimizing it, before mass production in the 2-3 quarters leading up to the launch. Kepler_L2 and Tom Henderson on Twitter are fairly reliable sources for PlayStation hardware leaks, and piecing their recent posts together, VideoCardz compiled the most probable specs of the SoC at the heart of the PlayStation 5 Pro.
The semi-custom SoC powering the PlayStation 5 Pro is co-developed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and AMD; and is codenamed "Viola." The monolithic chip is built on the TSMC N4P foundry node (4 nm EUV), which is a big upgrade from the 7 nm DUV node on which the "Oberon" SoC powering the original PlayStation 5, and 6 nm DUV node powering the "Oberon Plus" SoC of the refreshed PS5, are based on. Sony is leaving the CPU component largely untouched, it is an 8-core/16-thread unit based on the "Zen 2" microarchitecture, spread across two 4-core CCXs. The CPU has a maximum boost frequency of 4.40 GHz, dialed up from the 3.50 GHz maximum boost of "Oberon." The iGPU is where all the magic happens.
The iGPU is based on the latest RDNA 3 graphics architecture, which is a step up from the RDNA 2 powering "Oberon." It has 30 workgroup processors (WGPs), which amount to 60 compute units, or 3,840 stream processors, 120 AI accelerators, and 60 Ray accelerators. In comparison, Oberon's iGPU is based on RDNA 2, and has just 18 WGPs (36 CU, or 2,304 stream processors). The memory sub-system gets an upgrade, too. It is 16 GB in size, just like the original PS5, but with its memory clock slightly bumped up to 18 Gbps (vs 14 Gbps), resulting in 576 GB/s bandwidth. This memory uses a unified memory architecture, and is shared between the CPU (main memory), and iGPU (graphics memory).
The picture above is fan-art by Technizo Concept, Sony hasn't finalized a production design. The company is allegedly targeting a November 2024 launch for the PlayStation 5 Pro.
Sources:
Tom Henderson (Twitter), Kepler L2 (Twtitter), VideoCardz
The semi-custom SoC powering the PlayStation 5 Pro is co-developed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and AMD; and is codenamed "Viola." The monolithic chip is built on the TSMC N4P foundry node (4 nm EUV), which is a big upgrade from the 7 nm DUV node on which the "Oberon" SoC powering the original PlayStation 5, and 6 nm DUV node powering the "Oberon Plus" SoC of the refreshed PS5, are based on. Sony is leaving the CPU component largely untouched, it is an 8-core/16-thread unit based on the "Zen 2" microarchitecture, spread across two 4-core CCXs. The CPU has a maximum boost frequency of 4.40 GHz, dialed up from the 3.50 GHz maximum boost of "Oberon." The iGPU is where all the magic happens.
The picture above is fan-art by Technizo Concept, Sony hasn't finalized a production design. The company is allegedly targeting a November 2024 launch for the PlayStation 5 Pro.
101 Comments on Sony PlayStation 5 Pro Packs an Updated RDNA3 GPU with 60 CU
This isn't a PS6 - it's just a premium variant of the PS5 running the same games as the PS5 at better framerates/details. The main advantage is that performance/Watt compared to RDNA2 is significantly better, and for Sony, the power limitations are the primary bottleneck to performance as they don't want a hot and noisy console with more expensive VRMs and power supply. Regardless of what you think about RDNA2 vs RDNA3 in terms of IPC, TSMC N7 to N4P is a massive upgrade.I'd love that to be true but it's unlikely since Sony have effectively won the console war this generation and have no incentive (yet) to compete aggressively on price.
The Pro is likely to come with a premium, and whilst they may discount the base model slightly to widen the gap between it and the pro, there's no way they're going to stop selling the regular PS5 at a price people are clearly willing to pay - it is already outselling the competition nearly 2:1 at its asking price (or even above its asking price in several regions) and this is just how capitalism works.
I am just guessing now but the regular PS5 will possibly get the $50 price cut, or bundles with "$50 value" extras now included by default, but the PS5Pro is going to be $600 minimum, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it on sale for $699 or $749. This is a market where of the 40+ million consoles already sold, maybe 5-10 million of those buyers willingly paid scalper prices of $1000 or more during the pandemic.
Sony has the marketshare advantage now, so it doesn't need to make loss-leader products, nor does it need to be charitable. What it needs is to fulfil the obligations to its shareholders and that is, unfortunately, the ugly truth.
Pro model should see a nice bump in price but it won't be too large.
At a price, I might add. Penny wise pound stupid comes to mind - games are more expensive, you are effectively subbed to a service on top of the purchase price and backwards compatibility isn't really there.
If you game longer than 5 years, better off getting a PC. Even today, even with key sellers not as competitive as they used to be... you can game so much more for your money on the PC. Even if you just, only, consider the fact you have modding - that already represents the value of perhaps a year's worth of game purchases on its own. Content you already bought, gets double or better replay value just like that. For free. Or perhaps a small donation. It also contrasts nicely with paying 5,99 for a weapon skin, people do get that reality check for sure.Well put :)
Ironically most things the majority falls for, are most definitely not 'the best things'. They're the easiest things. And then there's peer pressure. Mainstream inherently says: do what the crowd does. That's a goal all of its own. Remember the South Park Xbox vs PS episode - that in a nutshell.
the ps5pro might be digital only at 770. depending on the extra cost of the apu. i don’t need the disc drive.
We're now talking about people talking shit on clickbait sites. As if that's not a given. Don't go there, honestly. Waste of time, much like most things on social media. The gutter of communication, I'll leave the rats to their favorite biome tyvm.
This is honestly one of the biggest issues we face today. Everyone's taken far too seriously, but the majority is just trolling for good fun within tiny minds.
Now , This year 4 12 year olds pointed at 4090S to me, I then advised and looked at they're parents, and they end up with a 3060.
Not a win for PCMR or those kids, just Nvidia wins.
OT I think those who don't use a Ps5 can't fathom it out.
As seen here.
Consoles always have one thing pc will NEVER have, easy, accessible gaming fun.
And exclusives , nothing pc touches Granturismo IMHO.
All it requires is a tiny bit of TLC. And Nvidia is really just a player in one segment: that of ye olde PC. Pushing the envelope there, too. The youngsters on consoles, they're buying AMD, and they play the same games.
That's gonna give sooner or later, we're seeing them blend together as we speak, I think platform independent game sales are a thing soon. The exclusivity is also starkly reduced over the years, as are the amount of strong first party titles on consoles.
MS pushed this idea already for years, they wanted a device independent OS even. The only one who really cares about a specific device here is Sony. And Nintendo - but that company has its own niche.
The biggest reason for that is the fact that PC gaming hardware companies are fairly absent from mainstream gaming events. Sure they had stands at E3...but they don't gather attention like a conference from a big publisher/console maker would. Since there's no real marketing about PC gaming as a whole, normies will just keep gravitating towards consoles that spend a lot of money on marketing. Like they say: you can have a good product and still fail if you don't know how to sell it
If anything ms is pushing for more console exclusive games for Xbox.
And I have a SD, Ps5 and PC's they're all different beasts and your point of SD being the pc console STILL had the point, quite rightly that steam OS is leaning towards a console not a pc experience.
As a user it has it's limits, like a Ps5.
I count the death of consoles talk much like I listened to the death of PCMR talk cos mobiles.
Yeah yeah I doubt it.
All your base are belong to us muahaha
Imagine a 6060 costing 4080 money because that's what those fanbois are going to get if they get there way, ironically.
Anyway I am tempted by a pro , again:p.
Look at GTA5, biggest game on the planet and they never did a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X patch to bump up the resolution.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Xbox_One-only_games
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Nintendo_Switch-only_games
There's really only one relevant console anyway.
and i am also glad i upgraded my rig ... i wouldn't want to have it specced lower than that PS5 Pro :laugh: