The CEO of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) promises that her company's latest chip will be the "special sauce" that puts the PlayStation 5 ahead of its competition. Although it looks like the next-gen console won't be launching in 2019, there is still plenty to be looking forward to.
After the runaway success of the PlayStation 4 and its extended life cycle thanks to the PlayStation 4 Pro, Sony is firmly focusing its efforts on the currently untitled PlayStation 5. While there isn't an official announcement just yet, system architect Mark Cerny has started hyping the console's long-awaited arrival.
Speaking to CNBC, AMD CEO Lisa Su explains how the chip will help push the PlayStation 5 ahead of the competition:
“What we have done with Sony is really architect something for their application, for their special sauce. It’s a great honor for us. We’re really excited about what the next generation PlayStation will do.”
AMD is clearly keeping busy, with Su reminding gamers that the company is also working on Google's Stadia gaming service. She's also spoken about AMD working on a mysterious Microsoft project, which could be one of the four new Xbox consoles the company has in the works. Either way, it sounds like there are some exciting announcements on the way for 2019.
Only recently, Cerny revealed the PS5's first details and confirmed it will be backward compatible. The AMD chip will have a CPU based on the third-gen Ryzen technology and include eight cores of the Zen 2 microchip. Although Cerny's first presentations have shown what the PS5 can potentially do using 4K resolution, players are told the console will fully support 8K resolution — run by a custom variant of Radeon's Navi family graphics chip.
Elsewhere Cerny has hyped the use of 3D audio, which should help players get a more immersive experience as NPCs will be able to detect footsteps and sounds will come from all directions. Couple this with a super-fast SSD that can load games 18 times faster than before and Su's comment about gaming being a “good secular” growth market for AMD, and it all means that the PlayStation 5 will be one to watch out for.
There are still reports that the sheer might of the next-gen Xbox will once again outshine Sony's offering, but Su's news should put some of those fears to the rest. Even though Xbox boss, Phil Spencer has already claimed Microsoft will set the benchmark of home gaming, the addition of AMD and the "special sauce" is guaranteed to give the PlayStation 5 a distinct advantage over its biggest rival. Rest assured, the console wars are set to continue as fans put their sights on what comes after the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One finally bow out.
Source: CNBC