lucadelladora – Sony has released a new video featuring PlayStation system architect Mark Cerny and AMD executive Jack Huynh discussing a major graphics initiative. The nearly nine-minute conversation introduced Project Amethyst. A set of hardware and software technologies aimed at powering the next PlayStation console and AMD’s future GPUs.
Cerny, the lead designer of the PS4 and PS5. Explained that Project Amethyst focuses on improving ray tracing, machine learning, and upscaling techniques. He noted that these technologies currently exist only in simulation form, but they aim to address performance limitations seen in AMD’s past graphics solutions.
Historically, AMD’s GPUs have lagged behind NVIDIA’s RTX lineup in ray tracing capabilities. While AMD prioritized rasterization performance to compensate, Huynh acknowledged that brute-force solutions no longer scale in modern, graphically intensive games. Instead, AMD is now building an entirely new architecture that introduces two key innovations: Neural Arrays and Radiance Cores.
Neural Arrays will enable AMD’s compute units to work cooperatively, rather than independently. This allows them to share data and process larger portions of the screen in parallel. According to Huynh, this shift will significantly boost machine learning performance, which is crucial for upscaling techniques like Sony’s PSSR and AMD’s FSR. The result should be faster rendering and more efficient ray regeneration.
Radiance Cores, on the other hand, are AMD’s answer to NVIDIA’s RT cores. These new dedicated hardware blocks are designed specifically to accelerate real-time ray and path tracing. By offloading complex light calculations, the Radiance Cores will free up the rest of the GPU to focus on rendering shaders and textures, improving overall performance.
Universal Compression and the Future of Real-Time Rendering on Consoles
In addition to the hardware improvements, Sony and AMD are developing a new software system called Universal Compression. Building on the Delta Color Compression tech already present in the PS5 and PS5 Pro, this method aims to compress everything that flows through the GPU’s graphics pipeline.
The goal is to reduce memory bandwidth usage and potentially lower the power consumption of the console’s graphics hardware. Cerny emphasized that these compression gains could have a significant impact, especially as games continue to demand higher fidelity visuals and more complex rendering techniques.
While Project Amethyst is still in its early stages, its implications are broad. For gamers, improved ray tracing and faster upscaling mean more immersive experiences without major performance trade-offs. Technologies like ray-traced global illumination can radically enhance how light and shadow interact in-game environments.
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For developers, the shift to Neural Arrays and Radiance Cores offers new tools to push graphical boundaries. Efficient rendering will become increasingly important as games grow more complex and target higher resolutions. Sony and AMD appear focused on building future-proof solutions that can handle these challenges.
With Project Amethyst, both companies signal their commitment to closing the performance gap with NVIDIA, while introducing innovations tailored to the needs of next-generation consoles. If successful, these technologies could redefine what’s possible in real-time rendering, setting a new benchmark for visual quality and efficiency in gaming.
