PS6 Specifications Leaked: Projected 34-40 TFlops and 6-12x Ray Tracing Performance Improvement Over PS5

Leaked Specifications for the PlayStation 6 Reveal Significant Upgrades

The well-known YouTuber, Moore’s Law Is Dead, has recently unveiled an extensive leak detailing the specifications of the upcoming PlayStation 6 (PS6) console, which surpass previous speculations in terms of performance. A standout feature from these revelations is the enhanced ray tracing capability. Initially reported in August to exhibit a 5-10x increase in ray tracing power over the original PlayStation 5, the latest expectations suggest an exceptional uplift of 6-12x.

Implications of Ray Tracing Enhancements

This considerable projected range raises questions, particularly if we assume the upper end of 12x. If achieved, the PS6’s ray tracing prowess could rival that of NVIDIA’s flagship graphics card, the GeForce RTX 5090, enabling real-time path tracing in various gaming titles. This would not only be a substantial advancement for a gaming console but also a captivating development for AMD, which has historically lagged behind NVIDIA in ray tracing performance. However, credible leaker Kepler_L2 hinted at a focus on improving both ray tracing and AI capabilities within the next AMD architecture. Conversely, MLID noted that rasterization performance for the PS6 might not experience a dramatic boost, estimating a 2.5x to 3x improvement compared to PS5.

Technical Specifications of the PS6 APU

The PlayStation 6 is rumored to house a monolithic APU featuring a die size of 280 mm², produced using TSMC’s advanced 3nm process technology. This change is expected to yield lower power consumption, with a thermal design power (TDP) of around 160W, particularly when contrasted with last year’s PlayStation 5 Pro. The upcoming CPU will likely be based on 8 Zen 6C cores (with 7 fully enabled for performance and 1 designated for redundancy), complemented by 2 low-power Zen 6 cores for system operations. The GPU is expected to integrate 54 RDNA 5 Compute Units, although speculation suggests that two may be disabled. Clock speeds are projected to be between 2.6 and 3.0 GHz, coupled with 10 MB of L2 cache, resulting in a formidable performance range of 34 to 40 TFlops. For perspective, the PS5 and PS5 Pro deliver 10.28 TFlops and 16.7 TFlops respectively, while the PS4 only had 1.84 TFlops, emphasizing the remarkable generational leap.

Memory and Production Timeline

In terms of memory architecture, reports indicate a 160-bit bus paired with GDDR7 memory, boasting an impressive bandwidth of 640 GB/s and accommodating up to 40 GB of RAM. Depending on market strategies, Sony could opt for either 30GB or 40GB configurations. The manufacturing phase is anticipated to commence midway through 2027, targeting a potential launch in Fall 2027, which is slightly ahead of earlier expectations. Notably, backward compatibility for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 titles is likely to be maintained, ensuring continuity for players transitioning to the new console.

Comparative Analysis with Microsoft’s Next-Gen Xbox

In MLID’s commentary, insights were also shared regarding the Xbox Magnus, the APU that will power Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox console. It is projected to deliver around 25% more power than the PS6, although this comes at a higher cost associated with its multi-die design and anticipated greater power requirements.

Anticipation for Official Announcements

If the forecasted Fall 2027 launch holds true, gamers may not have to wait long to confirm the accuracy of these disclosures regarding PS6 specifications. For context, Mark Cerny, Sony’s Lead System Architect, began revealing early details about the PS5 system in April 2019, roughly a year and a half prior to its November 2020 release. Should Sony adhere to a similar timeline, official announcements could emerge as soon as next Spring.

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