The days when the current generation of consoles are their respective manufacturer’s latest offering are drawing short after a half-decade of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and with the Switch 2 already here, so many gamers are eagerly on the lookout for any news about the next generation.
The demands placed on consoles or computers running modern video games are significantly higher. Modern games often demand more characters and props, in larger worlds, rendered in higher definition at faster frame rates, meaning hardware developers are left to figure out how to make this continued growth sustainable. Making the hardware in consoles operate more efficiently can raise the ceiling on what game developers can look to do with their designs.
To that end, a video released on the official PlayStation YouTube page has some news that could be exciting for gamers who are looking to see the next generation of visual capabilities in their games. Jack Huynh, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Computing and Graphics Group and AMD, and Mark Cerny, the lead architect of the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, spoke about new technology expected to be in use for the PlayStation 6.
The pair discussed “radiance cores,” which, while in the early stages of their development, are hoped to be able to significantly improve the way consoles and computers process highly demanding graphical presentations such as ray tracing and path tracing. These technologies have been critical to the modern boom in graphical fidelity, but also require a lot from the systems running them. By making them executable in a more efficient manner, this can create new levels of graphic realism for developers to tap into with their games.
Sports video games have often been key parts of progression across sports gaming development. As a kid, I remember the first time my dad saw Madden played on a PlayStation 2 and feeling like the game was bordering on television, a claim that would seem laughable when compared to Madden 26 graphics, but felt correct at the time.
From handling the AI guiding the many players, referees, and other characters on the field to ensuring that every light bouncing off a helmet, or bead of sweat rolling down a player’s forehead as he lines up a free throw, a console that processes more quickly and efficiently means sports games that can feel even more realistic. While the project is still in its early phases, according to the discussion, it’s certainly an enticing development for sports gamers eager to see their games look increasingly like real-world sports on TV.
