Comprehensive Breakdown of PlayStation 5 Pro Specifications: Mark Cerny Dispels ‘FLOPflation’ Myths

Yesterday, PlayStation treated fans to a video where Mark Cerny, the PS5 Pro system architect, gave an insightful presentation at Sony Interactive Entertainment headquarters. During this technical seminar, he took the opportunity to delve into the hardware of the much-anticipated PS5 Pro and put to rest several rumors that have been swirling around. One topic he addressed was “FLOPflation,” following the leak of an incorrect claim that the PS5 Pro clocked in at 33.5 TFLOPs. This error stemmed from a misunderstanding of the hardware by a leaker, who mistakenly believed there was deeper integration of RDNA 3 elements than there actually is.

In reality, Cerny clarified that the PS5 Pro provides 16.7 TFLOPs, a step up from the PS5’s 10 TFLOPs. He also confirmed that one accurate rumor highlighted the new console’s capability to reach 300 TOPS for 8-bit calculations; 16-bit operations can achieve 67 TFLOPs. Sony’s custom RDNA 2.X architecture marries features from RDNA 3, yet retains enough from its predecessor to avoid necessitating extensive code overhauls.

Mark pointed out the standout enhancements of the PS5 Pro, chief among them being the upgraded Ray Acceleration structure, now utilizing the BVH8 format. This advancement translates to better “Stack management in hardware,” optimizing the management and simplicity of graphics shader code for superior performance.

To break it down further, BVH, or Bounding Volume Hierarchy, plays a critical role in 3D rendering by grouping bounding boxes, which aids in graphics computations like reflections. The PS5 utilized BVH4 (4 bounding boxes), but the new PS5 Pro steps it up with BVH8—doubling the capability for real-time calculations. Additionally, the Ray Intersection Engine has seen enhancements, moving from processing rays against 4 boxes and a triangle in the PS5 to 8 boxes and 2 triangles in the Pro edition.

These advancements in the PS5 Pro’s ray tracing hardware, achieved via a highly tailored version of the RDNA 2 GPU architecture, facilitate significant gains in handling curved and uneven light reflections. However, improvements in shadows and flat reflections are more modest.

For those thirsting for a deeper technical understanding, the full 37-minute video offers a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes insights into the console market and the tech landscape that shapes it. If you’re keen on getting the latest and most detailed news and reviews, you might want to subscribe and keep Tom’s Hardware updates flowing straight to your inbox.