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PlayStation 5 Pro, the upgraded version of Sony’s current-gen console, will launch later this year with a groundbreaking feature: AI upscaling. This was confirmed by AMD Chief Technology Officer Mark Papermaster in a recent interview with a YouTube channel.
What is AI upscaling and why is it important?
AI upscaling is a technique that uses artificial intelligence to enhance the resolution and quality of images and videos. It can make low-resolution content look sharper and more detailed on high-resolution displays, such as 4K or 8K TVs.
AI upscaling is especially important for gaming, as it can improve the visual fidelity and performance of games without requiring more hardware power or storage space. It can also enable backward compatibility, allowing older games to look better on newer consoles.
How did AMD and Sony achieve PlayStation 5 Pro AI upscaling?
AMD is the company that provides the chips and graphics cards for Sony’s PlayStation consoles. In the interview, Papermaster said that 2024 is a huge year for AMD, as they have completed AI enabling in their entire portfolio. He also said that 2024 is a huge deployment year for them, as they are enabling their gaming devices to upscale using AI.
This implies that PlayStation 5 Pro, which is rumored to launch later this year, will be one of the first gaming devices to support AI upscaling. Papermaster hinted that devices available or launching this year will be able to use this feature, which also suggests that PlayStation 6, the next-gen console expected to launch in a few years, will also have AI upscaling.
Papermaster did not reveal any technical details about how PlayStation 5 Pro AI upscaling works, but a known AMD leaker named Kepler has previously claimed that the console will run on a new chip called Viola APU, which has no dedicated neural processing units (NPUs) for AI. This means that the AI upscaling will be done on the GPU, which is the same component that handles graphics rendering.
Kepler was skeptical about the possibility of AI upscaling on PlayStation 5 Pro without Sony sharing its research and development efforts with AMD, but Papermaster’s statement seems to confirm that the two companies have collaborated on this feature.
When will PlayStation 5 Pro launch and what else can we expect from it?
PlayStation 5 Pro is expected to launch later this year, according to several rumors and leaks. The console will be an upgraded version of the PlayStation 5, which launched in November 2020 and has been in high demand ever since.
PlayStation 5 Pro will likely have a higher price tag than the PlayStation 5, which costs $499 for the standard edition and $399 for the digital edition. The console will also have improved hardware specifications, such as a faster CPU, a more powerful GPU, and more memory.
PlayStation 5 Pro will also have exclusive features, such as AI upscaling, that will set it apart from the PlayStation 5. The console will be able to run games at higher resolutions, frame rates, and graphical settings, as well as support new technologies such as ray tracing and 3D audio.
PlayStation 5 Pro will also be compatible with the PlayStation 5 games and accessories, such as the DualSense controller and the PlayStation VR headset. The console will also have access to the PlayStation Plus subscription service, which offers online multiplayer, cloud storage, and free monthly games.