In-Depth Look at PlayStation 5 Pro Specifications: PS5 Architect Mark Cerny Dispels ‘FLOPflation’ Myth

Yesterday, PlayStation rolled out a video featuring Mark Cerny at Sony Interactive Entertainment HQ, where he presented an in-depth look at the PS5 Pro hardware. As the system architect, Mark took the opportunity to address some speculative talk surrounding the console. One of the main points he tackled was the buzz around “FLOPflation” after a misunderstood leak suggested a whopping 33.5 TFLOPs, owing to mistaken assumptions about the RDNA 3-inspired architecture.

In truth, the PS5 Pro delivers 16.7 TFLOPs, a notable leap from the PS5’s 10 TFLOPs. An accurate pre-launch leak hinted at the PS5 Pro reaching 300 TOPS in 8-bit calculations, while 16-bit operations can achieve 67 TFLOPS. Cerny elaborated that Sony’s customized RDNA 2.X architecture incorporates many RDNA 3 features but retains enough familiar structure to prevent developers from needing to rewrite existing code for the new system.

Mark pointed out that the standout enhancements of the PS5 Pro include its revamped Ray Acceleration structure, utilizing BVH8 (Bounding Volume Hierarchy), alongside improved stack management within the hardware. This upgrade results in more streamlined, effective graphics shader code execution on the new console.

BVH plays a crucial role in 3D rendering, aiding in calculations like reflections. The PS5 employed BVH4, organizing bounding boxes in groups of four for ray tracing, whereas the PS5 Pro steps up with BVH8, able to handle calculations with eight bounding boxes. In the same vein, the Ray Intersection Engine has made strides, now checking rays against eight boxes and two triangles, compared to just four boxes and one triangle previously.

These advancements in the PS5 Pro’s ray tracing capabilities, built upon a highly tailored version of the PS5’s RDNA 2 GPU architecture, deliver significant performance boosts, especially with complex light reflection effects, though the improvements in shadows and flat reflections are more modest.

For those thirsty for a deeper technical breakdown, the complete 37-minute video on the PlayStation 5 Pro is worth a watch. It’s packed with fascinating insights into the console industry and the tech battles shaping its future.