A Sony and AMD partnership is something that will grab a lot of attention, as well as raise a few eyebrows. From the PS5 Pro technical showcase this week, the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro architect Mark Cerny tells all. There is a lot to digest, but we’ll break down the information so it’s easy to understand, the collaboration set for a multi-year duration and benefitting all the console and PC gaming space, not just Sony’s own PlayStation brand. If that’s got you curious, then settle in. We’re about to take a deep dive to explain the full details of this endeavour.
Amethyst; AMD and Sony’s Partnership Name
The whole buzz around this co-development program that both companies are calling Project Amethyst is attention-grabbing. Mark Cerny defines the goal of the partnership as developing machine language technology across various devices. In his presentation, which requires more technical understanding than the average consumer might have, Mark Creny talks about the PSSR. In case you don’t know, the PSSR (PlayStation Super Spectral Resolution) is Sony’s own proprietary tech that uses AI. The goal is to upscale the graphics and visuals for its hardware. AMD is also using something similar, but it’s an open-source tech, the FSR (Fidelity Super Resolution). The purpose is the same: to make the visuals better.
In the same presentation, Mark Cerny states the two-fold intention behind extending the Sony and AMD team-up. He says:
“With Amythest, we’ve started on another long journey, and are combining our techhnology with two goals in mind… The first goal is an ideal architecture for machine learning. Something capable of generalized processing of neural networks, but particularly good at the lightweight. CNNs needed for game graphics and something focused on the Holy-Grail of fully-fused networks….”
The seocond goal is somewhat similar, the technical jargon for that was:
“…in parallel, a set of highquality CNNs for game graphics….”
Now, what all of this means is that the technology in question aims to improve efficiency and quality of visuals. But also the gameplay improvement is an objective of this as well. It makes sense, since the visual fidelity is looking to hit a plateau, so innovation is a necessity. The real takeaway though, the intention to improve gameplay experiences, we’re curious to see how that plays out. Anyway, there was another curious detail by Mark Cenry that warrants mentioning it, so let’s do that now.
Will AMD And Sony Keep The Tech Exclusive?
Sony bolsters its line-up of first-party titles through home-grown IPs, and reasonable intention of acquisitions like of Kadokawa Corporation. However, in the case of Project Amethyst, there seems to a more open approach for the technoloy’s use. In an interview with IGN after the same presentation, Mark Cerny explains this further:
“Both SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment) and AMD will have the independtly ability to draw from this collection of network architectures and training strategies…”
The function of using the refinement of this technology according to Mr. Cerny is:
“These components should be key in increasing the richness of game graphics as well as enabling more extensive use of ray tracing and path tracing.”
As for who else can take advantage of this leap in machine learning tech betweent Sony and AMD? Well, in an interview with IGN, Mark Cerny clearly states:
“Through this technology collaboration we’re looking to support broad work and machine learning across a variety of devices…” “…something that can be used broadly across PC and consoles, and cloud.”
There is further clarity regarding non-Sony systems like Microsoft’s Xbox making use of the technology. In that same IGN interview, Mark Cerny was asked about if Xbox could use this, and in response he had this to say:
“Absolutely. This is not about creating proprietary technology or hardware for PlayStation… It can be used by anyone who wants to use it.”
Well, there you have it folks, no doubt whatsoever. Regarding Sony’s progress and what features to expect from the PlayStation 6, Mark Cerny was expertly and amusingly side-stepping, saying:
“We are not discussing the PlayStation 6 at this time.”
Mark Cerny Tempers Expectations, Low Chance For Immediate Leaps Or Hardware
In a Digital Foundry interview, Mark Cerny expressly states that while progress is happening, we should remain patient.
“Don’t expect some massive hardware announcement coming out of this (Project Amethyst) immediately… Console development is roughly a 4 year journey.”
Interestingly enough, during the Digital Foundry interview, Mark Cerny shed more light on the project. Specifically, he talks about how tough the PSSR development was for him for the PS5 Pro. His exact words are:
“I think, with no exaggeration, PSSR is the toughest technical project I’ve ever been in in my life. And it’s just marvelous to have a partner (AMD) who also has the resources and the expertise that can be going into very much the same targets (Project Amethyst).”
It just goes to show that with ever evolving technology, the technical aspects and challenges grow more complex. But with resource pooling between Sony and AMD, it seems like the way forward for progress.
Conclusion
Well, that wraps up our coverage of Sony and AMD collaboration. The key points are that while the partnership was already happening, it’s further solidifies the future course for both companies. Such a joint venture will do wonders for the tech sector in general, specifically game-designs and graphical leaps. Given AMD’s challenges with competitive rivals in the AI sector, Marvell and Broadcom, this collaboration might be the shot in the arm AMD needs to get back on track.
We want to hear from you all, how do you feel about this development of Project Amythst? Tell us your throughts in the comments below. Do you feel like the timing is curious that Sony held an event for announcing this while it could have all happened behind the scenes? Is a PlayStation 6 announcement imminent? Share your opinions and stay tuned for more similar coverage we’ll have for you.
