Considering that it is getting on five years now since the PS4 came into our lives, it’s no surprise that we are getting more and more rumors and reports considering the PS5. While we are still waiting for the likes of The Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima to launch, development on the PS5 is no doubt in full swing. Now, what form the new PlayStation will take is anyone’s guess. There is a rumor out there, however, that AMD’s Navi GPU has been designed with the PS5 in mind.
Indeed, Forbes has made the interesting claim, having heard it from unnamed industry sources. The report outlines that the PS5 will likely use AMD’s Navi and Zen GPU and CPU, respectively. What makes this interesting is that little is actually known about the Navi architecture. All we know is that it will employ the 7nm process. 7nm is of particular importance, as AMD is known to create custom, integrated discrete GPUs for consoles. All signs are pointing towards the Navi having the low power envelope that consoles require.
What Does This Mean for the PS5 Graphics?
The report suggests that the Navi GPU has been built specifically for the PS5, and nothing else. There is an indication that the new CEO of AMD, Dr. Lisa Su, wants to put more resources into what has been a fruitful semi-custom business. Indeed, AMD has previously worked on the Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U for example. All of this is pointing towards the Navi architecture being behind the PS5.
It’s unknown whether or not the PS5 will feature the Navi and Zen together as a system on chip, or use separate Ryzen and Navi components. Other reports also list the Navi as not aimed towards the high-end desktop market. Just more signs that it is being built as a custom chip for an upcoming console.
While none of this is concrete, it all does seem rather likely. Game companies have been working with the likes of Nvidia and AMD for years to build custom architecture. We just want to know more about the PS5.
