Gaming powerhouses Sony and AMD have recently shared exciting updates on their joint efforts in developing advanced machine learning-based graphics technologies, internally codenamed “Project Amethyst.” This collaboration, initially announced in December 2024, is clearly paving the way for the future of gaming, with strong hints pointing towards Sony’s next-generation console: the highly anticipated PlayStation 6.
In a recent video released on the official PlayStation YouTube channel, Jack Huynh, AMD’s Senior Vice President and General Manager for computing and graphics, joined forces with Mark Cerny, the visionary lead architect behind the PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro. Their in-depth discussion centered on the significant “breakthroughs” these two industry leaders have been cultivating.
During the engaging, nearly nine-minute conversation, Cerny didn’t shy away from mentioning Sony’s upcoming console, the PS6. It’s expected that this new console will fully leverage the incredible technological strides made through the ongoing partnership between PlayStation’s parent company and AMD in graphics hardware development. Interestingly, there are even whispers about a potential Nintendo Switch-style PS6 handheld device, featuring an AMD APU, which could launch alongside the traditional home console.
As Cerny noted towards the end of their chat, “Overall, of course, it’s still very early days for these technologies. They only exist in simulation right now, but the results are quite promising, and I’m really excited about bringing them to a future console in a few years’ time.”
Sony and AMD’s Vision for Future Graphics
The video provided a deeper look into “Neural Arrays,” a groundbreaking technology that Sony and AMD have co-developed. This innovation aims to boost the efficiency of a GPU’s computing capabilities by allowing its compute units to collaboratively share data and process tasks. Cerny highlighted that this efficiency would be a “game-changer” for next-generation upscaling and denoising technologies, such as AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) and Sony’s PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR).
Another major focal point of their collaboration is advanced ray tracing. The companies unveiled “Radiance Cores,” a brand-new, dedicated hardware block specifically designed to handle real-time ray tracing and path tracing. Huynh enthusiastically stated that Radiance Cores are set to elevate in-game lighting performance to an unprecedented “whole new level.”
Beyond these specific innovations, Cerny and Huynh teased a range of other technical features that could find their way into Sony’s next console, and potentially even games across various other platforms. Huynh expressed genuine excitement about bringing these innovations to a broader community of developers. This extended collaboration follows AMD reportedly securing the contract in 2022 to design and manufacture the PlayStation 6 chip, beating out Intel.
Reports and leaks offer varying predictions for the PS6’s release. Earlier this year, a leaker suggested that the chip design for the PS6 was complete, with Sony potentially beginning SoC production for testing in late 2025. This timeline hints at a PS6 launch sometime in 2027. However, documents from Microsoft’s 2023 US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) trial regarding its acquisition of Activision Blizzard indicated that the Xbox team anticipates both its next-gen Xbox and Sony’s PS6 to debut in 2028. Sony, for its part, has yet to officially disclose its plans for a next-generation console.