RDNA 2.5? Rumor says PS5 to include some exclusive RDNA 3 features

PlayStation insider @Tidux spilled some new potential PS5 details that have set the blogosphere alight. It has been well documented that the PS5 has less raw processing power than the Xbox Series X (10.28 teraflops versus 12 teraflops), but all may not appear to be equal. Although both consoles are using AMD’s forthcoming RDNA 2 architecture at their core it is being suggested that Sony will have some exclusive architectural features not found on the Xbox Series X.

According to @Tidux, the Sony PS5 will also include some AMD RDNA 3 tech as well. What this means exactly isn’t clear, but it is not unheard of for Sony to get access to AMD technology further up the pipeline. For example, the PS4 had some architectural features from the Vega architecture that weren’t seen in consumer GPUs until around 12 months later. Whatever it the tech is, is less likely to be connected to the physical design of the PS5’s 36 compute units (although that is possible) but more likely to do with rendering and instruction sets.

For example, the PS5 fully supports RDNA’s Variable Rate Shading technology that increases resolution in certain sections of a frame while reducing it in others where it isn’t required or noticeable. This maximizes the visual fidelity while fully utilizing the processing power on hand. RNDA 2 and RDNA’s architectural changes have been focused on reducing instruction sets and latency and this is more likely the type of early access to RDNA 3 that Sony will be able to incorporate in the PS5, if the rumor has any truth to it.

What it all ultimately might mean is that it might be very difficult to discern that the Xbox One Series X has any graphical advantage over the PS5 in practice, a theme that seems to be repeating itself.