PlayStation, AMD team up to build next-gen AI, ML architectures for PS6, other hardware

Sony and AMD announce project Amethyst, a new collaboration focused on forging next-gen AI and ML solutions for new console hardware like the PS6, as well as other platforms, potentially even PC and rival platforms.

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Today Sony Interactive Entertainment dropped a surprise video of PlayStation console architect Mark Cerny discussing the PS5 Pro in a deep dive seminar. Cerny goes through everything, including how exactly the PS5 Pro's GPU works, why it was chosen, as well as PSSR details. But towards the end of the video, Cerny teased what's next for PlayStation.

Sony and AMD are working closely together to develop new hardware and architecture solutions optimized specifically for ML and AI. Here's what Cerny said during the presentation about Amethyst:

I have some exciting news to share. We have begun a deeper collaboration with AMD. For the project name, we're taking a hint from AMD's red and PlayStation's blue. The codename is Amethyst.

With Amethyst, we've started on another long journey and are combining our expertise with two goals.

The first goal is more ideal architecture for machine learning, something capable of parallelized processing of neural networks but particular good at lightweight CNNs needed for game graphics. And something focused around achieving that holy grail of fully-fused networks.

In going after this, we're combining the lessons that AMD has learned from its multi-generational RDNA roadmap and SIE has learned from the custom work in the PS5 Pro.

But ML use in games shouldn't, and can't, be restricted to graphics libraries. We're also working towards a democratization of machine learning, something accessible that allows direct work in AI and ML by game developers, both for graphics and for gameplay.

Amethyst is not about proprietary technology for PlayStation. In fact, it's the exact opposite.

Through this technology collaboration, we're looking to support broad work in machine learning across a variety of devices.

The other goal is to develop, in parallel, a set of high-quality CNNs for game graphics. Both SIE and AMD will independently have the ability to draw from this collection of network architectures and training strategies, and these components should be key in increasing the richness of game graphics as well as enabling more extensive use of raytracing and path tracing.

We're looking forward to keeping you posted on what we anticipate to be a multi-year collaboration.

Cerny also said this on the PlayStation Blog:

"AMD has been a fantastic partner for SIE for many years now, and I'm honored to announce that we have begun a deeper collaboration with a focus on Machine Learning-based technology for graphics and gameplay. Both AMD and SIE share many of the same goals related to advancing the medium of video games."