PS5 handheld closer to reality thanks to new Project Amethyst tech

Sony and AMD gave a new update on Project Amethyst technologies that could pave the way for dedicated PlayStation handheld that competes against the Switch.

PS5 handheld closer to reality thanks to new Project Amethyst tech
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Senior Gaming Editor
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2-minute read time
TL;DR: Sony and AMD's Project Amethyst introduces innovative tech-Neural Arrays, Radiance Cores, and Universal Compression-that enhances performance and lowers power consumption, ideal for future PlayStation hardware. These advancements could enable a native PS5 handheld, though the technology remains in early simulation stages with no official release timeline.

Project Amethyst is evolving, and it looks like Sony and AMD are creating a runway for the rumored PlayStation 5 handheld.

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Today, Sony and AMD revealed three new tech breakthroughs coming to future PlayStation hardware as part of their multi-year Project Amethyst collaboration. The advancements, which are theoretically substantial, have interesting potential to carry over to other devices--not just new consoles like the PS6. Project Amethyst's new tech takes strain off CPU, GPU, and memory in a number of creative ways, which is great for comparatively weaker mobile chips that are used in handhelds.

PlayStation architect Mark Cerny specifically mentioned something that caught my ear during the presentation, affirming that these three technologies in conjunction could lead to "lower power consumption," which is also quite ideal for a handheld device. Maybe like Sony's rumored dedicated PlayStation handheld that's reportedly capable of natively playing PS5 games.

Here's what Cerny said in the video:

"There's a multitude of benefits for this, including lower power consumption, higher fidelity assets, and perhaps most importantly, the synergies that Universal Compression has with Neural Arrays and Radiance Cores as we work together to deliver the best possible experiences to gamers."

New PlayStation tech (Project Amethyst)

  • Neural Arrays - Connects GPU Compute Units together for more performance through maximized efficiency
  • Radiance Cores - Built onto chip, handles ray tracing features, frees up CPU and offers "significant speed boost."
  • Universal Compression - Ambitious new tech that analyzes all data, and compresses all data where it can.

In the presentation, Sony's Mark Cerny was careful to say that these features aren't even finished yet and can only currently be tested out via experimental simulations right now. The PlayStation 6, and perhaps the PS5 handheld, is currently many years away from release.

"Overall, it's still very early days for these technologies. They only exist in simulation right now, but the results are quite promising. I'm really excited about bringing them to a future console in a few years time."

Sony has yet to confirm or announce its plans for a PlayStation handheld outside of its $199 PlayStation Portal device, which is a "remoter player" that is exclusively used for streaming and cannot natively run games.