PlayStation architect Mark Cerny discusses the evolving console, how PS5's design choices impact PC gaming

Daniel Sims

Daniel Sims

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In a nutshell: Modern game consoles are often referred to as affordable, small-form-factor PCs with closed-box software systems, but PlayStation hardware designer Mark Cerny refuted this assertion in a recent interview. He claimed that consoles still possess inherently unique traits and that Sony's design choices in building the PS5 may have influenced the PC market.

The similarities between game consoles and PCs have diminished significantly over the decades. However, Mark Cerny, the chief designer behind the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, still believes consoles are a unique driving force in the tech world. In an extensive interview with GamesIndustry.biz, he discussed developer trends that surprised him the most and the advantages consoles still have over gaming PCs.

Console exclusives have almost completely disappeared as Microsoft and Sony have started porting their in-house productions to PC (although Sony does so on a delay). Moreover, the x86 architecture used in today's consoles makes those PC conversions far easier than in previous generations. Some might also consider the upcoming release of a PC adapter for the PlayStation VR2 headset a sign of declining confidence in the accessory.

However, Cerny asserted that Sony isn't trying to build low-cost PCs, highlighting the additional freedom the company has when designing a console. The PlayStation architect suggested that, without the constraints of multiple decades of Windows software or PC standards, Sony could push for more efficient GPU interfaces and deeper integration of solid-state drives.

According to Cerny, these decisions might have influenced some of Microsoft's choices regarding DirectX and DirectStorage. The latter, along with Nvidia's RTX I/O, has been promoted as the PC's answer to the PS5's ultra-fast load times, but it has seen relatively limited use in PC games.

Cerny also noted that the PS5 maintains a cost-performance advantage over equivalent PC parts three years after its launch. He referenced a February YouTube video by Linus Tech Tips, in which the channel attempted to match PS5 performance with $500 worth of PC components. Since the channel purchased a used motherboard, Cerny believes the resulting system should be compared to a used PS5, which can be found for under $300 on eBay.

In other parts of the interview, the PlayStation architect expressed surprise at how readily developers have employed ray tracing and aimed for 60 frames per second. Cerny admitted that hardware-accelerated ray tracing was a late addition to the PS5's architecture. The PlayStation 5 Pro, expected to launch later this year, is rumored to feature dramatically enhanced ray-tracing capabilities and machine learning-assisted upscaling.

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PlayStation architect Mark Cerny discusses the evolving console, how PS5's design choices impact PC gaming

 
He is technically correct that consoles helped push DX12/Vulkan (more efficienct, lower-level APIs) and better SSD utilization on PC. But the PS5 still offers fundamentally the same performance as a Ryzen 3600 + RX 6700 + basic NVMe drive PC. Hard to argue it isn't analogue to a low-cost PC, when that's what you get in practice.

Also, it "maintains a cost-performance advantage over equivalent PC parts" only if you forget the fact that a PC built with those parts has unlimited free access to online multiplayer and other online features, while with a PS5 that privilege will cost you an additional $80/year (meaning $320 in the 4 years or so left in this generation, on top of the cost of the console). A $500 console and a $500 PC are not equivalent, because the $500 PC comes with the equivalent of years of PS Plus subscription (online multiplayer, cloud saves, voice chat, discounts and weekly free games) built in for free. But if you compare a $820 console (device + years of subscription) to a $820 PC, the $820 PC is more powerful.

Consoles are a good deal if you're ok with being limited to single-player games (or microtransaction-infested F2P games), but if you want online functionality you don't actually save any money going with a console.
 
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I like foxes said:
If I used a console I d feel degraded. A computer can be used not only for gaming . It makes me happier and serves my other needs .
Click to expand...
So essentially what you just said refuted the claim of console and PC convergence.

In my opinion, there is nothing degrading about using a console. PC may have better hardware to allow for better graphics and performance, but is badly hampered by Windows (there are pros and cons to the OS). One area where you can observe a clear console advantage is the loading times, including those painful shader compilation tasks. The console generally wins hands down even if you have a cutting edge NVME SSD installed on your PC.
 
Games on consoles are supposed to work out of the box. Also you keep it plugged to your TV in the living room generally and it is often great to do couch multtiplayer games which is really another experience compared to online gaming.
Yes it is a mini gaming PC in a sense but like the steam deck it serves specific use cases.
 
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If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck....Look it's a SFF PC, in a hideous case, Mark. Albeit with a few technical USP innovations tacked on, some good, SSD throughput, some overhyped Meh! Level such as the Tempest Audio block.


 
Most overrated guy in the console market. Never made a single console that works well, not even with off the shelf components.
 
poshflamingos said:
He is technically correct that consoles helped push DX12/Vulkan (more efficienct, lower-level APIs) and better SSD utilization on PC. But the PS5 still offers fundamentally the same performance as a Ryzen 3600 + RX 6700 + basic NVMe drive PC. Hard to argue it isn't analogue to a low-cost PC, when that's what you get in practice.

Also, it "maintains a cost-performance advantage over equivalent PC parts" only if you forget the fact that a PC built with those parts has unlimited free access to online multiplayer and other online features, while with a PS5 that privilege will cost you an additional $80/year (meaning $320 in the 4 years or so left in this generation, on top of the cost of the console). A $500 console and a $500 PC are not equivalent, because the $500 PC comes with the equivalent of years of PS Plus subscription (online multiplayer, cloud saves, voice chat, discounts and weekly free games) built in for free. But if you compare a $820 console (device + years of subscription) to a $820 PC, the $820 PC is more powerful.

Consoles are a good deal if you're ok with being limited to single-player games (or microtransaction-infested F2P games), but if you want online functionality you don't actually save any money going with a console.
Click to expand...

There's also the upgradeability of a PC and the extensive non-gaming user experiences you can get from a PC.

Back in April, I picked up a PS5 solely to play Gran Turismo 7 (longtime fan of the series, but hadn't had a console from any of the big 3 since the PS3/360 era). I essentially did everything there was to do in the single player, and I wasn't about to pay an additional fee for the multiplayer. In short, after a little over a month and a half, the utility of the PS5 had evaporated.

Given that it was on the same desk as my PC, any additional non-gaming functionality was a moot point. Anything the PS5 could do, I could do much more efficiently on my PC. It became a rather expensive paperweight given that many of the games I would conceivably want to play are either on PC, coming to PC, or require additional financial investment to get the most out of them.

This is not a knock on the PS5, but consoles in general. It's wonderful that we're finally getting mid-range PC performance in consoles, but with MIcrosoft making essentially all of their titles available on GamePass (and thus PC) on day one, there's a disincentive to purchase a Series X unless you simply don't want to deal with the minutiae of building and maintain a gaming PC. Sony does this better, but I believe even they know that the days of console exclusives driving console says can only last for so long as the hardware between consoles and PCs continue to converge (and as PCs that can give good performance for high visual-fidelity continue to become less expensive relative to prior time periods). Only Nintendo, I feel, has enough 1st party exclusives to buck this trend, but they also aren't releasing consoles that cost $450-$600 (even with the more restrictive walled garden they use).
 
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I think playstations dualsense controller is pretty badass, the issue is it doesnt work well on pc, I've never seen the point in making something available for pc if its technically sorta broken. its all software anyway.
 
I like foxes said:
If I used a console I d feel degraded. A computer can be used not only for gaming . It makes me happier and serves my other needs .
Click to expand...

Same here; the idea that a device manufacturer can artificially restrict and control what the actual owner of said device can use it for is very consumer hostile. If you own a device, you should well own said device; the original maker should have no say at all in how you use that device with third party hardware, software, or repair services. Expecting paying costumers to just accept such restrictions like good little pay-piggies is as you said, degrading.
 
Dreadcthulhu said:
Same here; the idea that a device manufacturer can artificially restrict and control what the actual owner of said device can use it for is very consumer hostile. If you own a device, you should well own said device; the original maker should have no say at all in how you use that device with third party hardware, software, or repair services. Expecting paying costumers to just accept such restrictions like good little pay-piggies is as you said, degrading.
Click to expand...

Will be interesting if consoles move to ARM , how much they will allow. over and above usual streaming apps.

Given that you buy Apple , you accept the control in even more general purpose devices.
So no one with an Apple phone/iPad should complain above a media/gaming console being locked down to ensure integrity at least for security and DRM purposes.
Unlike Apple this is sold at little profit. or initially a loss. So you accept the bargain.
Apple charges you a huge markup to restrict what you can run, what you can attach - oh want to do that - get the Ipad pro you cheap so an so, need more storage, sorry you cheap SOB should have spent an extra $500

PS5 etc can add more storage
 
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