The PlayStation 5 Pro is rumored to be powered by a Zen 2 CPU, which is the most logical for the system, according to a rather interesting analysis.
On X/Twitter, LeviathanGamer took a deep look at the leaked specifications of the new system, going over both CPU and GPU. According to the analysis, a CPU belonging to the same architecture as the base PS5 CPU is the one that makes the most sense, as the Zen 3 architecture comes with a performance increase of 16% but with an increase in die size which would be a problem for an APU, pushing up manufacturing costs up and potentially not leading to any true performance benefit for a system that cannot disable CPU cores. It would be the same with a Zen 4 CPU, as the die size increase would create similar issues. A Zen 4c CPU would also not work for the PlayStation 5 Pro, as, while its smaller die size could work for the console, it would require costly reworking to make its 16-core layout work with an 8-core processor. All the performance boosts brought by these newer architectures also wouldn't benefit CPU-bound games that much, making a Zen 2 CPU the most logical choice for the console.
Let us wall through the cost benefit analysis that was likely done for both Zen and RDNA for the PS5 Pro. For Zen, they have the following choices: Zen 2, Zen 3, Zen 4, and Zen 4c. Zen 3 performs 16% better with a 25% larger die size. This is fine for CPUs that can disable...
— LeviathanGamer (@LeviathanGamer2) December 12, 2023
$25. A similar thing occurs with Zen 4 with 33% larger die size than Zen 3 with 33% more performance. Not as bad as Zen 3, but now we are looking at a price increase over $50 compared to Zen 2. Zen 4c has Zen 3 die size, but Zen 4 performance and could potentially be worth it...
— LeviathanGamer (@LeviathanGamer2) December 12, 2023
makes rearchitected for outside its purpose may be a costly R&D endeavor. This makes Zen 2 the most logical choice for them, as the performance gains of any of these CPUs will not magically make a 30fps CPU-bound title, 60fps...
— LeviathanGamer (@LeviathanGamer2) December 12, 2023
As mentioned above, LeviathanGamer also went over the potential PlayStation 5 Pro GPU, commenting on how both an RDNA2 and RDNA3-based GPU could result in either an increase or decrease in die size and not have a significant impact on manufacturing costs. The one thing that could change the manufacturing cost significantly for the entire APU is the process node. If it will be produced on a 6nm process node, the manufacturing costs could be kept within $60-80 more than the current models. It would also be the most viable, given how the base model is already produced on a 6nm node, although there could be some issues with power and heat generation, as the PS5 Pro would draw 50W more than the base model if the leaked specs are real. As such, with a Zen 2 CPU and a 6nm process node, the new console should cost around $100 more than the PS5 slimmer revision, which would be a decent price, everything considered.
coupled with the fact the Slim is already being manufactured on 6nm, it might be cheaper for Sony to build on 6nm as 4nm has lackluster performance per dollar. The biggest issue with 6nm would be the power/heat, though. A PS5 Pro would draw 50W more than the PS5 launch model.
— LeviathanGamer (@LeviathanGamer2) December 12, 2023
This overall would cost Sony $60-$80 more in manufacturing costs vs the PS5 Slim which if we bump to $100(for retailers cut) should tell you where it should land in price.
— LeviathanGamer (@LeviathanGamer2) December 12, 2023
The PlayStation 5 Pro has yet to be revealed. We will keep you updated on the system as soon as more come in on it, so stay tuned for all the latest news.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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