Sony unlocks PS4’s 7th processing core for developers

[Tunez]

From launch day, the Xbox One has been carrying a performance deficit when compared to the PlayStation 4. Hardware choices made during the design stage by Microsoft meant a games console that can’t quite match Sony’s offering. Much has been done in the last two years by Microsoft’s engineers to try and close the gap, but it looks as though Sony is about to unlock more performance and pull further ahead.

Both the Xbox One and PS4 use an 8-core AMD processor, but initially two of those cores were reserved in either console for background operations and the operating system to function. In order to close the performance gap Microsoft unlocked more GPU bandwidth and the 7th core on the Xbox One late last year. While this did give developers more performance to use, it meant losing a few features including voice commands and disabling Kinect functionality.

Since then, the Xbox One performance hasbeen closer to PS4, but still can’t match it in most games and games run at a lower resolution. The bad news for Microsoft is that Sony has quietly rolled out a new Software Development Kit (SDK) to developers and it does the same thing: unlocks that 7th processor core.

The impact of this change won’t be seen immediately, but games in development for Sony’s console right now should be able to take advantage of the extra performance this will offer. The end result seems inevitable: thePS4 will increase the performance gap to its rival.

The performance comparisons between the two machines won’t stop any time soon, and will happen every time a multi-platform release hits the shelves. There’s very little else Microsoft can do to close that gap, so it probably won’t be a major focus for them. Instead it’s the games that count, and in particular exclusive games. Not timed exclusives such as Tomb Raider, but Xbox-only releases if they can be secured.

[Images courtesy of iFixit]

h/t NeoGAF

Sony unlocks PS4’s 7th processing core for developers - Geek

 

[Grand Conde]

Checkmate.

 

[Ciggavelli]

7 cores

This is gonna fukk up the multiplat game for real. It'll affect PC releases too, since most people only have 4 cores. i7s from here on out.

 

[ORDER_66]

PS4 gonna be like

 

[Cladyclad]

Wanted to make a Xbox joke. But man all the Bots are in hiding we chased them away

It's no point anymore.

#WhereDeyAtTho

 

[ORDER_66]

Wanted to make a Xbox joke. But man all the Bots are in hiding we chased them away

It's no point anymore.

#WhereDeyAtTho

they went into cryogenic stasis....

 

[Cladyclad]

Wanted to put this in the BF thread
But
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[Xbox One X]

Unlocking new flows
7th new core detected

 

[Anti-Anime]

what's that? 7 cores running at 1.5 ghz dedicated to game apps? even my 4690k already destroys with like half the cores on stock speed, wait till i overclock this motherfukker to 4.5 ghz

 

[Rekkapryde]

what's that? 7 cores running at 1.5 ghz dedicated to game apps? even my 4690k already destroys with like half the cores on stock speed, wait till i overclock this motherfukker to 4.5 ghz

Why y'all keep bringing pcs into console shyt?

 

[Anti-Anime]

Rekkapryde, post: 16477832, member: 447"]Why y'all keep bringing pcs into console shyt?

PC gaming will be the future My pc Is wack by hobbyist standards but it holds up very well against the consoles

 

[Amestafuu (Emeritus)]

PC gaming will be the future My pc Is wack by hobbyist standards but it holds up very well against the consoles

PC gaming is not the future. You forget that shyt ain't casual lol

 

[Fatboi1]

PS4 bout to become final form Cell.

 

[StatUS]

Just in time for development on Last of Us 2, Shenmue, and FFX7 Remake.

Might be time to cop the quad

Wanted to put this in the BF thread
But
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Xbox has like 20 bundles PS4 has about 5.

 

[Diondon]

Keep a clip in the chamber for a fukkboi