Sony PlayStation 5 graphics reveal following epic Sony 8K showcase?

On Jan 6, 2019

PS5 News is already coming thick and fast in 2019, but a new slice of information over the holiday period has already teased one potentially big new feature for the Sony’s next-gen PlayStation 5 console.This news comes via the SIGGRAPH Asia 2018 industry event at the end of last year, which for those who don’t know, is devoted to the latest in computer graphics.During the event, Gran Turismo developer Polyphony Digital revealed that they have created their own in-house real-time ray tracing tech using their existing PS4 game. You can see this demoed in the video below at the 7:20 mark.

PS5 Release Date News: Sony PlayStation 5 graphics reveal following epic Sony 8K showcase?

This we imagine is similar to the real-time ray tracing tech showcased by NVIDIA’s new GeForce RTX gaming cards.For anyone who doesn’t know, ‘Ray Tracing’ is a bit like realistic cinematic lighting. Essentially, it makes lights and shadows behave exactly as they would in real-life by tracking the path of every beam or ‘ray’ of light. It’s like having cutting edge Hollywood CGI in your games at home.Of course, this isn’t one of the more pressing questions regarding the PlayStation 5. That’s saved for questions like: How much will the PS5 cost? Will the PS5 be PS4 backwards compatible? What games will release on PS5?But regardless, this is still a pretty interesting and impressive revelation. Especially when combined with what we already know about the work going on at Polyphony Digital.

For those who don’t recall, some weeks back in late November during the “Inter BEE 2018” event in Tokyo, visitors got a look at some tantalising gaming graphics.For those interested, the Inter BEE, or International Broadcast Equipment Exhibition, is a bit like a Consumer Electronics Show but with a greater focus on professional equipment used in the video production industry (cheers gtplanet.net for the steer).What’s important though is that Sony was in attendance showcasing several pieces of high-end tech, including one enormous TV system. An ultra-high-end “Crystal LED Display System” – also known as CLEDIS – to be specific.Apparently, the tagline for the product is “go big or go bigger” and if you’re wondering why, it’s because CLEDIS is a massive 440-inch screen with a near-180 degree viewing angle capable of 8K video output at 120FPS.But what was really interesting, is that Sony chose to show something that closely resembled Gran Turismo Sport, which you can watch below.Obviously, you’re not going to get the full effect on a crumby YouTube vid compared to being there in person, but none the less, have a watch of the below off-screen footage, it’s still pretty breathtaking.

Why is this important? Well, cast your minds back a few months further and some comments made by Gran Turismo creator and Polyphony Digital CEO, Kazunori Yamauchi.

Yamauchi stoked the PS5 fires by revealing that when it came to working on GT Sport the assets for the game were well over-spec, right up to 8K.Finder.com has reported that during a studio tour of Polyphony Digital in 2018, Yamauchi mentioned that they’re creating assets for GT Sport for future releases of PlayStation consoles.Yamauchi reportedly told Finder.com:”It takes six months to create a single car. It’s over-specced for PS4 Pro. So we are building for future versions of the console rather than the one we see today. I think it would be no problem to run it at 8K even”.It certainly seems as though there’s some big work going on behind the scenes at some of PlayStation’s finest first party studios.What’s more exciting is how technology such as those mentioned previously could be utilised, not just at Polyphony, but throughout the many developers working within Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios.