PS4′s architecture offers more customisation than PC, says Cerny

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PlayStation 4′s architect Mark Cerny has told VG247 that the console’s “super-charged PC architecture” will give Sony and developers more customisation than they’d find on PC, helping to give the console more room to expand and improve throughout the next-gen cycle.

Speaking with Dave Owen at a recent event, Cerny stressed that PS4 was designed to offer any developer – be it a small indie or a triple-a powerhouse – flexibility and room to create technically proficient experiences.

“We wanted the focus to be on the games that the creative directors wanted to make,” he explained, “rather than the minutiae of the hardware. That’s universal. That’s true whether you’re talking Destiny with their 700-strong team or you’re talking one guy doing everything. They want to focus on the creative vision.

“At the same time we have to balance that out with a rich feature set that they can use in the later years of the hardware. The hardware has to grow over time. That’s why I refer to it as a super-charged PC architecture – there’s more in it than what you find in a PC.

“There are all these customisations, such as what we did to the GPU and other parts of the system to ensure that they would really be these systems that programmers could dig into in year three or four of the console life-cycle.”

Such customisation will allow the PS4 to expand with new capabilities moving forward across the next cycle, both meeting the demands of developers and reacting to new trends within the industry. As the base PS4 architecture will remain largely the same for years, developers will have a long time to get to grips with it, and slowly learn any new facets as they emerge.

Cerny continued, “The developers really have a chance to study that architecture because it doesn’t change for many years. They can learn its secrets and get progressively better performance out of it. Consoles also provide a stable platform.

“This is really important because some developers need five years to create a game. The fact that during that five year period the target hardware doesn’t change really allows them to bring titles to the world that couldn’t exist otherwise.”

What do you make of the console’s PC-like architecture? You can also check out my recent interview with Warframe developer Digital Extremes which, thanks to the PS4′s architecture managed to port its shooter to Sony’s console in just three months.

Posted:
Related Forum: PlayStation Forum

Source: http://www.vg247.com/2013/07/12/ps4s-super-charged-architecture-offers-more-customisation-than-pc-says-cerny/

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"PS4′s architecture offers more customisation than PC, says Cerny" :: Login/Create an Account :: 89 comments

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Corn_DogPosted:

Oh boy, I'm vuuury excited

Mind-In-MotionPosted:

Damn, honestly was a long time supporter for Microsoft but Sony outdid themselves with the PS4.

I'm going to wait for the new consoles to come out to see which one I will buy eventually.

RuinsPosted:

M60
RATF
Jamy-
LuckyOtter
Sorcery
RATF
Anticipate PC Will always be superior no matter what.


in some cases yes and in some no


Please explain yourself then, because I can't see any way that consoles are superior at the moment.


When a group of friends come over can they play a multiplayer game on one PC? They are Cheaper? (And don't give me that BS where you can build a PC for $500 because majority of people don't know how to do that) More people have them so more chance you can play with your friends? Because personally I rarely play with people I don't know in real life. Anyway those are my reasons. Sure the PC has better graphics but I love games if their fun not what FPS they are running. Mods are the only reason I even play games on my PC and those games are mostly single player which is not as fun as a group of friends.


Yes you can play a multiplayer game on one PC, or if you wan you can also do it via LAN. Yes they will be cheaper then next-gen consoles as i just built my friend a PC which costs 300 pounds which can run games to next-gen detail. How do you know more people have them? steam currently have nearly 5.5 million concurrent users online do you have the statistics for the concurrent XBL/PSN players? Are you also sure about your last statement, i know a lot of games that allow MP mods.


PC Gaming online is horrible. In my opinion. and the FPS crap is so **** (well for me it is) but idc coz i buy gaming consoles which are more useful + there is far to many mods on PC, which ruins it for other people


It all comes down to opinion I guess. I enjoy consoles more.


the whole of PC entertainment is not good in my opinion, except pinball

IlIuminatiPosted:

RATF
Jamy-
LuckyOtter
Sorcery
RATF
Anticipate PC Will always be superior no matter what.


in some cases yes and in some no


Please explain yourself then, because I can't see any way that consoles are superior at the moment.


When a group of friends come over can they play a multiplayer game on one PC? They are Cheaper? (And don't give me that BS where you can build a PC for $500 because majority of people don't know how to do that) More people have them so more chance you can play with your friends? Because personally I rarely play with people I don't know in real life. Anyway those are my reasons. Sure the PC has better graphics but I love games if their fun not what FPS they are running. Mods are the only reason I even play games on my PC and those games are mostly single player which is not as fun as a group of friends.


Yes you can play a multiplayer game on one PC, or if you wan you can also do it via LAN. Yes they will be cheaper then next-gen consoles as i just built my friend a PC which costs 300 pounds which can run games to next-gen detail. How do you know more people have them? steam currently have nearly 5.5 million concurrent users online do you have the statistics for the concurrent XBL/PSN players? Are you also sure about your last statement, i know a lot of games that allow MP mods.


PC Gaming online is horrible. In my opinion. and the FPS crap is so **** (well for me it is) but idc coz i buy gaming consoles which are more useful + there is far to many mods on PC, which ruins it for other people


It all comes down to opinion I guess. I enjoy consoles more.

RuinsPosted:

Jamy-
LuckyOtter
Sorcery
RATF
Anticipate PC Will always be superior no matter what.


in some cases yes and in some no


Please explain yourself then, because I can't see any way that consoles are superior at the moment.


When a group of friends come over can they play a multiplayer game on one PC? They are Cheaper? (And don't give me that BS where you can build a PC for $500 because majority of people don't know how to do that) More people have them so more chance you can play with your friends? Because personally I rarely play with people I don't know in real life. Anyway those are my reasons. Sure the PC has better graphics but I love games if their fun not what FPS they are running. Mods are the only reason I even play games on my PC and those games are mostly single player which is not as fun as a group of friends.


Yes you can play a multiplayer game on one PC, or if you wan you can also do it via LAN. Yes they will be cheaper then next-gen consoles as i just built my friend a PC which costs 300 pounds which can run games to next-gen detail. How do you know more people have them? steam currently have nearly 5.5 million concurrent users online do you have the statistics for the concurrent XBL/PSN players? Are you also sure about your last statement, i know a lot of games that allow MP mods.


PC Gaming online is horrible. In my opinion. and the FPS crap is so shit (well for me it is) but idc coz i buy gaming consoles which are more useful + there is far to many mods on PC, which ruins it for other people

JamyPosted:

LuckyOtter
Sorcery
RATF
Anticipate PC Will always be superior no matter what.


in some cases yes and in some no


Please explain yourself then, because I can't see any way that consoles are superior at the moment.


When a group of friends come over can they play a multiplayer game on one PC? They are Cheaper? (And don't give me that BS where you can build a PC for $500 because majority of people don't know how to do that) More people have them so more chance you can play with your friends? Because personally I rarely play with people I don't know in real life. Anyway those are my reasons. Sure the PC has better graphics but I love games if their fun not what FPS they are running. Mods are the only reason I even play games on my PC and those games are mostly single player which is not as fun as a group of friends.


Yes you can play a multiplayer game on one PC, or if you wan you can also do it via LAN. Yes they will be cheaper then next-gen consoles as i just built my friend a PC which costs 300 pounds which can run games to next-gen detail. How do you know more people have them? steam currently have nearly 5.5 million concurrent users online do you have the statistics for the concurrent XBL/PSN players? Are you also sure about your last statement, i know a lot of games that allow MP mods.

gmlukensPosted:

Usually they don't allow too much customization, good to see they will be allowing it now.

LuckyOtterPosted:

Sorcery
RATF
Anticipate PC Will always be superior no matter what.


in some cases yes and in some no


Please explain yourself then, because I can't see any way that consoles are superior at the moment.


When a group of friends come over can they play a multiplayer game on one PC? They are Cheaper? (And don't give me that BS where you can build a PC for $500 because majority of people don't know how to do that) More people have them so more chance you can play with your friends? Because personally I rarely play with people I don't know in real life. Anyway those are my reasons. Sure the PC has better graphics but I love games if their fun not what FPS they are running. Mods are the only reason I even play games on my PC and those games are mostly single player which is not as fun as a group of friends.

L33t-Ninja-MuchPosted:

i love how they are doing what xbox said there not doing ps4 is doing

ZodiacswrathPosted:

Improve So far I've seen no egotistic PC fanboys. How strange.


Haha... We've got nothing to say. Sony is just attempting to attract a larger chunk of the market, and PC gamers are a pretty big CHUNK! We know from experience that console gaming will never be the same as PC. With mods and more customization options, the PC extends the life of a really fun game and adds new experiences. (ex. GTA 4, Skyrim)


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