We're still waiting for Sony to unveil the PS5 (opens in new tab) after missing the rumoured February window (opens in new tab), and fans are getting antsy for details on the next gen console. Microsoft revealed the Xbox Series X (opens in new tab) at last year's Game Awards (opens in new tab) and dropped even more details on the hardware's specs (opens in new tab) last week, piling on the pressure for Sony to follow suit soon.
Even though the console manufacturer has remained tight-lipped, the studios developing games for the platform haven't, throwing us scraps of information that confirm just what's in store when the PS5 releases this holiday season (opens in new tab).
- PS5 will carry next-gen ray tracing to square off with Xbox Series X (opens in new tab)
- PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles will need you to get a brand new TV (opens in new tab)
Talking to Official PlayStation Magazine, LKA studio head Luca Dalco (the developer behind psychological horror titles The Town of Light and Martha is Dead) addressed a feature that hasn't yet been touched on, describing the PS5's capabilities in terms of texel density.
In gaming terms, texel density refers to the textures of assets that exist in the game world, from the environment, to the characters, and everything in-between. In instances of low texel density, the surface of a 3D object can appear blurred or stretched, while higher texel density results in crisp and clean 3D assets, thanks to the higher texture detail.
"PS5’s specifications are incredibly exciting – particularly for us is the additional graphical power and inclusion of ray-tracing architecture. Our studio has come a long way over four years and Martha Is Dead will strive for photorealism. We’re excited to see the next-generation hardware incoming to support us bringing our vision to players," Dalco said.
"We worked a lot in order to use the highest-resolution textures as possible also on PS4; nonetheless, PS5 will allow us to use an incredible texel density, up to 4096px/m – that means the visual will be fully detailed also in higher resolutions. It’s one of the most important advances in visual capacity that we were waiting for."
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Dalco also touched on how the PS5's SSD (opens in new tab) plays a part in achieving this feat, saying, "high-quality assets are naturally larger in size so will benefit from the faster loads times." The PS5's load times are reported to be 18 times faster (opens in new tab) than the PS4 (opens in new tab) because of it, and with the addition of ray-tracing (opens in new tab), Dalco is confident that the tech will allow independent studios like his own to create "games [that will] reach new levels of realism without the need for huge [development] teams."
In the meantime, there are ways to squeeze more juice out of your current PS4 and PS4 Pro (opens in new tab) that will make the wait for the PS5 a tiny bit easier (opens in new tab).
Source: Official PlayStation Magazine via PlayStation Universe (opens in new tab)
