PS5 and Xbox Series X could be crushed by AMD's big Navi graphics

PS5 and Xbox Series X could be crushed by AMD's big Navi graphics

Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X may launch around November, but they could lose out to powerful new AMD Radon graphics cards built on the same technology.

AMD CFO Devinder Kumar said that the so-called "Big Navi" graphics cards are the next wave of graphics cards based on AMD's new RDNA 2 GPU architecture and are targeted for release "late 2020." This piece of information, along with other leaked information to date, suggests that a new, powerful RDON graphics card will be available around October, ahead of the new game consoles. [In a presentation at the Bank of America Securities Global Technology Conference, transcribed by Seeking Alpha, Kumar said, "On the gaming side, the excitement for Navi 2, or what our fans are calling Big Navi This is the first RDNA 2 base. This will be our first RDNA 2-based product. Big Navi is a halo product, and enthusiasts want to buy the best. [The Big Navi graphics card is going to be a high-end GPU to compete with Nvidia's top-of-the-line graphics cards like the GeForce RTX 2080 Super and RTX 2080 Ti. For AMD fans, this is the GeForce kill they have been waiting for. graphics card.

The Big Navi card, or actual card, will use AMD's new RDNA 2 GPU architecture, which is not only powerful, but also promises additional features such as AMD's ray tracing efforts. We can also expect to get an idea of the performance we can expect from the Xbox Series X and PS5, given that the Xbox Series X and PS5 use RDNA 2-based AMD custom graphics.

Now, before we rush into commentary, please understand that comparing the best gaming PCs to gaming consoles may seem a bit odd, as gaming PC configurations vary so widely. However, Xbox Series X and PS5 games will be optimized to run as well as possible on the RDNA 2-based graphics chips in upcoming game consoles. In other words, PCs with Big Navi graphics cards will also benefit from these optimizations, as both platforms utilize the same basic architecture.

In effect, this could lead to AMD-based PCs handling next-generation games better than PCs with Nvidia GeForce graphics. On the flip side, Nvidia is planning to release high-end graphics cards based on the new Ampere GPU architecture, and cards like the rumored GeForce RTX 3080 could be the next big step that will push Nvidia's graphics technology to the top again. That means it could be a power upgrade.

However, Big Navi could bring more competition to the high-end graphics card segment of gaming PCs. Not only could this result in more powerful graphics cards, but it could also result in aggressively priced graphics cards as AMD and Nvidia battle for the top spot. [If indeed Big Navi comes out before the PS5 and Xbox Series X, more people may choose a gaming PC over a new gaming console.

Gaming PCs are not cheap, with many costing over $1,000. However, the PS5 will not be as affordable as the PS4 was when it was launched, and will likely cost around $500. Therefore, there is an argument that one should pay for a gaming PC that uses the same underlying technology as the next console, but offers more power, upgradability, and access to literally decades and decades of games, rather than the somewhat lackluster backward compatibility.

In any case, with new gaming consoles expected to arrive sometime in November and new graphics cards a bit earlier, the second half of 2020 looks to be a great time for gaming hardware fans.

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