Cerny: Expect better PS4 graphics after year three

Further improvements to graphical quality on PS4 games will be seen in year three or four of the console’s lifecycle, says Mark Cerny.

Speaking to Polygon, the hardware’s lead system architect said early PS4 developers were currently taking advantage of the system’s unified memory and PC-like architecture, which was relatively easy for them to get up to speed with using.

He said however that developers were not yet taking full advantage of the customisations Sony made to the PS4’s GPU, and consumers could expect to see higher levels of graphical quality after three or four years following the console’s launch as developers get to grip’s with the hardware’s capabilities.

"It’s a supercharged PC architecture, so you can use it as if it were a PC with unified memory," said Cerny.

"Much of what we’re seeing with the launch titles is that usage; it’s very, very quick to get up to speed if that’s how you use it. But at the same time, then you’re not taking advantage of all the customisation that we did in the GPU. I think that really will play into the graphical quality and the level of interaction in the worlds in, say, year three or year four of the console."

Cerny also said that when developing the PS4, Sony had set a target to create hardware deliver performance tens times that of the PS3.

"I believe we are at that level of performance,"he said.

"I mean, the million pre-orders we have is, I think, speaking to that."