From the simple changes of faster load times to the big changes in level design and game development. Larger more creative worlds.
No more hiding so much of your games between elevators and shrinking the amount of things on screen.
What would the bandwidth improvements result in?It's more than just an SSD. The Bandwidth improvements are pretty spectacular.
If this is true, the this will truly be a game changer (especially for open world games)If you ever wondered why open worlds have explicit indoor/outdoor separation (or missing one side, usually indoors, completely) that's changing this coming gen.
With both MS and Sony using SSD it will be standard day one on consoles.It's a gamechanger, but it'll take time. Maybe SSD will be the standard in a few years? That would be great.
Looks like it will access so fast to assets that you can use all the GPU power just to render what it's on screen, and render as you character move or turn.
With both MS and Sony using SSD it will be standard day one on consoles.
So... dull environments, fewer NPCs and barren open worlds. GGAs I've posted in another thread, I see next gen consoles something like this
In the case of first party games, it'd be idiotic to not do so. Even then, I'm not quite sure about your idea that it won't become standard on consoles for a "very, very long time". Unless there's implicit backwards support for PS4 and Xbox One, there's no reason for developers to waste time crafting levels and duplicating assets all over the place to take into consideration hard drives. No one likes hard drives, SSDs simplify a lot of things for everyone if only because they don't need to seek and have no sectors.
Honestly speaking, I don't think there's a single half decent laptop or desktop that comes with a mechanical hard drive anymore. Anything that comes with a half decent GPU capable of playing some AAA title at 1920x1080@60 FPS at medium settings will come with an SSD. The only thing holding really back developers would be PC SSD speeds - as some are extremely slow compared to top M.2 SSDs - and a desire to support PS4 and Xbox One.
- Since so much focus is being put on speed and load times, games should start all allowing for instant jumps into the last save from the launch icon on the OS, skipping all the normal logos that take away a lot of time in starting games
So... dull environments, fewer NPCs and barren open worlds. GG
I'm kidding obviously :)
To me it sounds like people are saying this is what we'll see:
- In a video player (like Netflix) you have the seek bar and it shows you thumbnails of the video, and you can scrub over the video and with a decent connection instantly jump to any point in the video - so games will be the same. With SSDs as fast as the PS5's you'll be able to instantly load every single section of the game, so you can instantly jump from point to point to point endlessly without any loading.
- On top of this, because everything is loading so much faster than normal SSDs, the framerates will be better.
- The incredible high I/O speeds of the SSD will eliminate most visual problems we've suffered until now (bad LOD, pop ins, lower res textures)
- The SSD is fast enough on the PS5/XSX (to a lesser degree of course) to take the place of RAM for many things, allowing for unrivaled RAM sizes and the game design that allows - this is something that has never before been possible on SSDs.
- The SSD will allow for much much more organic and numerous animation quality in people and objects (because it can instantly load stuff)
- There will be all sorts of new gameplay possible we cannot possibly comprehend right now due to the PS5's SSD (and to a lesser extent the XSX). Think maybe the Doctor Strange movie with the other-world city scene maybe, or just being able to instantly jump to anypoint in the game. But that's only scratching the surface of what will be possible.
- You'll never ever see any loading screens again. And goodbye loading corridors/tunnels/doors.
- There's going to be way, way smaller games sizes because the data will not be duplicated and compression will improve with the SSDs being so fast.
- Since so much focus is being put on speed and load times, games should start all allowing for instant jumps into the last save from the launch icon on the OS, skipping all the normal logos that take away a lot of time in starting games.
I feel like there's about a dozen more points I'm forgetting which we will see when the PS5/XSX hits too. Stuff like the OS being totally responsive at all times and invisible.
There's no doubt a SSD was the biggest upgrade I've ever done on my gaming PC, so consoles getting one is going to be pretty amazing. And they're getting an SSD of the likes we've never seen before. So who knows just how much it will change.
I do think some games as I've said before have much lower limits to what can be changed by an SSD - like Tetris for example, other than faster loading, the need for speed is far far less than some games.
Also what's interesting is to wonder if there's ever going to be gameplay/a need for SSDs far, far beyond the PS5's. What would 10TB/s speeds allow for that 20GB/s doesn't?
I haven't seen a single article where developers have even mentioned the GPUs. Devs care about the CPU and SSD (on both consoles). This isn't Sony spin.If the PS5 GPU was more powerful I don't think we'd have anywhere as many threads about what a "gamechanger" the SSD was.
It's great we're going to have much shorter loading times next gen. Really great. But I'll take a beefier GPU any day.
Whatever the benefits these new SSD systems will have I expect it's going to be a year or more before we really see any big changes compaed to current games other than loading times.
You're also reducing it to "shorter loading times," a talking point that has been addressed hundreds of times in every thread on the subject.
Wonder if higher IO would help with, not exactly better frame rate, but more stable frame rate in some cases. A lot of current gen games on PS4, X1 and Switch run into slowdowns not due to what's happening on screen, but due to assets being streamed in the background when you're moving to a new area/location.I'm not really sure I'd attribute SSD to better framerates just yet. Nor would I say it's going to lead to more rich animations (though that is of course possible, if teams were ascribing that as a limit in their projects). LODs? Absolutely. The "way way" slower game sizes? I'm skeptical, but optimistic, as our assets are about to balloon like crazy.
So it won't be a game changer because it will take a year into the generation to change the game?I'm not reducing it to that. I just think that's what we'll mostly see from this tech - at first. Which I already said, but you ignored that bit.
GPU is and always will be a big deal, but the reason why there's not been too much discussion on it (or at least not as much as for the SSD) is down to the fact that we already know what to expect. Better resolution, better framerate, they're gonna be a huge point of discussion next gen as always, but they're still a known quantity. The SSD is the new shiny thing right now and developers have been hyping it quite a bit. I don't think it's "console war" drivel that's driving these discussions tbh, especially when Microsoft and their studios have been talking about it tooIf the PS5 GPU was more powerful I don't think we'd have anywhere as many threads about what a "gamechanger" the SSD was.
It's great we're going to have much shorter loading times next gen. Really great. But I'll take a beefier GPU any day.
Whatever the benefits these new SSD systems will have I expect it's going to be a year or more before we really see any big changes compaed to current games other than loading times.
I feel like some of these are a bit off, but they are getting close. Here's the way I see it:
SSD doesn't get used as RAM, but rather it can fill your RAM with necessary data a rate never seen before (mostly talking about PS5 here as it's far and away the trailblazer in this regard) that is essentially creating a new paradigm for asset streaming. As an example, let's say you're standing on a hill between two cities in GTA6. If you look at the first city it streams in all 7 GB of data (Even that is very hard to imagine for a single vista) while you look at it. Then, as you swing the camera behind you to look at city #2, the RAM dumps the assets for city#1 and the drive loads the entirety of the new assets in city #2 before it's even in view. Another example is one somebody alluded to in another thread with Demon's Souls remake. You could have all the arch stones be portals (like the game Portal) into whole other worlds and seemlessly run in and out of them without a single stutter, because the drive/IO complex is so fast it can load an entire other huge area in effectively a blink. We've never seen anything like this before in games.
I'm not really sure I'd attribute SSD to better framerates just yet. Nor would I say it's going to lead to more rich animations (though that is of course possible, if teams were ascribing that as a limit in their projects). LODs? Absolutely. The "way way" slower game sizes? I'm skeptical, but optimistic, as our assets are about to balloon like crazy.
But let's talk about OS, as that's one of the more exciting bits to me. While I've been beating the drum that blazing fast drive is not just about load screens (as that's an antiquated way to think of loading in a game), I still think there are some incredible changes that could happen on the OS. As you hinted towards, if there was a way they could get around licensing problems then games could theoretically boot straight into gameplay in effectively 1-4 seconds? (hard to know for sure as some games/engines pre-warm data even after loaded from the drive) And that's from a cold boot, not resuming. It would feel like hopping around to various movies in netflix, where the trailers take 2 seconds or so to fade in and start playing. I feel like the OS and the instantaneous nature of all this is going to be almost as exciting as the brain melting visuals and sounds. People will actually want to play more as they will press a button and they are immediately playing.
The PS5 SSD can pretty much fill the entirety of it's 16gb of ram within 1 to 2 seconds. That's your character turning around which is exactly how I imagine they might start these transitions. Even without using turning around as a way to mask the transition I don't think i'd call changing the entire scene within a second or two "load time". It might even be jarring actually so I'm interested in how they might tackle this.
Anyways, I think you and many others have trouble imagining these things because of how long we have been stuck to the speed HDD's and current gamedesign that has had to accomodate these slow drives.
SSD is a game changer for both consoles. This isn't a console war thing.If the PS5 GPU was more powerful I don't think we'd have anywhere as many threads about what a "gamechanger" the SSD was.
It's great we're going to have much shorter loading times next gen. Really great. But I'll take a beefier GPU any day.
Whatever the benefits these new SSD systems will have I expect it's going to be a year or more before we really see any big changes compaed to current games other than loading times.
Yeah! That is fairly minor, but we are getting some incredible bespoke hardware for IO this gen and might free up the crazy strong CPU for other things.Wonder if higher IO would help with, not exactly better frame rate, but more stable frame rate in some cases. A lot of current gen games on PS4, X1 and Switch run into slowdowns not due to what's happening on screen, but due to assets being streamed in the background when you're moving to a new area/location.
You could have all the arch stones be portals (like the game Portal) into whole other worlds and seemlessly run in and out of them without a single stutter,
So it won't be a game changer because it will take a year into the generation to change the game?
I am having strong flashbacks to the N64 vs PS1 loading times debates, and how the CD was a blessing or a curse for the gaming industry. The shift from no-loading times on cartridges to long-ass loading times on CDs was not a catastrophe, and the return to the glorious cartridge era is not going to be a miracle.
Seriously, loading times change very, very little.Sure, you get into the game faster. Big deal. Welcome to 1990.
If the PS5 GPU was more powerful I don't think we'd have anywhere as many threads about what a "gamechanger" the SSD was.
It's great we're going to have much shorter loading times next gen. Really great. But I'll take a beefier GPU any day.
Whatever the benefits these new SSD systems will have I expect it's going to be a year or more before we really see any big changes compaed to current games other than loading times.
I feel like some of these are a bit off, but they are getting close. Here's the way I see it:
SSD doesn't get used as RAM, but rather it can fill your RAM with necessary data a rate never seen before (mostly talking about PS5 here as it's far and away the trailblazer in this regard) that is essentially creating a new paradigm for asset streaming. As an example, let's say you're standing on a hill between two cities in GTA6. If you look at the first city it streams in all 7 GB of data (Even that is very hard to imagine for a single vista) while you look at it. Then, as you swing the camera behind you to look at city #2, the RAM dumps the assets for city#1 and the drive loads the entirety of the new assets in city #2 before it's even in view. Another example is one somebody alluded to in another thread with Demon's Souls remake. You could have all the arch stones be portals (like the game Portal) into whole other worlds and seemlessly run in and out of them without a single stutter, because the drive/IO complex is so fast it can load an entire other huge area in effectively a blink. We've never seen anything like this before in games.
I'm not really sure I'd attribute SSD to better framerates just yet. Nor would I say it's going to lead to more rich animations (though that is of course possible, if teams were ascribing that as a limit in their projects). LODs? Absolutely. The "way way" slower game sizes? I'm skeptical, but optimistic, as our assets are about to balloon like crazy.
But let's talk about OS, as that's one of the more exciting bits to me. While I've been beating the drum that blazing fast drive is not just about load screens (as that's an antiquated way to think of loading in a game), I still think there are some incredible changes that could happen on the OS. As you hinted towards, if there was a way they could get around licensing problems then games could theoretically boot straight into gameplay in effectively 1-4 seconds? (hard to know for sure as some games/engines pre-warm data even after loaded from the drive) And that's from a cold boot, not resuming. It would feel like hopping around to various movies in netflix, where the trailers take 2 seconds or so to fade in and start playing. I feel like the OS and the instantaneous nature of all this is going to be almost as exciting as the brain melting visuals and sounds. People will actually want to play more as they will press a button and they are immediately playing.
If the PS5 GPU was more powerful I don't think we'd have anywhere as many threads about what a "gamechanger" the SSD was.
It's great we're going to have much shorter loading times next gen. Really great. But I'll take a beefier GPU any day.
Whatever the benefits these new SSD systems will have I expect it's going to be a year or more before we really see any big changes compaed to current games other than loading times.
It'a also a game changer for PCs as the vast majority of AAA games are still designed around consoles and their spinning HDDs. Outside of Star Citizen I haven't seen any game designed around the speed and seeking times of an SSD.It's only a game changer for consoles.
They'll have PC gaming capabilities now. Less restrictions. Faster load times.
Yeah but third parties will still have lower end rigs and the Xbox One to consider.With both MS and Sony using SSD it will be standard day one on consoles.
Looks like it will access so fast to assets that you can use all the GPU power just to render what it's on screen, and render as you character move or turn.
Thank you.I haven't seen a single article where developers have even mentioned the GPUs. Devs care about the CPU and SSD (on both consoles). This isn't Sony spin.
You're also reducing it to "shorter loading times," a talking point that has been addressed hundreds of times in every thread on the subject.
One possible issue I see with the SSD discussion is that, while the examples you posted are no doubt hugely impactful from a developer perspective, the thing that popped into my head as I was reading them was "huh, that's pretty neat". They don't sound like the transformative leap that is building up in people's minds because of the huge focus that is being placed on SSDs.
And seeing folks mentioning PC....like SSDs have been a minimum requirement for games for 10 years.Tiring and amazed to see people still posting about loading times. And only loading times. It shows the absolute lack of research and actual thread reading done.
It'a also a game changer for PCs as the vast majority of AAA games are still designed around consoles and their spinning HDDs. Outside of Star Citizen I haven't seen any game designed around the speed and seeking times of an SSD.
Yeah, as a lot of other developers are saying, SSDs will in some ways be the unsung hero this upcoming generation. GPU is always touted by players because it's pretty easy to equate more pixels = more betterer. However, the SSD is going to open whole new doors even if you don't realize it.
That demon's souls example is something we've never done before. It would feel like magic to me. Running in and out of entire different worlds with completely different vistas, soundscapes, etc. (to be clear, I don't think Demon's Souls will actually do this. There are too many problems I could foresee with this approach that would make it impractical for this particular game)
If the PS5 GPU was more powerful I don't think we'd have anywhere as many threads about what a "gamechanger" the SSD was.
It's great we're going to have much shorter loading times next gen. Really great. But I'll take a beefier GPU any day.
Whatever the benefits these new SSD systems will have I expect it's going to be a year or more before we really see any big changes compaed to current games other than loading times.