Naughty Dog boss Neil Druckmann has shed some light on why hardware upgrades like PS4 and PS5 Pro are necessary. Understandably, Druckmann didn’t directly reference the PS5 Pro as the console has yet to be officially announced. However, he highlighted the importance of “boosting hardware capabilities.”
How upgrades like PS4 and PS5 Pro help developers
In an interview published on Sony’s corporate website yesterday, Druckmann said that PlayStation Studios expect the company to support them in two key areas: hardware capabilities and development tools.
Druckmann is of the view that a hardware boost is “essential” because it “not only supports high-fidelity, complex games but also simplifies the development of simpler ones by reducing the need for extensive code optimization.” As for development tools, Druckmann said that “sophisticated” tools increase efficiency, and used Naughty Dog’s proprietary engine as an example of that.
“We are using a proprietary engine that automates environmental design using predefined rules, allowing the software to create landscapes automatically,” Druckmann explained. “If we could do motion capture without any markers, it could revolutionize performance capture in gaming and more, lowering barriers for creators and reducing reliance on large budgets, letting creativity lead.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Druckmann said that AI will “revolutionize” content creation, but acknowledged “ethical issues” that AI is often plagued by.