The PS5 is on its way and it's going to look incredible. The next generation console will support bleeding-edge graphical advancements like ray tracing, which allows for incredibly immersive environments and realistic lighting. The console will also support up to 8K resolutions.
All this is bound to be taken advantage of in some of our most-anticipated games for the PS5, such as looter-slasher Godfall and new Square Enix IP Outriders. However, there's one name conspicuously absent from the still-growing list of launch titles, and that's Gran Turismo. Every single PlayStation has had a Gran Turismo in some capacity, which makes it the perfect celebration of the PlayStation legacy.
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Now, Polyphony Digital CEO Kazunori Yamauchi has broken his silence on what gamers can expect from the future Gran Turismo franchise, and it sounds like he's not concentrating on Sony's 8K resolution. Rather, Polyphony Digital is looking to push the boundaries of framerate, which is something nobody expected.
According to news blog GTplanet, Yamauchi was in a round table discussion with Australian media when he was asked about the PS5's capabilities. Yamauchi is reported to have said:
"I think, display resolution-wise, 4K is enough... I’m more interested in the advancements we can make in terms of the time resolution. In terms of frames per second, rather than staying at 60 fps, I’m more interested in raising it to 120 fps or even 240 fps. I think that’s what’s going to be changing the experience from here on forward.”
Higher framerates – "fps" literally stands for "frames per second" – beget smoother onscreen motion. Most movies are shown at 24 fps, while the "soap opera" visual effect comes from showing the programme at 48 fps. Many modern games currently display at 60 fps, but Yamauchi is talking about forgoing the ultra-high resolution graphics his franchise is famous for, in favour of smoother, hyper-real motion onscreen.
If the PS5 can handle such a transition, it could be a smart move. More frames per second also means more real-time accuracy, as you're able to see your opponent's car position more accurately as it happens in real-time, for example.
More games could be changed with the onset of hyper-smooth 240 fps motion. If you imagine a lower framerate like an 80s arcade game, in which a fighter switches from a static image to a dynamic punching one, a 240fps game would show the punch as it travels across the screen, giving gamers quick on the uptake more time to hit the "block" button.
Higher framerates have the power to transform games, but we're missing another vital piece of information here: it sounds like Yamauchi is actively experimenting with PS5 technology.
Could a Gran Turismo game be being primed for the PS5's launch day, or perhaps earmarked for early 2021? Keep an eye on our most anticipated games page, which will feature the next-generation racing game as soon as it's formally announced.
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