a lot of hype is floating around the internet for sony's next generation console, the playstation 5. a common rumour is that it will be able to play games at 8k 60fps. please allow me to ruin your hopes and dreams by telling you that this console absolutely will not push a smooth gaming experience at 8k. here's why.
if you're a brainlet and don't understand how resolutions work, let me fill you in. the current "mainstream" resolutions are 1280x720 (720p, hd), 1920x1080 (1080p, fhd), 2560x1440 (1440p, qhd), 3840x2160 (4k/2160p, uhd), 7680x4320 (8k/4320p, uhd-2). if we apply some basic geometry, we can multiply the width and the height of the resolution in order to find the total amount of pixels. here's a handy table, if you're lazy.
| width x height | nickname | total pixels |
|---|---|---|
| 1280 x 720 | hd (high definition) | 921600 |
| 1920 x 1080 | fhd (full high definition) | 2073600 |
| 2560 x 1440 | qhd (quad high definition) | 3686400 |
| 3840 x 2160 | 4k/uhd (ultra high definition) | 8294400 | 7680 x 4320 | 8k/uhd-2 (ultra high definition... 2) | 33177600 |
using this table, we can deduce that 4k is 4 times the amount of total pixels than 1080p and 8k is 4 times the amount of total pixels than 4k. the k means thousand, obviously, and it relates to the horizontal pixel count of each resolution rounded to the nearest 1000.
back to the consoles. now keep in mind, consoles of the 7th generation were advertising 1080p gaming as far back as 2005 but they often dipped below even 720p. even the eight generation could barely get 1080p 60fps most of the time even today. most games ran/are running at 768p or 900p. also keep in mind that even the consoles of the 8.5th generation, the xbox one x and ps4 pro, have trouble maintaining 4k at a smooth framerate. games often drop to 1800p or lower using Dynamic Resolution™; a fancy way of saying "our consoles are severely underpowered so we're gonna crank the resolution down so the game is playable". take the last of us, for example. a game that's been around since the tailend of the ps3's lifespan. plenty of time for the game to mature and get optimized by naughty dog. you want 4k on the ps4 pro? you're getting a stuttery 30fps and lower resolution textures and shadows. want 60fps? you're getting 1800p. what a joke. granted, the game does still look very nice.
now what about price? the xbox one x is the only truly 4k 60fps capable console, right now, and that shit retails for $400 and doesn't even play most games at 4k 60fps. the majority runs at 4k 30fps, and that's being generous. so if we're pushing for a console with a graphics card more than 4 times the power of the ps4 pro's along with a good enough chassis and cooling solution, we're looking at an astronomical price. also consider how sony got cocky with the ps3's price because of their immense success with the ps1 and ps2. they might get cocky again and raise the price of the ps5, thinking people will just eat it up like the corporate shills they are.
so is this just a bunch of lies? well yes, but actually no. the xbox one s does not do 4k gaming, but it does play video content at 4k and also makes an attempt to upscale 1080p content up to 4k with varying success. i think a similar situation will occur in the ps5. it's got a graphics card able to output 8k at 60hz, but it will not play games at that resolution. rather, it will upscale 4k games to 8k (or make an attempt to) and will play 8k content. i expect 4k to be the standard for most games on the ps5.
so, in conclusion, no. the playstation 5 will not do 8k 60fps. stop spreading your fanboy propaganda, you look retarded.