First, PlayStation and Xbox took sides over physical versus digital games. Then, the two consoles took sides over Hideo Kojima. Now, according to hardware leaker KeplerL2, the rumored Xbox Helix could be getting yet another advantage over the PlayStation 6: this time over raw graphics-computing capacity. In a NeoGAF discussion documented by VideoCardz.com, KeplerL2 said the chips designed for the next Xbox and PS6 have both reached tape-out status.
That’s a major stage in semiconductor development that indicates their designs have been finalized for manufacturing. Once a chip reaches tape-out, major changes don’t really happen unless testing finds a hardware problem serious enough to require it. Even in that situation, revisions typically only focus on correcting defects rather than any major redesigns for the product. That’s in line with the PlayStation 6’s suspected release date.
The leaker also gave estimated GPU compute figures of 56 TFLOPS for Xbox Helix and 40 TFLOPS for PS6. If those figures use the same methodology, Helix would have 40% more theoretical GPU compute capacity than the PS6. What’s more, 56 TFLOPS is roughly three times the PS5 Pro’s published 18.05 TFLOPS peak figure. It’s all unofficial, of course, but KeplerL2’s estimates still give us a possible indication of where the graphics hardware of two consoles might stand.
For next-gen consoles, one spec won’t tell the whole story
To put that into greater perspective, Microsoft’s Xbox Series S is rated at 4 TFLOPS, while the Series X reaches approximately 12 TFLOPS. The PS5 is rated at 10.2 TFLOPS, and the PS5 Pro typically reaches 16.7 TFLOPS (rarely that peak figure of 18.05 TFLOPS). Comparatively, a 56-TFLOPS figure would be a serious jump in theoretical compute output.
The biggest caveat here is that TFLOPS isn’t an exact measurement of how quickly games will run. The figure only describes theoretical computational throughput, not a complete picture of a console’s real-world performance. The difference in TFLOPS doesn’t explain why your PlayStation is slow or your Xbox is fast. Various other parts of the system can have just as much of an influence on what speeds developers and games ultimately achieve. And, again, this is all just rumored anyway. (But an interesting rumor nonetheless.)
