The long-standing argument in favor of PC gaming has been the ability to tailor your unit to suit your budget or specialist needs: whilst a console has a set series of specifications (and therefore an upper quality threshold), PC components are constantly evolving and improving. If you’re weighing up whether to invest in a PC or a PS5, it might be worth considering the PS5 GPU equivalent. Graphics cards are at the forefront of most PC builds, and are generally the biggest consideration for custom PC builders. But if you can’t afford the hefty investment of a top GPU, a PS5 ironically serves as the more affordable option.
Playstation® 5 Console (Standard)
Internal Disk Space
825GB
Disk Drive
Included
To weigh up the price-to-performance, we’ve highlighted the GPU threshold of the PS5 – to see whether you should invest in one over a PC, or even wait for a PS5 Pro. Of course, there are many other factors that go into the overall performance of both computers and consoles, so the GPU equivalent doesn’t guarantee PS5-like fidelity. But for the gamer weighing up their next big investment, this can serve as a good sounding board for overall graphical performance.
PS5 GPU Equivalent
The PlayStation 5 implements a modified AMD GPU, roughly equivalent to the AMD Radeon RX 6700, first released in June 2021 after the PS5 itself. At the time, this was a great GPU: offering great clock speeds and virtual memory for PC performance. The PS5 GPU doesn’t have as much bandwidth or memory, but is highly optimized for console play. The PlayStation 5 benefits from being effectively a closed system, unlike a PC which has to be open for other programs, which means the Sony team are able to fine-tune the graphical fidelity. This means better framerate buffering and VRAM performance than you might see on an equivalent RX 6700 PC. Bearing in mind that the RX 6700 alone was as expensive than an entire PS5, such graphical power was impressive value for money. And though Sony has fewer entirely exclusive titles, with various ex-exclusives such as Marvel’s Spider-Man making the leap to PC, the PS5 still gets first rights to some highly popular titles.
XFX Speedster SWFT309 Radeon RX 6700 Gaming Graphics Card
Core Clock Speed
2425 MHz
CUDA Cores
2304
Memory Size
10 GB
TDP
650 watt
However, it’s been three years since the RX 6700 was released, and graphical technology has come along in leaps and bounds since. We’re now talking about potentially upcoming RX 8000 series GPUs, with even faster speeds and more accommodating virtual memory. Paired with other suitable PC parts like an equivalent CPU and motherboard, a modern mid-range PC can outperform a PS5.
PS5 GPU Equivalent vs AMD RX 6700: At a Glance
| PlayStation 5 | AMD RX 6700 | |
| GPU Architecture | RDNA 2.0 | RDNA 2.0 |
| VRAM | 16GB (GDDR6) | 10GB (GDDR6) |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2.23GHz | 2.45GHz |
Should you Buy a PS5 or Wait for a PS5 Pro?
Rumors continue to circulate about an upcoming PS5 Pro launch, one that coincides with the highly-anticipated 2025 release of Grand Theft Auto VI. Speculation suggests an upgrade to the PS5’s GPU architecture, bringing it in line with modern graphics systems – particularly with the upgrade from AMD’s RDNA 2.0 graphical processor up to RDNA 3.0. This would put the PS5 Pro’s equivalent GPU approximately a generation higher, with the RX 7600 XT – a 50% increase in performance across the board. RDNA 3.0 also comes with some AI upscaling technology, similar to DLSS 3.0 from Nvidia, found in their latest GPUs as well. How this will reflect in the PS5 Pro GPU equivalent is unclear.
FAQs
Whilst the RX 6700 hasn’t been officially discontinued at time of writing, newer and more affordable GPUs make it less worthwhile as a graphics investment.
The PS5 CPU is roughly equivalent to an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, albeit modified to be optimal for a console build.
In Summary
Though the PS5 GPU equivalent is not a direct one-to-one comparison, the matched running on RDNA 2.0 gives the console a decent benchmark for graphical performance. If you were looking to either upgrade your PC to match current-generation console performance, or even surpass it, then the AMD RX 6700 is the GPU to aim for.
How does this compare with Microsoft’s console offering? Check out our piece on the Xbox Series X’s GPU equivalent today.
