| Feature | PlayStation 5 (PS5) | Xbox Series X/S |
|---|---|---|
| I/O Architecture | Integrated I/O with custom SoC | Xbox Velocity Architecture |
| Key Compression | Kraken (general purpose) and Oodle Texture (texture optimization) | LZ Decompressor (general purpose) and BCPack (texture-specific) |
| Decompression Hardware | Dedicated, custom Kraken decompression block | Hardware-accelerated decompression unit |
| Hardware Compression | Kraken uses software pre-processing (Oodle Texture) to improve compressibility | BCPack is lossless, optimized for already-lossy BCn texture data |
| Average Throughput | 8–9 GB/s (compressed) + 5.5 GB/s raw SSD | 4.8 GB/s (compressed) + 2.4 GB/s raw SSD |
| Peak Theoretical Speed | Up to 22 GB/s (depending on data compressibility) | Over 6 GB/s (Microsoft does not cite peak) |
| Streaming Efficiency | Uses Partial Resident Textures (PRT), relies more on brute-force SSD speed | Uses Sampler Feedback Streaming (SFS) for intelligent tile loading |
| Developer Tools | Free Oodle suite licenses (Kraken + Oodle Texture) | DirectX ecosystem + DirectStorage API |
| Workflow | BCn textures preprocessed by Oodle Texture → Kraken compression | BCn data compressed further with BCPack |
| Relative Strengths | Higher decompression speed via integrated hardware | Focused on texture streaming efficiency with SFS → reduced I/O & memory load |
- PRT (Partial Resident Textures): A broad concept for managing tiled textures.
- SFS (Sampler Feedback Streaming): A refined, hardware-accelerated evolution of PRT.
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General technique: Divides textures into tiles/pages.
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How it works (software-based): Engine predicts required tiles based on camera + objects in view.
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Limitations:
- Requires more CPU overhead.
- Inefficient (may load unused tiles).
- Prone to texture pop-in if predictions fail.
- Advanced technique: Builds on PRT + adds sampler feedback hardware.
- Hardware integration: GPU records exact texels accessed.
- Intelligent streaming: Loads only needed texture tiles.
- Improved efficiency: Boosts RAM + I/O bandwidth usage.
| Feature | Standard PRT (no feedback) | Sampler Feedback Streaming (SFS) |
|---|---|---|
| Feedback Mechanism | Software-driven, predictive | Hardware-driven, tracks actual usage |
| Hardware Requirement | Minimal (older GPUs with tiled resources) | Requires modern GPU with sampler feedback hardware |
| Efficiency | May load unnecessary tiles | Highly efficient, loads only visible tiles |
| CPU Overhead | Higher (software logic) | Very low (hardware handled) |
| Artifacts | More prone to texture pop-in | Greatly reduced pop-in |
- PRT = Framework for tiled texture streaming.
- SFS = PRT + GPU feedback, making streaming smarter, faster, and more efficient.