Broken Silicon 327. PS6 Specs Dev Feedback, Borderlands 4 Performance, AMD RDNA 5 | Bryan Heemskerk
Sep 16, 2025
Bryan Heemskerk, an art director with nearly 15 years in game development, shares insights on the future of gaming technology. He discusses the PlayStation 6 specs and the exciting potential of handheld consoles. The conversation dives deep into Borderlands 4's performance challenges and the role of Unreal Engine 5 in game design. They also explore the impact of AI on next-gen gaming, AMD's RDNA 5 architecture, and how future consoles might navigate the evolving landscape of graphics and performance. Expect plenty of speculation on how these advancements will shape gaming experiences!
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Experienced Art Director Across Platforms
- Bryan Heemskerk has worked in games for ~15 years across mobile, consoles, handhelds, and engines.
- He combines art direction with deep hardware curiosity and problem-solving in visuals.
Stylization Is Often More Expensive Now
- Stylized visuals can be more expensive today because engines apply stylization as post-processes.
- Post-process stylization forces full PBR rendering first, increasing GPU cost versus older renderer-level approaches.
UE5's Early Comfort Hides Tight Optimization Window
- Unreal Engine keeps development smooth early but leaves little headroom for late optimization.
- Many UE5 projects struggle to regain performance during final optimization passes.