Which graphics architecture powered the PlayStation 4's GPU?

The PlayStation 4’s GPU was based on AMD’s Graphics Core Next architecture, commonly abbreviated AMD GCN.

Sony used an AMD semi-custom system-on-chip that combined the console’s Jaguar CPU cores with a Radeon-based graphics processor. The GPU contained 18 compute units and was designed around the GCN family, a major AMD graphics architecture of the period.

This hardware helped the PlayStation 4 target high-definition and later 4K-era rendering through its software and hardware revisions. The original model’s graphics performance was distinct from the more powerful PlayStation 4 Pro, which increased GPU capability and supported enhanced rendering modes.

AMD GCN should not be confused with AMD RDNA 2, the architecture used by the PlayStation 5. Nor is the answer simply “Radeon,” because Radeon identifies AMD’s graphics brand, while GCN identifies the underlying architecture relevant to the PlayStation 4’s GPU.