PlayStation 4 gives up to 5.5GB of RAM to game developers

By kaotic
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kaotic

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PlayStation 4 reserves 3.5GB of its 8GB GDDR5 memory for the operating system, leaving 4.5GB of space for game code, according to current PlayStation 4 documentation shown to Digital Foundry by a well-placed development source. However, further sources suggest that an additional 1GB of "flexible memory" may be reclaimed from the OS reservation, based on availability.

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-ps3-system-software-memory

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devBrian

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I'm buying a PS4 and an XBone day one.  I think the leap from this gen to the next will be greater than we think.  Seriously, the difference in specs is mindblowing.  I'm a hardcore Sony guy, have a Sony TV, surround system, all of the gaming consoles, but this generation has me super excited as a gamer and a developer, not just for the PS4 but Microsoft's offering as well.  Love and peace, guys! 

Grand Master

Roger H. Veteran

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If I didn't know anything at all and someone asked me i'd assume 1-2GB anyways. The 500MB thing seemed highly unlikely but I had to accept it as given. These numbers seem a bit more realistic.

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George P Global Moderator

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So then the stuff about it only using 1GB to 1.5GB and allowing all the rest to game developers turned out untrue?    Surprise!

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Showan

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I'm not going to knock it... If there is a strategy behind it. 

 

Microsoft dedicated 3GB of Ram to the Windows Side of the XB1 so that extra features can be added over the next 10yrs.  It will not need those 3GB to run out of the box...

 

I'm hoping that the same applies to the PS4 as well.  Because if it's using that much memory for the OS without being able to expand in functionality as time goes on... well that's a problem...

 

Should I cancel my PS4 reservation... And wait on a PS4/Vita/Eye bundle?

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kaotic

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i seem to recall some "gamers" being hard on Microsoft for not being all dedicated to games, and how PS4 had all his ram for games, but now sony reserves only almost half of the ram for games.

 

What I find funny is that I've seen people on GAF say: it's okay, 5gigs is plenty for games

 

How many people bitched because X1 had 5gigs?

 

ETA: I really want to know why the OS requires 3gigs. We already know why it does on the xbox.

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soniqstylz

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trooper11

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Wow, this is pretty surprising. It seemed like it was a given fact that the ps4 was using like 1gb of ram for its os and 7 for games.

 

If this really is true, it sure does change the console conversation. Many people bashed MS incessantly over this and now it turns out they weren't the only ones.  This was part of the 'Sony more focused on gaming' platform.

 

Personally it matters little to me. As long as these consoles show off great experiences and useful features, I'm cool with it.

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-T- Member

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So only 4.5GB available for games? I await those that bashed MS for only having 5GB available for games, to come in and condemn Sony for having less

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Tha Bloo Monkee

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So only 4.5GB available for games? I await those that bashed MS for only having 5GB available for games, to come in and condemn Sony for having less

 

 

 

However, further sources suggest that an additional 1GB of "flexible memory" may be reclaimed from the OS reservation, based on availability.

 

4.5gb + 1gb = 5.5gb

 

filepicker%2FGJXt8QCCRPK89GkLuY1I_rocket

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vcfan

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4.5gb + 1gb = 5.5gb

but only 4.5GB is guaranteed. nobody is going to create a game for 5.5gb, then start removing stuff. they will code for 4.5gb, then add non essential stuff that can be removed and wont affect anything at all.

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GotBored

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The article poster also suggests that only 6 out of the 8 cores will be utilized for games just from a screenshot of a developer logger.

But that screenshot can extend down to show 8 cores which aren't in the screenshots view.

- It is quite likely that 2 cores will be reserved for OS operating, but jumping to conclusions based on a single screenshot is a bit of a stretch.

 

Also that quote of Kaz Hirai is a fake parody account on twitter and not real. (The actual twitter account itself even states it)

 

As of now Digital Foundry is the only group which suggests this but IGN, Joystiq, gamefaqs, examiner and a few others have picked it up but have labelled it as a rumor at this stage.

 

If it does come to be true then the Xbox will be on par with the PS4 in one hardware aspect for gaming, Available RAM.

Xbox has 5GB available, PS4 has 5.5GB (But 4.5GB free and 1GB flexible memory)

 

Reason why the PS4 could potentially reserve up to 3.5GB of RAM:

Operating System

In-Game Recording (Last 15Mins)

Live-Swapping of Games

User Interface (Looks resource heavy)

 

The benefit of using more RAM for OS would be a faster and better UI. So hopefully opening apps (like netflix, radio, internet, etc) and switching screens will be much smoother and quicker.

 

 

But I personally would prefer that the PS4 has more RAM free to games, its not an issue now but later in the lifespan of the console games could potentially be limited by RAM Availability, I was getting both the PS4 and Xbox One and wanted to use the XB One for the Kinect and Media features, so I didn't mind that only 5GB was free to games (cause kinect games aren't that resource heavy and more RAM to OS means smoother media movement) but for the PS4 which has the better hardware specs I wanted it to be a bareback OS which was mainly for graphics and resource heavy gaming mostly. So each could have more unique benefits.

 

But if the PS4 now has more RAM reserved for OS, I'd prefer to use the PS4 for media. Its hardware specs are still a lot superior for Gaming (So PS4 for gaming again).. Now if the PS Eye is anywhere as good as the Kinect I might not even bother buying an XB One.

Grand Master

vcfan

Posted
Posted

whats funny is, in the preliminary specs, when sony was only doing 4gb of ram, they reserved only 0.5GB for the OS and 3.5GB was available for games, but then they had a change of heart,and needed more for the OS for non gaming things *cough cough*, AND they had the audacity to come out and say, hey devs we've added an extra 4GB of ram just for you,but it turns out,they lied. They only gave them 1 extra GB of ram,and the rest was for the OS that went from 0.5GB to 3.5GB. 

Grand Master

BajiRav

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4.5gb + 1gb = 5.5gb

 

filepicker%2FGJXt8QCCRPK89GkLuY1I_rocket

I've been told countess times that anything less than 7GB means it is a TV box and not a gaming console.
Grand Master

spenser.d

Posted
Posted

ITT We sit around taunting other members in a stupid circlejerk while doing nothing to discuss anything in regards to gaming. Welcome to the Gamer's Hangout... :sleep2:

 

So instead of trying to change it or just ignore it, you make posts pointing it out?  That'll help the situation :rolleyes:

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