Crytek wants PS4/Xbox 720 to have 8GB of RAM


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Crytek wants PS4/Xbox 720 to have 8GB of RAM

Crytek, who's Crysis games are some of the most resource-hungry on PC, wants to see Sony and Microsoft's next consoles get 16 times more RAM than the current machines.

Crytek's R&D principal graphics engineer Tiago Sousa has said the current console's most restrictive attribute for visual detail is their lack of RAM. "My finger-pointing at Microsoft/Sony would really be on the memory side," he told Digital Foundry. "It's way too low, and the biggest crippling factor from a visual perspective," added Sousa.

So we need more RAM, he says. How much? A lot. "I would really like to see next-gen console platforms with a minimum of 8GB," said Sousa.

The developer managed to get Crysis 2 looking pretty sweet with 360 and PS3's 512MB of RAM though, don't you think?

[ Source: Digital Foundry ]

I'd love for that to happen. :) Does anyone else here reckon that the next generation of consoles won't be such a huge leap forward? The graphics can't get much better than they are now. The only real advancement I can think of that should be implemented in the next generation is every single game running at 1080p and 60FPS. That's the only bone I've got to pick with most current console games. It's not like it's impossible to do; there's loads of titles on the 360 and the PS3 with 60FPS gameplay (Ridge Racer 6 & 7, Call of Duty, Forza, GT, etc.). 1080p is a different matter, but if the next generation consoles are much more powerful, it should be a doddle then.

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8GB!?!!?

8GB is not that much...

8GB of DDR3 is around $80 but manufacturers can either produce their own or get really cheap deals with other companies...

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Totally reasonable for this day and age. Sure it'll do wonders for the price, but what's the point of having next gen hardware when it won't have the room to do anything with it?

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8GB!?!!?

To be fair, it's not that extreme. :p Most entry-level PCs have at least 4GB of RAM nowadays, and most gaming PCs now go beyond 8GB, usually 16GB or 32GB, unless they're using triple-channel motherboards, then it'd be 12GB, 24GB and 36GB.

It is amazing though how much the developers have managed to do on the current consoles even with their tiny amounts of RAM. I'm pretty sure 512MB is the same amount of RAM found in the iPhone. :p

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you guys have to remember though, these are dedicated machines, what we do with 4GB on an OS based PC, we can do with 512MB on a console... due to keeping "extra" tasks from taking up that space and specializing tasks to use less ram due to fixed hardware.....

I can see the next machines having maybe 4GB since that would cost them oh about $25 in chips

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Totally reasonable for this day and age. Sure it'll do wonders for the price, but what's the point of having next gen hardware when it won't have the room to do anything with it?

It might not be that bad, price-wise. The 360 uses 512MB of GDDR3 RAM clocked at 700MHz, and you can get 8GB of DDR3 1333MHz RAM for about ?60 now. :)

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Might not be out of the ball park.. The price of ram is just getting less and less these days and being such a crucial part to consoles I could see both Sony and Microsoft trying to get one over the other with more.

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you guys have to remember though, these are dedicated machines, what we do with 4GB on an OS based PC, we can do with 512MB on a console... due to keeping "extra" tasks from taking up that space and specializing tasks to use less ram due to fixed hardware.....

Exactly. That's the most important difference between consoles and PCs in terms of gaming.

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8GB is not that much...

Eh, it is and it isn't.

8GB on a PC is fine. It'll probably future-proof you for a while as well. But having done a quick look for 8GB RAM it seems to come at a price, which I imagine would be added to the price of the console somehow. And as the article says, when you look at what they've achieved with 512MB RAM, do they really need to put in 8GB? I agree they will probably need to update it from 512MB, but maybe something like 4GB would be fine? Heck, given what they can do with 512MB, maybe 2GB would be fine...

EDIT: That said, I wasn't thinking about the age of the current consoles at the moment. Maybe things will change, especially given that these current consoles are supposed to be around for another 5 years.

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Still 8gb is better for me as i'm bound to buy the Xbox.Next (Not sure about the PS4 though - the online lacks in comparison imo.)

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Consoles dont need that much ram they dont have overheads like running a full OS with loads of background processes. They need graphics ram more than they need system ram. PS3 is gimped with 256Mb (i know it can dip into the system ram but its much slower), i dont see next gen consoles having much more than 1-2Gb of ram, 8Gb is pointless.

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I can see next gen consoles becoming more like a PC.. having multi-tasking, and all that. Having more ram will allow for that. 8gb of ram at one time would of been crazy.. but now it's becoming common practice for >4gb of ram common.

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you guys have to remember though, these are dedicated machines, what we do with 4GB on an OS based PC, we can do with 512MB on a console... due to keeping "extra" tasks from taking up that space and specializing tasks to use less ram due to fixed hardware.....

I can see the next machines having maybe 4GB since that would cost them oh about $25 in chips

This. Gaming machines have less background task and a different set up for task in which they require less power than a pc to get almost the same performance. The most a console would probably need would be 8 gigs, and that would be overkill for the current generation of graphics engines.

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you guys have to remember though, these are dedicated machines, what we do with 4GB on an OS based PC, we can do with 512MB on a console... due to keeping "extra" tasks from taking up that space and specializing tasks to use less ram due to fixed hardware.....

Yes, but why limit what the thing can do? They're already doing more than just "plop in a game and play". Why not take it the next logical step forward.. apps geared for a media center experience? (I don't mean just a media player, but various things that would be suitable for when you're sitting on the couch watching a bigscreen.) The things are already blurring the lines between console and PC as it is. They already did similar for phones, so much so that in small print on the bottom of the ads you might see "oh and it can also make phone calls." Why not the consoles?

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Why would you want to multitask on a console, you have a console to play games not write word documents.

The same reason people want linux on ps3.... because for some reason they want their gaming console to do everything else as well..... no one seems happy with single function devices anymore lol. But ya, i'm in the same boat as you with not fully understanding why others want so much more out of their gaming machines instead of just going with a PC that is meant to do what they want... are they cheap skates or what? :p

Sony almost had it right this generation. They tried to allow multiple uses for the console, but some took it to an extreme and they had to take it away from all of us, understandable. They also made it very easy to upgrade and replace your storage. If they would have allowed ram and vid card upgrades, it could have been a console to last for well over 10 years.

I think that is where consoles will go eventually, the same way of pc. They will be released as a certain speck, but will allow you to upgrade as time goes on. Might be more daunting the later life of the console, but will cater to a much larger base of people I would think.... and it would generate good profits if done right.

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:laugh: just pull a nintendo 64 and put a "memory pack" add-on with an additional 4GB in it or something... then you have to buy it if the games ever need it

Yes, but why limit what the thing can do? They're already doing more than just "plop in a game and play". Why not take it the next logical step forward.. apps geared for a media center experience? (I don't mean just a media player, but various things that would be suitable for when you're sitting on the couch watching a bigscreen.) The things are already blurring the lines between console and PC as it is. They already did similar for phones, so much so that in small print on the bottom of the ads you might see "oh and it can also make phone calls." Why not the consoles?

then that turns into why not just buy a PC then?

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You have to remember that current generation consoles are oooold, they're 5 year old+ hardware and it shows.

512MB of RAM was a lot in 2005 for any system, but these days you're shuffling stuff in and out of memory doing pretty much anything.

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Why would you want to multitask on a console, you have a console to play games not write word documents.

In it's raw sense.. you are right.. but what's easier to cart around? A desktop tower? Or a PS3 (for example). A ps3 plugs in to basically all TV's, and has full sound, internet, etc. I used to take my PS3 (before my apartment got broken into and it was stolen) when I visited my parents, or whatever as it was easier to pack up then my desktop. So to give a game console that kind of power.. with the great gaming ability.. it becomes a qucik, small, computer. Sure you could have a netbook or a laptop.. but if you have neither.

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then that turns into why not just buy a PC then?

Same reason that some people prefer console gaming over a PC. Personal preference. (Not that it matters, but I don't.) Besides, a small console is a hella lot more convenient in the living room than a full blown computer. Not a replacement to a PC, the same way I wouldn't want to replace my PC with a phone or tablet. Just expanding it to where it'll make more than just the kiddies happy. If it's got the horsepower and resources, why not? Bigger market and all that.

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8GB? for a console? plus, are we talking system ram, vram, both together? seems to me he didn't think that one thru.

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