12 replies to this topic

[Zinix]

Third-party developers were not aware that PlayStation 4 would include 8GB of GDDR5 RAM until Sony's reveal event in February - despite having received development kits long before the console's announcement.

Speaking with VideoGamer.com, Just Add Water's CEO Stewart Gilray - who is developing a mystery title for PlayStation 4 - revealed that third-parties were initially told that the console would feature only 4GB of RAM, and were left happily surprised when the system's lead architect Mark Cerny discussed the console's specs on stage.

"We were told [PS4] was 4GB originally," Gilray told us, "and we first knew it had 8GBs when Mark said at the event's stage, 'And it has 8GB of memory.' We'd had kits at that point for a good while."


Gilray suspects that only "a couple of really close first-parties" knew PS4 would feature 8GB prior to the console's announcement, "but I think most third-parties, if not all third-parties were like, 'Yeah, 4GB, awesome, can't wait.'

"It's a fantastic amount of memory," he continues, "especially DDR5 memory, because it's so fast you don't have to have everything there at once. You can swap it in and out instantly, effectively. But when they said 8GB it was like, 'Ooookay.'"

Leaked systems specs for PlayStation 4 - back when it was still going under its codename 'PlayStation Orbis' - also suggested that the console would only include 4GB of RAM.

An "added bonus" of PS4's memory is that Sony has "already ring-fenced the system memory away from the game memory," Gilray adds, "so there's none of this business that we had with PS3 of having to share memories.

"When you press the PlayStation button on a PS3 game, you get the basic XMB up [but] to do anything you have to quit the game, because of the memory for it. With PS4 we don't have that because the system memory is already ring-fenced for itself."

Gilray's comments suggest that third-party developers could have been developing PS4 games targeting lower system requirements than the console's actual capability - which could go some way to explaining the suspected 30fps cap on the Unreal Engine 3-powered Thief.

 

 

 

Can't believe they kept a secret like this, wouldn't this just hinder the development process, guys?

 

http://www.videogame...ole_reveal.html

[Mitch]

I wouldnt think itd hurt them at all really, They were still told 4GB which is far more than theyre used to working with anyways for console games. And its not like they would have fully utilized all of the power the ps4 has for the launch games anyways

[lucario23]

Can't believe they kept a secret like this, wouldn't this just hinder the development process, guys?

 

http://www.videogame...ole_reveal.html

They probably just weren't sure if they were going to do it or not so they told the developers what they knew was guaranteed to be in the console so the developers wouldn't get an idea shut down later. besides, not all that memory is dedicated to the game anyway.

[Zinix]

They probably just weren't sure if they were going to do it or not so they told the developers what they knew was guaranteed to be in the console so the developers wouldn't get an idea shut down later. besides, not all that memory is dedicated to the game anyway.

Probably you're right. 

[BanjoKazooie]

I'm guessing a lot of it is for OS, so they wanted devs to use no more than 4 because of the OS.
EDIT: Nevermind, just read system memory is seperate

Edited by BanjoKazooie, 08 April 2013 - 10:59 AM.

[routerbad]

I'm guessing a lot of it is for OS, so they wanted devs to use no more than 4 because of the OS.
EDIT: Nevermind, just read system memory is seperate

They did claim that there was 8GB total system memory.  That entire 8GB will not be available for game developers to use.  Not only would it be a ridiculous waste of resources, there is nothing that points to additional RAM anywhere in the system.  What this means is that there is 8GB of system RAM, and that the portion set aside for developers is set aside, and always available, most likely through software, unless they want to cut their throughput in half.  They claim 176GB/s on their 8GB, cutting it in half through hardware (segmenting the chips based on purpose) would separate it into two buses running at half speed, or 88GB/s on each bus.  That assumes a clean 4GB split, which they will likely need, because there are a lot of background services running.

 

Still an impressive amount of memory, and it will give developers plenty of breathing room to create great things.

Edited by routerbad, 08 April 2013 - 11:23 AM.

[Cozmo]

wow wonder why they did that? would think that more third parties would jump on right away it the 8 gigs was told right away as someone stated before.

[routerbad]

wow wonder why they did that? would think that more third parties would jump on right away it the 8 gigs was told right away as someone stated before.

I have a feeling the 8GB was added as a reaction to the 720 rumors.  Either that, or they realized that their services were using too much space and they needed more RAM to accommodate.

 

Still, though unlikely, it could have been them believing internally that they needed to have the biggest numbers out of all consoles to fuel the hype train.

[Cozmo]

I have a feeling the 8GB was added as a reaction to the 720 rumors.  Either that, or they realized that their services were using too much space and they needed more RAM to accommodate.

 

Still, though unlikely, it could have been them believing internally that they needed to have the biggest numbers out of all consoles to fuel the hype train.

 

i can see that lol

[SoldMyWiiUAndLeftTheForums]

I was very suprised myself and exited when they announced the PS4's RAM, I'm just dredding the price tag, please SONY make it fair, I will support them if they do.

[routerbad]

I was very suprised myself and exited when they announced the PS4's RAM, I'm just dredding the price tag, please SONY make it fair, I will support them if they do.

Rumor has 720 at $500 unsubbed with cheaper components, dream on...

[Socalmuscle]

Sony upped the memory because ms was supposed to use 8gb.

It wasn't a secret.

Sony simply didn't spec 8gb until close to the first of the year.

[Mewbot]

Can't believe they kept a secret like this, wouldn't this just hinder the development process, guys?

 

http://www.videogame...ole_reveal.html

I don't know what the chances of them using 4 gigs of RAM are anyway. Do you know any games that use that much RAM?

I was very suprised myself and exited when they announced the PS4's RAM, I'm just dredding the price tag, please SONY make it fair, I will support them if they do.

What with the losses from the PS3 launch price, and Sony's financial situation, if Sony launches with a high price (and still sells at a loss) they could very well go bankrupt. I'd hate to see it happen, but it is possible.