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[CrunchinJelly]

Update:

We can’t go into specifics about stuff like that, but I’ll say that if you go by Eurogamer’s article “update”, it would show that PS4 provides at least as much RAM to the developer as the XB1. While Eurogamer updated theirs, Game Informer still has their sensationalist headline “PlayStation 4 Reserves Nearly Half Of RAM For OS” up, a headline which was poor even at the time of the initial rumor. While the article itself does say “slightly more than its competitor”, the headline is what the majority of people will ever see. This is a problem. This caused problems.

Now let’s look at it closely. The rumor stated that the PS4 reserved 3.5GB, while the Xbox reserved 3.0GB. Think about how this headline then spins the story. Even had it been true, this was a difference of 0.5GB, yet the headline would make it sound like the PS4 has a massive weakness.

http://retrocityrampage.com/blog/2013/07/522/

I can't find the old thread, but Digital Foundry just updated their PS4 RAM article with confirmation from another source that devs are guaranteed 4.5GB RAM with a further 512MB of the flex memory, however, this may have performance problems due to paging issues.

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

UPDATE: A new source familiar with the matter has provided additional information to Digital Foundry that confirms only 4.5GB of the PS4's 8GB GDDR5 memory pool is guaranteed to game developers right now, while also clarifying how the PS4's "flexible memory" works in practice.

In real terms, an additional 512MB of physical RAM may be available in addition to the 4.5GB mentioned in the SDK. Flexible memory consists of physical and virtual spaces, and the latter introduces paging issues which impact performance. In our original story we combined them together.

For practical game applications, the correct figures for this story, as we understand it now, are a guaranteed 4.5GB for development and a further 512MB from the flexible pool. We have updated the headline accordingly.

UPDATE: Sony statement:

We would like to clear up a misunderstanding regarding our "direct" and "flexible" memory systems. The article states that "flexible" memory is borrowed from the OS, and must be returned when requested - that's not actually the case.

The actual true distinction is that:

• "Direct Memory" is memory allocated under the traditional video game model, so the game controls all aspects of its allocation
• "Flexible Memory" is memory managed by the PS4 OS on the game's behalf, and allows games to use some very nice FreeBSD virtual memory functionality. However this memory is 100 per cent the game's memory, and is never used by the OS, and as it is the game's memory it should be easy for every developer to use it.

We have no comment to make on the amount of memory reserved by the system or what it is used for.

Digital Foundry Update on this:

Based on this information, plus the new source coming forward to explain the properties of flexible memory, our take on this right now is that there is 4.5GB of conventional RAM available to developers, along with the OS-controlled flexible memory Sony describes, in addition to that.

We understand that this is a 1GB virtual address space, split into two areas - 512MB of on-chip RAM is used (the physical area) and another 512MB is "paged", perhaps like a Windows swap file. But to be clear, of the 8GB of GDDR5 on PS4, our contention is that 5GB of it is available to developers.

The good news is that the amount is static and not dictated by OS functions as we stated in our original post, making it a lot easier for developers to work with.

Lock if old.

 

[TheBioLover]

Here we go again.

 

[Musiol]

 

[xValentine]

Round 3!

 

[Canis lupus]

Carnival of stupid 3 _O_

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

Hey there!

 

[Black Republican]

The games done this gen with 256/512mb looked amazing, this will be more than enough

 

[stryke]

Looking forward to the next title change.

 

[Wishmaster92]

Maybe next decade!

 

[Freki]

Fridayton MK III: Cyberaliens join God's attack on Sony HQ....

 

[NemesisPrime]

Old thread self-imploded.

 

[Bradach]

Day one

 

[Loris146]

Dafuq?

 

[ZoddGutts]

About time the Directors cut extended version come out.

 

[Auto_aim1]

Oh well, most multiplatform games were going to utilize 5GB RAM anyway. A bit disappointing, but I hope they make good use of the OS RAM by providing nice features.

 

[CoG]

I was ok with 1GB "flex memory" but only 512MB? Pre-order cancelled.

 

[FranXico]

I love how Richard is quick to find "sources" that tell him what he wants to write.

There you go, same total amount of RAM on both consoles.

Now, back to writing more FUD about the GDDR latency when accessed from the CPU, and enough people will flock back to his beloved XBox.

 

[Waldo Lydecker]

Digital Foundry are known to be in the arses of Microsoft, aren't they?

 

[Xav]

Who cares, just play the fucking games. PC Master Race is the way to go if you love your graphics that much.

 

[Vashetti]

Eurogamer/Digital Foundry thirsty for more of those page clicks I see.

 

[Whipped Spartan]

I heard it is getting an upgrade to 12 GB of the fastest ram available b/c sony cares about gamers and saw that rumor tat X1 now has 12,

 

[Net_Wrecker]

3 updates from now devs are going to have access to negative DDR2 RAM with 256kb of "flex" memory.

Just cancel next gen. What's the point?

Spoiler

still waiting for Sony confirmation

 

[FZZ]

With this clarified will people stop losing their mind?

Edit:

 

[FranXico]

I was ok with 1GB "flex memory" but only 512MB? Pre-order cancelled.

It is 1GB, but somehow he managed to interprete it as only 512MB of physical memory ever really being available. Richard Leadbetter is now performing magic: the PS4 RAM is slowly disappearing with each update.

 

[soxinthebox]

4.5 is less than 8...

 

[kazebyaka]

Disappointing, really. I guess Next Gen cancelled

 

[NemesisPrime]

Digital Foundry are known to be in the arses of Microsoft, aren't they?

Lol... sure... if it makes you feel better.

 

[luffeN]

Oh well, most multiplatform games were going to utilize 5GB RAM anyway. A bit disappointing, but I hope they make good use of the OS RAM by providing nice features.

Yeah, if everything goes smooth and lag free then I will happily give them 3GB for the OS.

 

[sublimit]

Was there any official statement from Sony yet?

 

[velociraptor]

Good lord. This is even worse than I imagined.

What happened to the original 5.5GB?

Where are all them gigabytes going?

How can the OS demand so many gigabytes?

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

Digital Foundry are known to be in the arses of Microsoft, aren't they?

Next up, Microsoft paid Digital Foundry to tell the world that all those multiplatform games ran better on 360.

 

[Mokubba]

talk about drama

 

[iceatcs]

Yeah, I think we are witness the near ending of Eurogamer and DF. They are so desperate for hit.

 

[stryke]

Flexible memory consists of physical and virtual spaces, and the latter introduces paging issues which impact performance.

I need someone to elaborate on this more, whatever it is.

 

[meppi]

Digital Foundry are known to be in the arses of Microsoft, aren't they?

Only to those people with their heads up Sony's.

 

[bud]

that's quite a lot of reserved ram.

 

[dmr87]

I missed the drama due to timezones but I think I caught a bit of it from Neogafshitposts.

 

[Thrakier]

Who cares, just play the fucking games. PC Master Race is the way to go if you love your graphics that much.

This and it's the way I'm going. However I would've enjoyed sony exclusives with great graphics. Albeit it seems like it's a no go. XB1 is completley out of question at this point anyway.

 

[Nozem]

But but but The Witness used already 5GB.

 

[Spinluck]

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

Spoiler

Day one

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Was there any official statement from Sony yet?

Their silence is deafening.

On a more serious note, it's the weekend. Expect them to issue a statement on Monday, if they feel the need to reply to this.

 

[DBT85]

Betting on 40 pages.

 

[EvB]

Was there any official statement from Sony yet?

They probably won't: the public don't need to know about this. Jimmy Fallon says their is 8GB of GDDR5.

To be honest, we don't need to know about this.

 

[Courage]

oh no!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DPJ]

Oh ffs...

 

[statham]

Flexible memory consists of physical and virtual spaces, and the latter introduces paging issues which impact performance.

Thats even worse

 

[szaromir]

3GB+ seems like an exuberant amount of RAM for the OS features they have announced. It seems they're intent to see what OS features stick on Microsoft's system, copy the successful ones and perhaps reduce the OS footprint down the line.

Microsoft said their OS doesn't need 3GB at the moment, but they reserved that much space to be able to expand OS featureset in the future (unlike 360, where the 32MB left them with no room to move). Which means both consoles could do some pretty cool shit in the background years from now and if they can't come up with anything cool they can make more space for games.

Either way, 5GB on both system is like 12 times more than the space available to PS3 developers. Plenty enough to fit game logic and assets far, far beyond last gen.

 

[Oersted]

4.5 is less than 8...

You may be onto something.

 

[Kaako]

Get off work in 15 minutes and going home to pass the fuck out. Looking forward to reading another 50+ pages when I wake up. Don't let me down now. ;P

 

[Anhkow]