Predict: The Next Generation Console Tech

[archangelmorph]

3GB of RAM for the OS sounds like it's applied for both system & video memory usage...

So thats vertex, texture & shader data for all OS-driven UI (always accessible from the HOME button)...
Then throw in all your kernel level constructs (can't be much more than a few hundred MBs max), throw in a couple of full screen-sized video buffers for Kinect2.0 processing, precomputed GPU command list data maybe? (~100MBs), HD audio data (~50MBs max)?

Still don't see how you get that up to 3GBs but more importantly I'd be concerned about the amount of CPU you'd eat up, actually having to do something useful with that much active OS data kicking around...

 

[ERP]

3GB of RAM for the OS sounds like it's applied for both system & video memory usage...

So thats vertex, texture & shader data for all OS-driven UI (always accessible from the HOME button)...
Then throw in all your kernel level constructs (can't be much more than a few hundred MBs max), throw in a couple of full screen-sized video buffers for Kinect2.0 processing, precomputed GPU command list data maybe? (~100MBs), HD audio data (~50MBs max)?

Still don't see how you get that up to 3GBs but more importantly I'd be concerned about the amount of CPU you'd eat up, actually having to do something useful with that much active OS data kicking around...

Throwing things out there.
Use it as a cache for the web browser (assuming MS believe they can make it worthwhile on a console), my 3rd Gen IPad will eject every other app from memory if I browse for any length of time.
Have 4 or 5 applications that are always memory resident.

Still I agree 3GB is a lot, but I could see a MS being conservative early to give themselves options after launch.

 

[Grall]

So if you had 5GB of memory for your games, rather than the 4GB everyone was expecting these consoles to have, then that would be a big problem?

Yeah, if I could have had nearly 8GB, yes, that would be a big problem. 3GB reserved RAM is effing ludicrous if true, I sure hope though it's someone smoking some heavy stuff and just making it all up to cause a stir on the internet...

 

[Scott_Arm]

Throwing things out there.
Use it as a cache for the web browser (assuming MS believe they can make it worthwhile on a console), my 3rd Gen IPad will eject every other app from memory if I browse for any length of time.
Have 4 or 5 applications that are always memory resident.

Still I agree 3GB is a lot, but I could see a MS being conservative early to give themselves options after launch.

I suppose if the OS supports true multi-tasking during gameplay, including a full-featured web browser, that it could make sense to have a large OS reservation. 3GB sounds like a lot. That type of setup would only make sense if they expect the console to function as a PC.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Yeah, if I could have had nearly 8GB, yes, that would be a big problem. 3GB reserved RAM is effing ludicrous if true, I sure hope though it's someone smoking some heavy stuff and just making it all up to cause a stir on the internet...

How would that be a problem? It would only be a problem if the PS4 or other competition had more free memory for their games. If PS4 has 4GB of memory and the Xbox 720/8/whatever has 8GB (5GB for games) then they're still competitive. If PS4 has more than 5GB, then yeah, that might hurt them.

In the end, I still don't believe this rumour.

 

[steviep]

How would that be a problem? It would only be a problem if the PS4 or other competition had more free memory for their games. If PS4 has 4GB of memory and the Xbox 720/8/whatever has 8GB (5GB for games) then they're still competitive. If PS4 has more than 5GB, then yeah, that might hurt them.

In the end, I still don't believe this rumour.

Keep in mind that it's very likely (read: it is the case) that one system is using a different type of memory than the other. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison as per your example.

 

[bkilian]

You don't need multiple gigs for a web browser. I've been playing with our upcoming <CENSORED> on the <CENSORED> and it does great with only <CENSORED>...

Aah crap. Damn chip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlWprpvdc18

 

[Scott_Arm]

<CENSORED> you, bkilian. <CENSORED> you.

 

[anexanhume]

You don't need multiple gigs for a web browser. I've been playing with our upcoming <CENSORED> on the <CENSORED> and it does great with only <CENSORED>...

Aah crap. Damn chip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlWprpvdc18

Are the developers happy with the upcoming <CENSORED> and the amount of <CENSORED> it has? Moreover, how about the speed of the <CENSORED>?

 

[aaronspink]

Very poor fake...

I don't think MS would commission Durango devkits for use in people's (/children's, look at the hand) bedrooms.

Not to mention the fact that it's clearly a PC

Um, the vast majority of the 360 dev kits were PCs until just before release (well macs, but same thing).

 

[aaronspink]

Why is the "Devkit" on the floor too?

WTF not? my pc is on the floor. same damn thing.

 

[aaronspink]

How boring is all the set-top box talk and all the video streaming. I want my console to play games. I already have my digital-TV provider, don´t need to pay for another one. But it seems both consoles are going to be like that.

Not boring at all. The future will be shared media complexes. But vendors have already moved in that direction and will only go further when the FCC morphs cablecard into the media gateway standard. Lot easier to justify paying $400 for a console when it also does everything that a $100-300 media gateways device does.

 

[aaronspink]

What is the Windows 8 footprint on phones? I could see some Windows 8 variant similar to WindowsRT running on the console, but not one with the ability to run the full application environment with productivity applications etc.

Well, I think at least in MS's envisioned embodiment, the device will be able to run apps remotely to other displays in addition to maintaining 4-6 streams of playback/record.

 

[kagemaru]

Well, I think at least in MS's envisioned embodiment, the device will be able to run apps remotely to other displays in addition to maintaining 4-6 streams of playback/record.

I understand these boxes are evolving past just game machines, but I still think this is such a horrible waste of resources.

 

[anexanhume]

Interesting article regarding PS Vita SOC. Seems like Sony is definitely interested in 3D (or quasi-3D, as it must have TSV to be 3D apparently) packing technologies.

http://www.chipworks.com/en/technical-competitive-analysis/resources/technology-blog/2012/07/sony%E2%80%99s-ps-vita-uses-chip-on-chip-sip-%E2%80%93-3d-but-not-3d/

Specifically, the memory interface to the 1 Gb (128 MB) VRAM

Close examination reveals that there are 1080 pads in two blocks of 540 (4 blocks of 45 rows of 6 pads), so likely 2 x 512 bit I/O operation, possibly sub-divided into 4 x 128.

 

[ZeroEx]

I'm thinking, they'll reserve that 3GB of Ram for:

Console OS
Multimedia and Streaming
TV/PVR Functionality
Game Streaming/Recording
Streaming/Sharing Content to other Devices like SmartGlass
Kinect 2.0 Functionality
Future Upgrades

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I'm thinking, they'll reserve that 3GB of Ram for:

Console OS
Multimedia and Streaming
TV/PVR Functionality
Game Streaming/Recording
Streaming/Sharing Content to other Devices like SmartGlass
Kinect 2.0 Functionality
Future Upgrades

As mentioned elsewhere, these don't require great gobs of RAM. You can't really use up 3 GBs on OS and apps. That much capacity is needed for data. If this console is going to serve multiple high-def video streams to various devices, it needs a damned fast HDD/SSD more than huge amounts of RAM.

 

[ZeroEx]

As mentioned elsewhere, these don't require great gobs of RAM. You can't really use up 3 GBs on OS and apps. That much capacity is needed for data. If this console is going to serve multiple high-def video streams to various devices, it needs a damned fast HDD/SSD more than huge amounts of RAM.

Yeah, I thought so too.
But I can't think of anything that'd use that much ram.

Speaking of SSD.
Now that they are becoming 1GB to the £ for SSDs.
It's more likely for them to use SSDs in the next gen consoles.

 

[Arwin]

Can we rely on SSDs to last five years?

 

[Acert93]

Edge rumorish thing

http://thesilentchief.com/2012/07/04/ps4-360-will-need-plenty-of-ram-to-meet-square-enixs-standard/

Seems more support for 8GB, as well as the 3GB for OS rumor.

What the hell 3GB for OS do they want the OS be a interactive movie or something

Think of OS as a full OS, instead of a bare bones, i.e. browser, media player, video chat client, 2 stream DVR, etc all resident in memory all the time with full Kinect intergration.

How would that be a problem? It would only be a problem if the PS4 or other competition had more free memory for their games. If PS4 has 4GB of memory and the Xbox 720/8/whatever has 8GB (5GB for games) then they're still competitive. If PS4 has more than 5GB, then yeah, that might hurt them.

In the end, I still don't believe this rumour.

Even if the Xbox 3 hass 5GB (8GB - 3GB OS reserve) it isn't Xbox 5GB vs. PS4 4GB * -- unless a 4GB PS4 has a magical OS that reserves NO OS footprint. And seeing as Sony was bit this generation with OS reserve issues (first bloated and now, it seems, not enough space and CPU reserves for a full suit of features) that if Sony ever desires to have feature parity they will need a large OS reserve as well. Which could be actually more detrimental; e.g. 5GB (8GB-3GB OS) Xbox3 versus a 3GB PS4 (4GB-1GB OS) creates a MASSIVE gap again. 2GB of extra game space is a lot -- over 66% difference.

* This assumes the PS4 won't have 2GB.