PS6 and portable console to feature 30GB and 24GB of RAM, but prices may be alarming
Fresh rumors about PlayStation 6 reveal proposed memory configurations – 30GB for the home console and 24GB for the portable version. While these specifications look impressive, they raise concerns about the final cost.
On the NeoGAF forum, insider KeplerL2 mentioned figures of "24GB and 30GB" in response to a question about "sufficient memory" for the next PlayStation generation. Sony's portable console is expected to use LPDDR5X modules – the same ones installed in ROG Ally X, while the main system will get a more advanced "clamshell 3GB" configuration.
The term "clamshell" refers to a technology that places two memory modules on a single bus to double total capacity. PS6 uses 3GB GDDR7 modules on a 160-bit bus – noticeably narrower than PS5 Pro's 256-bit configuration. However, faster 32Gbps modules will provide 640GB/s bandwidth versus 576GB/s from GDDR6 in the current generation.
The "clamshell" approach is precisely what raises pricing concerns. Using two memory modules on a single bus costs more but allows total capacity to increase from a theoretical 15GB to 30GB. Considering 16GB is becoming the minimum requirement for new PC games, Sony aims to nearly double that threshold.
While consoles and gaming PCs increasingly rely on AI upscaling, and PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) will handle part of the workload in the next generation, PS6 should target 4K at 120fps without noticeable compromises. Especially if Sony wants to outshine Steam Machine with its goal of 4K at 60fps.
As for the portable PS, 24GB should be sufficient, but this indicates similarity to current solutions like ROG Ally X. Sony could aim for 32GB, like premium portables MSI Claw 8 AI+, which would help with higher resolutions and hybrid TV gaming mode. However, the company might repeat the PS Vita approach, abandoning video output or dock compatibility, instead directing users toward the home system.
These rumors should be treated skeptically, but it's difficult to feel enthusiastic about the next console generation amid the pricing situation. Sony will undoubtedly aim for a specific retail price, and the company will need to set it below PS5 Pro if it doesn't want the console market to slide into an elitist niche. The concern is that if home console production leads to unaffordable price tags, the industry will push "games as a service" through cloud streaming even harder – like PlayStation Portal, leading to erosion of software and hardware ownership.
If the so-called RAMageddon happening now subsides, and Steam Machine pushes Microsoft to take Xbox seriously as a console market competitor again, the next generation could return the sector to previous standards. For now, we can only hope prices don't spiral out of control, and the very fact that memory configurations are being discussed hints that Sony is seeking compromise solutions.
