Although an official announcement has yet to be made, leaks from multiple reliable sources have made it clear that the PlayStation 6 will launch alongside a handheld system that should be more than capable of running current and next-generation games.
However, much like the Xbox Series S did with the Xbox Series X and possibly the entirety of the current console generation, there is the real possibility this portable system could hold back the home console, especially with mandatory support. According to known leaker Moore’s Law is Dead, who first leaked the specs for Sony’s next-generation systems, the chances of this happening, however, are slim.
During the latest episode of the Broken Silicon podcast, the leaker commented on the RAM the PlayStation 6 and the handheld are expected to have. Based on the specs leaked so far, it is believed the handheld will have 24 GB of RAM, while the home system features 30 GB of RAM. While this difference could matter, it represents a less than 30% gap between the two devices. “Series S and Series X had a 60% difference in VRAM, which is why the Series S holds the other system back,” Moore’s Law is Dead said. “A less than 30% difference might just be the difference in resolution,” the leaker added.
The leaker noted that with developers using lower resolution textures, possibly via an automated system that was also leaked earlier this year, it is easy to speculate that the difference ultimately may not matter much.
During the current console generation, we have seen time and time again how RAM has been the biggest hurdle developers had to overcome to maintain parity between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. This hurdle was impossible to overcome for Larian Studios, who eventually got Microsoft to relent on its feature parity clause and allow Baldur’s Gate 3 to launch on Xbox consoles without local multiplayer on the Series S, which was added at a later time.
Interestingly enough, we have also seen what additional RAM allows even dated hardware to achieve. A modded Nintendo Switch with 8 GB of RAM can run the PC version of Final Fantasy VII Remake at playable framerates, highlighting how crucial available memory is for a gaming system, sometimes proving more vital than other specifications.
As the PlayStation 6 and its handheld companion have yet to be officially revealed with their final specs, it is difficult to say whether this analysis will prove correct and whether the industry as a whole has learned from the Xbox Series S’s limitations that put more than a few developers in a bind. Hopefully, it won’t take much longer to find out.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack.
After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi “Suda51” Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA’s president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3.
When he’s not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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