PS6 Rumored to Pack Up to 30GB Unified Memory With High Bandwidth

Memory configuration alleged for PS6

Sony said in 2024 that the PS5 had reached the latter stage of its life cycle. The ninth-generation console will be six years old later this year, and early development of its purported successor, ubiquitously known as the PlayStation 6, is said to have already commenced. A recent leak places memory at the center of the PS6 debate, with claims the new console could ship with up to 30GB of unified memory, a substantial jump over the PS5 and the PS5 Pro.

The leak comes from a user known as KeplerL2 on a community forum, who says Sony is exploring memory configurations beyond those used in the current consoles. Both the PS5 and the PS5 Pro are equipped with 16GB of unified memory, while the Pro edition adds bandwidth improvements and more RAM for developers, according to the post.

According to the post, the PS6 would offer up to 30GB of unified memory through a configuration described as 3GB GDDR7 modules in a clamshell arrangement, paired with ten 16-bit memory channels. The leak claims the total would be 30GB without using larger individual memory chips.

In this setup, the memory bus would be 160-bit wide, with 32Gbps memory chips, delivering around 640GB/s of memory bandwidth. For context, the PS5 provides 448 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the PS5 Pro reaches 576 GB/s, the leak notes.

Proponents of the leak say that, in theory, the expanded unified memory would allow the next-generation console to better support more complex game worlds, higher-resolution textures, and AI-driven features that scale with game engines. Faster data transfer rates could result in quicker access to textures, models and other data, which would help to eliminate any stuttering effects while playing video games.

Based on a report that was published by Digital Trends, there is a possibility that this console may have an atypical splitting of memory so that some of it is dedicated to running the system itself, while the remainder would be available for use by a video game on an “on demand” basis.

Although Sony has not yet confirmed anything with regards to either the PlayStation 6 or its specs or the timelines for its release date, reports have indicated that it could be pushed back until after 2028. Sony seems to be planning for an extended life cycle of their PS5 and believes that this console will be available for at least another 8 years after it is launched.

Specifically, the leak provides specifications that include:

• Memory Capacity: 30 GB of unified memory
• Modules: 3 GB GDDR7
• Configuration: Clamshell Design
• Channels: 10 × 16 bit
• Total Memory: 30 GB with no larger chips
• Memory Bus: 160 Bits
• Memory Chips: 32 Gbps

Overall, these specs are based on leaks and third party sources with no confirmed information from Sony.