Next gen consoles - 8GB RAM?

[NV88]

So I've been digging around and the general consensus is that next gen consoles will have at least 4, if not 8GB of RAM. Currently the 360 has 512MB (ignore the eDRAM) and the PS3 a pitiful 256MB. The question is, will developers finally take advantage of a PC's 8GB+ RAM, even if its a basic port? Will consoles really take advantage of that slab of memory? I was just wondering . . .

 

[Supernova1138]

For the PC audience it still will probably be a while before games use more than 2GB, simply because publishers want the widest audience possible and want to maintain compatibility with 32 bit OSes to help facilitate that. Developers also tend to be too lazy or too cheap to create both 32 bit and 64 bit executables to allow compatibility with 32 bit and 64 bit OSes.

I'm guessing they are really stocking up on RAM on the consoles because A: RAM is cheap right now, and B: so they don't run into problems we are having now with the current consoles not having enough memory for what the game developers want to do. Sony and MS probably want another 7 or 8 year long generation so they can rack up licensing fees and don't have to spend money on R&D for new consoles. If they say only put 2GB in their console now, games would be hitting a RAM limitation a short time into the new generation.

 

[NV88]

If a game X on consoles uses say 4GB RAM, why wouldn't the developers port it as 64-bit to Win 7/8? That wouldn't make much sense. Eventually legacy users will have to be pushed out. Well, it will be interesting over the next 2 yrs. I have 16GB but still, it will be very interesting.

 

[Supernova1138]

The first couple of years of the next console generation are unlikely to push the machines to their limits anyway, especially if they are equipped with 8GB of RAM. 32 bit support will eventually be dropped, like how Windows XP support is starting to disappear on games, but I don't think the publishers are going to be too eager to alienate the Windows Vista and Windows 7 32 bit users right away.