A problem with the Series S now shows why graphics cards with ‘only’ 8 GB of video memory could become a downfall in the long run. Are 8 GB of video memory sufficient for graphics cards in 2023?
The Xbox Series S is the weakest next-gen console. It offers less power than the Series X and less memory, but it only costs around 200 euros.
On reddit, a user recently showed a picture of his Xbox Series S. He was playing Borderlands and the game crashed with the message that the video memory was full. This has reignited the discussion about whether 8 GB of video memory is simply too little by now.
Are 8 GB of video memory still enough in 2023?
In general, the rule is: The higher the resolution, the higher the load on the video memory. This is where the textures are cached. If the video memory is insufficient, it usually leads to annoying stuttering. In the worst case, the game simply crashes.
But are 8 GB of video memory still enough in 2023? The tech colleagues from GameStar checked with several games, how much video memory games actually need in 2023. They reached the following conclusions:
- 8 GB should definitely be enough for Full HD, and at least 10 GB for WQHD.
- 6 GB VRAM or less is simply not future-proof anymore. Anyone who wants to play in WQHD should steer clear of graphics cards with 8 GB.
The problem, however, is that each game uses varying amounts of memory. Games like Anno 1800 or Age of Empires IV require little memory, while other games like Call of Duty: MW2 can easily use 12 GB. Games like Diablo 4 cause a ‘Memory Leak’, filling the graphics card’s memory to the maximum without compromise and leading to crashes.
In the future, these 8 GB could become tight. Many players are already indicating this as they watch the next graphics cards with concern.
What about the Xbox Series S? The Series S is also a special case. Although the Series S offers 10 GB of GGDR6 memory, it is “shared”: The console does not have a proper graphics card but relies on a processor with an integrated graphics chip. As a result, the processor and graphics chip share the memory among themselves. This tends to wrap up much faster than with a graphics card that has a full memory complement.
8 GB of video memory already causes discussions with RTX 4060 and RX 7600
Which graphics cards are coming next? With the RTX 4060 and the RX 7600, two new graphics cards are already presumably on the starting blocks. But even before the release, discussions are taking place about the specifications (via videocardz.com). And the speculated 8 GB of video memory is not making many users happy.
Many players also state that they would be willing to pay more for a graphics card if the memory size would ultimately be right.
Additionally, more and more players are playing in WQHD or higher resolutions. Graphics cards with 8 GB VRAM are simply likely to be too little in the long run.
How important VRAM has become was also shown by AMD’s crash landing with the Radeon RX 6500 XT:
The RX 6500 XT was released as a budget card, but is only equipped with 4 GB of video memory. A few other issues also make the card only conditionally recommendable. All these problems turned the RX 6500 XT into a symbol for the issues of the graphics card market:
The tests of the Radeon RX 6500 XT show how broken the graphics card market is
