AMD says that the era of 4GB graphics cards is over – Future games need more VRAM

If what AMD’s saying is true, we may be reaching the end of the 4GB GPU era. Games are starting to use more and more VRAM on PC, stretching the limits of what’s possible on many existing graphics cards. 

As we start moving into the next console generation, VRAM capacity will quickly become a limiting factor for new games. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will both feature 16GB of combined memory, a factor which will make PC GPUs with 4GB of VRAM seem woefully inadequate. This is why AMD’s now recommending that PC users “Game Beyond 4GB”. 

With their Radeon RX 5500 XT, AMD has tested models with 4GB and 8GB of VRAM to see how much difference the extra VRAM can make at 1080p, uncovering a 12-24% performance change across five modern games. Beyond raw performance figures, the lower VRAM cards could suffer from more gameplay stutters and increased texture pop-in. 

Aside from AMD’s 4GB RX 5500 XT, all of the company’s modern graphics card lineup features 6GB or more VRAM. Beyond that, AMD has also supported 8GB GPUs for the mainstream market since 2016 with their 8GB RX 470 and RX 480 GPU models. Moving forward, VRAM capacity will become increasingly important, especially as game developers start to fully utilise the memory of next-generation consoles.