Highlights
- A new mod expands the original PlayStation's RAM from 2MB to 16MB.
- The upgrade restores hidden memory support designed for Sony's arcade hardware.
- The extra RAM enables larger homebrew projects and advanced game ports.
The original PlayStation has received a new community-developed hardware upgrade that expands its system RAM from 2 megabytes (MB) to 16MB. The mod activates memory support that Sony originally built for its arcade hardware but never enabled on retail consoles. It was created by modder, TunerTom, with support from the PSX.Dev Discord community and recently showcased by Tito Perez of Macho Nacho Productions.
In the video, Perez asks, "Can you really upgrade the original PlayStation from just 2MB of RAM to 16MB?" He then installs the mod, tests games on real hardware, and explores what the extra memory can do.
PlayStation’s 16MB RAM Mod Opens New Possibilities
The PlayStation launched in 1994 with four 512-kilobyte (KB) RAM chips, giving it 2MB of system memory. That was enough to run games like Final Fantasy VII, Resident Evil, and Metal Gear Solid.
However, TunerTom found that Sony's arcade boards supported dual 8MB memory banks. The new project brings that unused capability to retail PS1 consoles. It also goes beyond earlier 8MB RAM upgrades, which were long considered the hardware's practical limit.
Installing the mod is not simple. It requires removing the original memory chips and replacing them with eight 2MB EDO RAM chips taken from older PC memory modules. Four chips are installed in the original locations, while the other four are stacked on top. The installation also uses a custom quick-solder board, precision wiring, trace cuts, and a resistor to enable the dual memory banks.
The mod works on most PlayStation models, especially SCPH-5500 systems with PU-8 motherboards.
Commercial game support is still mixed. Some titles run normally, while others fail to boot because they expect the original memory layout. Even so, the upgrade offers much more for homebrew developers. It allows larger projects, visual improvements such as a better level of detail, and more advanced game ports. One example is a Super Mario 64 port that runs entirely from the PS1's new 16MB of RAM.
As retro development continues to grow, the upgrade shows that the original PlayStation still has room for innovation nearly three decades later.
