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Ask HN: Will programmers write more efficient code during the memory shortage?

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Re: Ask HN: Will programmers write more efficient code during the memory shortage?

#31

Post by thomastjeffery »

andix wrote: post #27

If that happens, we will see it in triple-A games first. If some new titles have significant lower hardware specs than expected. If buyers can't afford the hardware anymore, the studios need to adjust. It's definitively possible to scale games down a lot. There are a few AAA games that were "dumbed down" for the Switch 1 (Hogwarts, cyberpunk, ...). And that's a really low-spec device. There are two factors: existing…

That's memory efficient assets, not memory efficient code. The latter is already optimized for the former.

Re: Ask HN: Will programmers write more efficient code during the memory shortage?

#32

Post by physix »

If the producers see a long term demand for memory they will meet the challenge and produce enough to bring prices down.

Economics will invariably alleviate the memory crunch. It just takes long and requires a huge upfront CapEx.

They have been burned in the past and are hesitant to over invest, worried that the bubble might burst.

I expect high prices to stick around for a while, but I would be surprised if this was permanent.

Which means to me, that price pressure probably won't be the driving force for writing more memory efficient software.

For those who want, I expect AI to make it easier to do that, assuming it's done right, i.e. not vibe coding it.

If you have a subscription to The Economist, I recommend listening to this Money Talks podcast. They talk about the shortage and the economics behind it.

Can anything stop South Korea’s bull run?

https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2026/05/21/can-anything-s...

Re: Ask HN: Will programmers write more efficient code during the memory shortage?

#33

Post by tayo42 »

andix wrote: post #27

If that happens, we will see it in triple-A games first. If some new titles have significant lower hardware specs than expected. If buyers can't afford the hardware anymore, the studios need to adjust. It's definitively possible to scale games down a lot. There are a few AAA games that were "dumbed down" for the Switch 1 (Hogwarts, cyberpunk, ...). And that's a really low-spec device. There are two factors: existing…

Are programmers and their use of data structures driving up storage requirements in games though? Or is it just high poly models and high res textures?

Re: Ask HN: Will programmers write more efficient code during the memory shortage?

#40

Post by [deleted] »

kantord wrote: post #14

For this incentive to exist, the app needs to be such an obvious memory hog that users start identifying it as the source of the problem. Even then, a lot is required for most businesses to prioritize this (presumably) temporary issue at the cost of things like: participation in the AI race, other features, bug fixes, new markets etc. Heck, sometimes software is so inefficient that it costs developer and tester produ…

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