When the Sony PlayStation was first released in 1994, it only came loaded with a paltry 2MB of RAM. Meanwhile, many of its direct competitors, like the Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64, offered double the memory, at least. Despite this meager amount of memory, the hardware performed admirably, and thanks to the lower cost of console production, allowed the PlayStation to retail for a much lower price, which played a big part in its early popularity. Flash forward to 2026, and although memory prices are at an all-time high, upping the RAM on a PlayStation is more of a technical issue than a pricing one. In the past, modders have managed to upgrade the PlayStation to 8MB, but thanks to the resourceful research of a community member named Tuner Tom, we can now supercharge the original PlayStation with 16MB of RAM in total, granting a big boost in potential for the homebrew scene.
Unlocking the True Power of PlayStation
If you’re at all eager to perform this upgrade to your own PlayStation, there are a few things to take into consideration first. I’ll lay out the basics of installation here, but I highly recommend you check out my PlayStation 16MB RAM mod tutorial video for more detailed instructions before cracking open your own system. Generally speaking, swapping out the RAM on an original PlayStation requires some decent soldering experience, but TunerTom’s method goes a few steps further, as it involves stacking specific RAM chips.
Theoretically, this upgrade should work on any revision of the base PlayStation, but for now, the best model to use is the SCPH-5501. Additionally, you’ll need a specific stick of EDO RAM (Kingston KTM-760ELD/16) that offers 8 chips of 4MB RAM, but these are getting a bit tough to find. A solution for this obstacle is currently in the works, but for now, you’ll have to hunt one down. Though not a requirement for performing the mod, you’ll also want a quick solder board (like this QSB made by Hidden01), which helps re-route some of the motherboard signals without forcing you to manually rewire the board. Finally, to configure the RAM on the hardware side, you’ll need a test utility program (like this one made by Spicyjpeg), which will require a soft mod that allows burned discs to run on your PlayStation.
How to Upgrade Your PlayStation to 16MB of RAM
The installation process can be overwhelming when compared to other base-level PlayStation mods, but an experienced hand with soldering goes a long way here. First, you’ll need to expose the motherboard by removing the RF shield, clip the legs of the existing RAM chips and break them free, then clean up the pads before moving forward. After harvesting your “new” 4MB RAM chips from the EDO board, solder half of them onto the existing slots of the motherboard, then carefully bend the legs of the other half so you can stack and solder the bent batch on top of the others. When bending the legs, be sure to leave pin 7 standing upright, as it will need to be wired separately from the rest.
With that done, you’ll need to flip over the motherboard to install the QSB, a process that requires scraping away solder mask on a specific via, cutting traces on the motherboard, soldering roughly fifteen connections, and creating a wire harness for those pin 7 RAM chip legs. These types of alteration are permanent and can damage your PlayStation if performed incorrectly, so, in addition to my tutorial video, I also recommend using TunerTom’s written instruction guide. Finally, solder your wire harness to all of the pin 7s, route the wire through the motherboard and solder it to the QSB, and the mod will be complete.
What to Do With All That RAM
Having 16MB of RAM on the PlayStation is impressive enough from a technical standpoint, but what does it actually provide in terms of features and functionality? Truthfully, this type of upgrade won’t make any noticeable differences in casual play, but it does open the floodgates for homebrew possibilities. Thanks to the additional RAM, games may be modified to render more detailed environments and assets, similar to mods that benefit from the previous 8MB RAM upgrade. Additionally, ports of other titles like the Super Mario 64 CD project or potential arcade ports have become far more feasible, especially if we are able to upgrade the PlayStation’s VRAM in the future. That said, since this mod is so new, there aren’t any current projects that are fully utilizing the full 16MB of RAM, and it does break a few retail games, so it’s important to take that into consideration before upgrading.
Overall, the 16MB RAM PlayStation mod is an awesome example of how passionate players are continuing to experiment and innovate with decades-old technology, pushing the limits of what we thought possible on such beloved consoles. The installation process is somewhat complex, and there aren’t many uses for the mod right now, but given enough time, I’m sure the homebrew community will find clever ways to continue pushing the hardware to its limits. I’m ecstatic to see what the future holds for the PlayStation and all the projects in the works, especially now that we’ve got all this extra power under the hood.
