PS6 Handheld Rumors Suggest Sony Is Planning a Cheaper Gaming Device

Sony's rumored PS6 handheld could deliver next-generation portable gaming with AMD's RDNA 5 technology and support for demanding AAA games.

Sony has yet to announce any next-gen hardware, but it is reportedly developing a new PlayStation Portable as well as the PS6. Nintendo has had a lot of success with portable gaming, and Sony may want a means to reach more people who don't want to spend a lot of money on a home system.

With a dedicated portable, you can play AAA games for less than the impending PlayStation 6. The device is not officially validated yet, but further leaks have raised even more questions about what its hardware would be and if AMD will be participating. A future handheld from Sony may have exclusive rights to AMD’s RDNA 5 architecture, it’s claimed in a podcast.

There are no precise specifics yet, but word has it that it has an 80% probability of being genuine. That exclusivity remark means Sony’s handheld could be the only portable to use RDNA 5 tech, and AMD might have to place big orders from other manufacturers before it brings competing gear to market.

Sony’s portable ambitions and the purported exclusivity agreement have remained undisclosed. Also, previous speculations about AMD’s graphics technology and console hardware have been proven wrong, so take these with a grain of salt. Microsoft’s probable portable intentions could play a role here too.

Beefed-up RDNA 5 could power Sony’s upcoming handheld for portable gaming.

Earlier, AMD leaker said Microsoft would have to commit to a minimum of 10 million chips for AMD to produce a custom processor for their future XBOX portable. It is not known if Microsoft is prepared to make such a commitment. The XBOX portable is rumored to be arriving in 2027, ahead of the company's next-gen home console in 2028, although nothing's been officially announced yet.

If PlayStation or XBOX ever go handheld, it might just come down to how cheap the hardware can be. Price will probably be the biggest problem for Sony and Microsoft. Many of the contemporary PC gaming handhelds are also expensive, which places them into a more specialized market rather than something that is accessible to mainstream console purchasers.

You could sell a ton of $1,000 handhelds for the PlayStation or XBOX, but only if next-gen home consoles cost a lot more than today's systems. Sony might be looking at people that buy consoles for $100 to $300 instead of those that usually buy them for $400 to $600.

A cheaper handheld would allow the organization to contact these people without them spending significantly more cash to purchase premium equipment. Nintendo’s Switch 2 is the answer to how portable platforms can deliver huge third-party games without the processing power of traditional home consoles.

Some fantastic optimization and upscaling could mean Sony’s rumored handheld could be a more comprehensive experience at a fair price. A docking option would make the gadget more desirable. It can also come with a dock or HDMI cable so it can be hooked up to a TV so players can alternate between portable and TV play.

Sony’s reported portable could play a big part in the company’s next-gen plans down the road. If it can combine capable technology, contemporary upscaling methods, and a fair price, it might be able to compete more directly with Nintendo while providing an alternative to the costly PS6.