15 hours Ago By Daniel Sims
Recap: Playing modern high-end games on handheld devices, even with technical compromises, was considered impossible before the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck arrived. Their success has likely inspired Sony and Microsoft: the latter plans to leverage the emerging handheld PC market, and reports indicate a handheld companion to the PlayStation 6 is in the works. A prolific leaker recently provided basic hardware specs indicating that a rumored portable companion to the PlayStation 6 is significantly weaker than the company's current console.
If the information proves accurate, it might conflict with prior reports that a handheld device designed to play PlayStation 5 games is in early development. Late last year, Bloomberg reported that the project is likely years away from launch, and Sony might still decide against releasing it. It would build upon the PlayStation Portal – a successful handheld designed to stream PS5 software – to compete with the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.
According to KeplerL2, Sony's device will use a 3nm SoC that draws 15W, likely falling far short of the horsepower to play PS5 games natively. However, those specs could significantly outperform today's handhelds. In comparison, the Steam Deck utilizes a 6nm 15W APU, the Asus ROG Ally X employs a 4nm chip that can reach 30W, and the Switch 2 runs on an 8nm SoC at an unspecified wattage.
In light of this, developers could conceivably patch PS5 games to add "portable" modes for a new Sony handheld. The recent rumors support Kepler's earlier leaks, which indicated that Sony is developing two SoCs for the PlayStation 6, one of which could power a portable variant. The designs, set for A0 tapeout later this year, utilize AMD's upcoming Zen 6 and UDNA architectures.
Zen 6 CPUs will mostly utilize 3nm transistors but might also incorporate components based on a 2nm node and are expected to debut in consumer PCs next year, with the PS6 following in 2027 or 2028. Meanwhile, UDNA will succeed RDNA 4 graphics. Microsoft also reportedly plans to release a new console in 2027, and an Xbox-branded handheld gaming PC is expected to emerge later this year.
The portable device, codenamed "Keenan," will likely include functionality resembling the Asus ROG Ally but feature Microsoft's design language and introduce a handheld-oriented user interface for Windows. The company aims to combine "the best" of Xbox and Windows but hasn't specified how, igniting speculation that its future devices might land somewhere between PCs and consoles, similar to the Steam Deck..
