[Console Games] Is Sony's new handheld console "copying" the Switch? Can it become the next PSP?

[-_-Moltres-_-]

 

This year is definitely a big year for game consoles. The "Big Three" have all made significant moves: Nintendo released the Switch 2, which was a huge success again; Microsoft joined hands with ASUS to launch the first "Xbox PC handheld" ROG Xbox Ally and reinvented the Windows experience for handheld consoles. As for Sony, it officially announced in June that it had started developing the next - generation console, the PS6. Recently, a reliable source in the gaming industry, Moore’s Law Is Dead (MLID), revealed a wealth of details about the PS6's development, as well as the long - rumored PS handheld. Both products are expected to be released between the end of 2027 and mid - 2028. So, will this handheld console recreate the glory of the PSP or end up as poorly as the PSV? Cheaper and more powerful than the Switch 2? The news that Sony is making a new handheld console capable of playing games independently has been circulating for a long time. MLID's revelations finally give us a real sense of this "next - generation PSP". In terms of parameters, the new PS handheld continues the "high - performance gaming console" positioning of the PS series: it uses an AMD APU codenamed "Canis", manufactured with TSMC's 3nm process, and is equipped with 16 RDNA 5 GPUs, 4 Zen 6c CPU cores, and 2 Zen 6 low - power cores, with a clock speed of 1.20GHz. Rendering of Canis, Source: MLID Technical documents indicate that the 2 Zen 6 low - power cores will be dedicated to running the handheld's system, which can free up 20% of the performance for games. The new RDNA 5 architecture will be 60% faster than the older RDBA 2 architecture on the PS5. There is currently no exact information on how much RAM this product will be equipped with. However, the memory controller of the PS handheld theoretically supports up to 48GB of RAM. Sony is actively communicating with game developers to determine the amount of memory to use. Considering that the PS handheld is a "next - generation" device, and it needs to run FSR upscaling technology and modern game engines, MLID predicts that the handheld will require at least 24GB of memory, and 32GB would be more sufficient. In terms of performance parameters alone, the PS handheld easily outperforms the Switch 2, and even the ROG Xbox Ally X, which also emphasizes performance, is no match. However, this product is expected to be released at the end of 2027, and by then, the advantage may not be as obvious. ROG Xbox Ally X In terms of the screen, the PS handheld will feature a 1080P resolution, and the refresh rate may be 60Hz or 120Hz. Since the less powerful Switch 2 has a 120Hz screen, we can expect the PS6 not to lag behind in this regard. Interestingly, the PS handheld will have a "docked mode", which means it can become a "console" like the Switch. In this mode, the performance of the PS handheld will be further improved, with a clock speed of around 1.65GHz. Switch 2 Based on the existing data, in docked mode, the rasterization performance of the PS handheld will be about 0.5 - 0.75 times that of the PS5. However, with its more powerful RDNA GPU, the ray - tracing performance of the PS6 handheld will be 1.3 - 2.6 times that of the PS5, and it can even rival the PS5 Pro. With higher bandwidth and support for AMD FSR technology, the PS handheld can provide a gaming experience comparable to that of the PS5 in docked mode, although game patches and optimizations are required. For games that have not been optimized, the performance will be closer to the "energy - saving mode" of PS5 games, with the frame rate stuck at around 40FPS. So, what games can this handheld play? It is currently confirmed that it will be backward - compatible with PS5 and PS4 games, but there is no mention of PS3 games. Considering the performance gap, this handheld may not be able to natively run larger PS6 games. Therefore, Sony may consider providing a PS6 streaming service or launching a PS6 game version specifically optimized for the handheld. Moreover, like the Switch 2, the PS handheld is a new revenue - generating platform for game developers, which can encourage more developers to actively adapt and optimize games. The pricing of the PS handheld may also be very reasonable: it is estimated to be in the range of $399 - $499, which is approximately 2,800 - 3,500 RMB. Since Sony plans to mass - produce it in 2027, thanks to the improved yield of the 3nm process and changes in memory costs, this handheld can still make a small profit even if it is sold for $399. The Switch 2, which has weaker performance than Sony's product, is priced at $449.99, and the ROG Xbox Ally may even be priced at €899. In comparison, doesn't the PS handheld, which can play PS5 games, suddenly seem more cost - effective? For the PS6, which will be released simultaneously, Sony's pricing strategy will be more cautious. It is very likely to maintain the same price as the PS5 or even be cheaper. The digital version of the PS5 was originally priced at $449.99, and the Chinese version was priced at 2,799 RMB. A rendering of the PS6 designed by a player The PS6 may use AMD's desktop - grade Chiplet APU "Navi 5", which includes 8 Zen 6 cores and 40 - 48 RDNA 5 GPUs, and the TBP will be reduced to 160W. The rasterization performance of the PS6 is estimated to be 3 times that of the PS5, and the improvement in ray - tracing will be even greater, possibly reaching more than 5 times that of the PS5. It is expected to be comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080. Finally, MLID also proposed the possibility that Sony will make full use of the newly developed Canis APU on the PS handheld to create a more compact and affordable low - end version, the "PS6S", similar to the Xbox Series S, to attract more new and old players.

https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3444725501465991