PlayStation 6 And Handheld PS6 Release Dates Might Have Leaked

It might seem too soon to start thinking about the PlayStation 6, but we're close to the PS5's fifth anniversary. That makes the current model quite old in console years. Sony usually waits six to seven years between major console refreshes, with a minor revamp usually happening halfway through that cycle. As a reminder, the PS5 Pro launched last year for a whopping $699.

In other words, the PS6 is closer than you think, and a new report from a YouTuber has been making the rounds this week. Moore's Law Is Dead released a lengthy video discussing the various chips going into next-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft. The clip also mentions Sony's release plans for the PlayStation 6 as well as the rumored PS6 handheld console that will rival the Nintendo Switch 2 and Valve's Steam Deck, the price points the Japanese company is aiming for, and some of the specifications.

The YouTuber says the PS6 should begin manufacturing in mid-2027. This timeframe would give Sony enough time to launch the PS6 during the 2027 holiday season. An early-2028 launch window is also possible. The handheld PS6, which is of great interest to gamers who want to take their PlayStation games on the go, will land in stores around the same time as the regular PS6.

The good news is that affordability seems to be a priority for Sony. According to Moore's Law Is Dead, Sony is looking to price the PS6 between $500 and $600, rather than matching the PS5 Pro's starting price. Meanwhile, Sony wants the handheld PlayStation 6 to compete against the Switch 2, so a $400 to $500 starting price would make sense. The YouTuber also speculated that Sony might use some of the handheld's console components to create an even cheaper PlayStation 6S system for the home that could sell for under $300.

There's a lot of speculation here, even if it's based on a roadmap for AMD processors that should power these consoles. Also, these price estimates do not take into account tariffs and inflation. Late 2027 is still two years away. The global economy might change in ways we can't necessarily predict.

The YouTuber makes clear the caveats in his report. The information comes from documents detailing a potential roadmap for the PS6 console dating back to 2023. However, some of these plans have been corroborated by more recent reports. While plans might change by 2027, it makes sense for Sony to decide key PS6 specs well ahead of time. The processor is part of that category.

The clip below mentions two chip codenames for the 2027 PS6 console models. Orion powers the standard PS6, and Canis will run on the PS6 handheld. Sony wants Orion to use up to 160W of power. The AMD chip will feature 8x Zen 6 cores (or later), 40-48 RDNA 5 Compute units running at 3GHz, and 160-bit or 192-bit GDDR7 memory. Orion will support triple the PS5 raster performance and six to ten times improvements in ray tracing. The PS6 should be compatible with PS5 and PS4 games. Previous reports said AMD would provide the chips for the PS6.

Sony might not opt for the best CPUs AMD has to offer. The ceiling isn't just related to thermals and price, as Sony is also targeting 4K gaming at 120Hz, which is what most TVs sold today can support. Put differently, the difference in performance between the PS5 Pro and PS6 will not be as massive as some gamers expect, as Sony is looking at optimizing costs.

The PS6 console would also be able to hook up to TVs via USB-C, just like the Switch 2 can be docked for gaming on TV. However, the Canis AMD chip in the handheld PS6 will not be as powerful as Orion. Canis will have a 15W thermal envelope. The chip will feature 4 Zen 6c Cores, 12-20 RDNA 5 Compute Units running at up to 2GHz, and 128-bit bus LPDDR5X RAM. The console will support half the rasterization performance of the PS5. The handheld PS6 will also have a touchscreen display.