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The PlayStation 6 rumor mill is churning again, and this time it’s pointing at something wild. AMD’s shiny new Canis APU will allegedly power a PlayStation 6 handheld — one that can be docked, Switch-style. That’s according to YouTuber Moore’s Law Is Dead, who claimed he has seen the latest documentation of the hardware. On paper, the leaked specs are no joke: a 3nm die CPU, Zen 6 cores, and RDNA 5 GPU tech. It all promises PS5-tier performance docked and ‘PS5 low-power mode’ on the go, comfortably outpacing the Switch 2.
If Sony released such a handheld in 2027, it would have taken attention from Switch 2, Steam Deck, and every other portable gaming device. But before we get carried away, two very big questions hang over this supposed handheld.
Could Portable PlayStation 6 Be a Trojan Horse for the Sony Ecosystem?
At first glance, it meshes perfectly with Sony’s new playbook: move beyond selling boxes and lean into engagement and platform-building. PS Plus, PS Now, and even streaming services like Crunchyroll; all of these feed into the idea of a Sony ecosystem.
There’s a precedent to boot. The PlayStation Portal — essentially ‘just’ a $200 streaming accessory — somehow exceeded Sony’s sales expectations. Two million units were sold and it became the best-selling PlayStation 5 accessory in the US in 2024. Portal’s niche success proves there’s still demand for Sony handheld gaming devices, even when they’re half-baked streaming machines.
Now imagine that demand channeled into a handheld with real silicon power under the hood. 50% higher performance than an Xbox ROG Ally, claimed Moore’s Law Is Dead. If the supposedly leaked specs are true, Sony could easily eat into Nintendo’s Switch 2 user base.
Players and media reported that Elden Ring‘s Gamescom Switch 2 build barely holds 30 FPS and would drop further. Even a first-party retail game like Donkey Kong Bananza suffers from choppy frames in chaotic scenes. That’s not exactly a headlining performance.
When the handheld PlayStation 6 hits the alleged 2027 release window, the Switch 2 will barely be two years old. I don’t think Nintendo is in any hurry to roll out new hardware at that point, giving Sony’s beefy portable device a huge advantage.
Or Is This Just PlayStation Vita 2.0 Waiting to Happen?
That said, handheld gaming history is not exactly on Sony’s side. Remember the PS Vita, the successor to the much-beloved PSP? Among other issues, the PS Vita died not just because of its hardware, but because of its software. It never landed killer apps, to be precise — no exclusive Monster Hunter for Japan, nor GTA for the West. The PSP at least had both.
Unless Sony can lock down true handheld sellers, a dockable handheld PlayStation 6 risks the same fate: great hardware with no reason to buy it. But speaking of killer apps, PlayStation has also lost its competitive edge from exclusives. Major first-party titles like Horizon and Spider-Man eventually hit PC, and even Xbox with Helldivers 2.
On the flip side, Nintendo can keep people locked down with Mario, Zelda, and Pokémon. Sony can no longer replicate that. Say, there is a brand new Uncharted game starring Drake’s daughter for the handheld PlayStation 6? No rush, people will just wait until it’s playable on a Steam Deck or Xbox ROG Ally.
Then there’s the cost problem. Right now, a standard PS5 runs $549, while the PS5 Pro hits a whopping $749. That’s as much as a 10% price hike since launch — consoles usually get cheaper over time, not more expensive.
Moore’s Law Is Dead suggests a dockable PlayStation 6 handheld could land at around $449. But factor in a prolonged tariff war through at least the 2028 election and that price could easily creep toward $500 — or worse. That’s quite a huge gamble when the Switch 2 will likely stay around $449 or even cheaper. Not to mention that future handheld PC like the Steam Deck 2 may undercut Sony further.
Recently, Naoki Yoshida of FFXIV fame admitted there’s ‘no real need’ for new hardware when people are satisfied with PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch 2. That’s the elephant in the room pointed out by someone who actually makes the games. It’s not about whether Sony can build a handheld, dockable PlayStation 6. It’s whether anyone actually needs one.
