90%
Highly Likely
Sony’s return to the handheld market with the PS6 Handheld is set to be very interesting as, according to known AMD leaker KeplerL2, the system will outperform the Xbox Series S in both rasterization and ray tracing. Furthermore, it is expected to deliver superior image quality with PSSR 3 over what the Nintendo Switch 2 can achieve with its NVIDIA DLSS "Light".
"GPU is a bit ahead of XSS in raster (and ofc massively ahead in RT/PT)," said the leaker on the NeoGAF forums while discussing the leaked specifications of the system currently known as "Project Canis." The leaked specifications in question are:
- 4 x Zen 6c Cores
- 2 x Zen 6 LP Cores
- 16 x RDNA 5 CUs
- 192-bit LPDDR5X (24GB)
- 135mm² TSMC 3nm
Needless to say, this early performance comparison sounds incredibly promising. With the Xbox Series S having been the baseline for games during the current generation before the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 last year, the PS6 Handheld is set to deliver a high-end on-the-go gaming experience. It is an experience that, in terms of image quality, is set to look significantly better than what the Nintendo Switch 2 offers, and not only because of the significantly better specs.
"Switch 2 only has DLSS 2 (CNN) and some games even use the worse 'DLSS Lite.' FSR5/PSSR3 will be better IQ than even current DLSS 4.5," continued KeplerL2, highlighting how the next version of Sony’s AI-powered upscaler could be the one feature that elevates the PS6 Handheld. This would place it above not only Nintendo’s current system, which is currently the only dedicated console handheld supporting AI-upscaling, but also other current handheld gaming systems, such as the Xbox ROG Ally X, which rely on other upscaling solutions. Seeing how much PSSR improved in version 2.0, it will definitely be interesting to see it in action, especially on a portable device.
Amidst the price hikes of components, which could make next-generation hardware such as the PlayStation 6 and Xbox Project Helix very expensive (so much so that Michael Pachter believes game streaming could be the only option for most), the PS6 Handheld could be Sony’s best idea for the next generation. A system priced at the $399 point could make users more inclined to upgrade than a more expensive home system even at the $699 price point, according to Alderon Games' Matthew Cassells.
You can read more details from us in our roundup at "PlayStation 6 — Everything We Know".
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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