PlayStation 6 Handheld Leaks And It Will be More Powerful Than Current Xbox Series S Consoles

A new leak points to significant performance gains for Sony’s upcoming handheld console, expected to be part of the next-generation PlayStation 6 lineup.

According to leaker KeplerL2, the handheld’s GPU could slightly outperform the Xbox Series S in raster performance, while delivering substantially higher performance in ray tracing and path tracing workloads.

RDNA 5 Architecture and AI Focus

The device is expected to use AMD’s next-generation RDNA 5 graphics architecture, which is designed to improve both AI processing and ray tracing capabilities.

Sony and AMD have already outlined several architectural elements under Project Amethyst, including Neural Arrays, Radiance Cores, and Universal Compression. These features are intended to increase performance while improving power efficiency.

Leaked Hardware Specifications

The leak outlines several key specifications for the handheld:

• A CPU configuration featuring 4 Zen 6c cores and 2 Zen 6 LP cores
• A GPU with 16 RDNA 5 compute units
• A 192-bit memory bus
• LPDDR5X memory
• A chip built on a 3nm process with a die size of 135mm²

While the handheld is expected to be less powerful than the full PlayStation 6 console, both devices are said to share the same CPU and GPU architecture.

Advancements in AI Upscaling

The handheld is also expected to benefit from next-generation AI upscaling technologies.

AMD is reportedly working on a new “FSR Diamond” upscaler, which is expected to improve image quality beyond current solutions such as FSR 4.1 and Sony’s PSSR 2.

Sony has also indicated plans to introduce frame generation features across PlayStation platforms, which could further enhance visual performance on lower-power hardware.

Competition With Existing Systems

The leak suggests that Sony and AMD’s upcoming AI upscaling solution, referred to as FSR 5 or PSSR 3, could outperform existing technologies such as DLSS-based solutions used in devices like the Nintendo Switch 2.

If accurate, this would represent a notable improvement in image quality and efficiency for handheld gaming systems.

Outlook

While these details remain unconfirmed, the reported specifications indicate that Sony’s handheld device could rely heavily on AI-driven rendering techniques to deliver improved visuals within the constraints of portable hardware.

The system is expected to combine moderate baseline performance with advanced upscaling to achieve higher visual quality.