Handheld gaming has been flourishing since the launch of the Steam Deck back in 2022. Specifically, the PC handheld market, so it might be about time for a true console alternative. A new leak opens up conversation about a PlayStation handheld which could deliver just that, fitted with an RDNA 5 GPU and up to 48GB of RAM. A true standalone device – not like the PS Portal.

In the handheld gaming space, everyone seems to be paying close attention to the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X. In fact, the flagship X model is the next Windows handheld to look forward to, according to a poll we recently ran. PlayStation, on the other hand, hasn’t really threatened the PC handheld space at all (the Xbox Ally is still effectively a PC), and we don’t expect it to, so it could provide a solid alternative for the console market instead.

PlayStation 6 handheld powered by RDNA 5?

This information comes from prolific hardware leaker Moore’s Law is Dead. They claim that an upcoming PlayStation handheld will be more powerful than the Xbox Ally X, though it seems to be pretty far in the future at this point. Speculation points towards late 2027, which would make it closer to the release of the Steam Deck 2, which has recently been rumored to launch in 2028.

Regardless of release dates, let’s delve a little more into the leaked specs.

MLID notes backwards compatibility with PS5 and PS4 titles, microSD and M.2 SSD expansion storage, as well as haptic vibration and a touchscreen design, all of which feel like what you’d expect from a PS handheld. As far as the price goes, the ‘likely MSRP range’ sits between $399 and $499; MLID expects it to be priced close to the Switch 2 (at the time). We still don’t know how much the ROG Xbox Ally costs – ASUS and Microsoft have essentially blamed the delay on tariff concerns.

Claims that this handheld will be more powerful than the new Ally seem to be backed up by the newer AMD Zen 6 and RDNA 5 architectures, neither of which has been released yet. For comparison, the Xbox Ally X uses the Z2 Extreme chip based on Zen 5 and RDNA 3.5 technology, which means it misses out on RDNA 4’s Machine Learning-based upscaling tech. Sony has been working closely with AMD on upscaling tech like PSSR already.

Based on the leaker’s array of PlayStation 6 leaks lately, Sony could be lining up three variations of the PlayStation 6. This would include the aforementioned handheld, an even cheaper small-form-factor console, and the usual flagship PS6 model. Obviously, there is still plenty of time to wait, and all of this information should be taken with a grain of salt, but it looks promising.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.