Sony’s rumored PlayStation handheld could get a custom AMD RDNA 5 chip that gives it an advantage over competing portable systems. According to Digital Foundry’s Richard Leadbetter, Sony may have an “exclusive of sorts” on the graphics architecture for its upcoming handheld.
The device is widely referred to as the PS6 handheld, although Sony has yet to officially announce the hardware. The latest discussion suggests its biggest advantage could come from securing silicon designed specifically for the machine.
In brief:
- Digital Foundry’s Richard Leadbetter reportedly discussed Sony having an “exclusive of sorts” on RDNA 5 for handhelds.
- The claim concerns a dedicated custom chip, with the scope of any exclusivity still unclear.
- Earlier reports point to Zen 6 CPU cores and 16 RDNA 5 graphics compute units.
- Sony and AMD have yet to confirm the reported arrangement or the handheld’s specifications.
Digital Foundry Discusses PlayStation Handheld RDNA 5 Exclusivity
According to a Patreon-exclusive Digital Foundry Direct episode, Leadbetter mentioned behind-the-scenes discussions about Sony’s access to RDNA 5 for its portable device.
AMD would reportedly be more willing to commit engineering resources to a semi-custom handheld chip when a partner can guarantee enough orders. Sony could potentially meet that threshold through a dedicated PlayStation portable.
However, the public reporting leaves the terms unclear. It doesn’t establish whether Sony has a contractual exclusivity agreement, a temporary advantage, or simply a custom design that competitors haven’t commissioned.
Steam Deck 2 and Xbox Handhelds
A chip built around Sony’s requirements could give the company more control over its handheld’s capabilities. Reports suggest a future Steam Deck or Xbox portable might instead rely on existing chip designs or different graphics architectures. Those competing hardware plans remain speculative.
Calling the PS6 handheld the only portable that could ever use RDNA 5 would go beyond the available evidence. The discussion focuses on access to a dedicated custom chip, and it provides no confirmed specifications for Steam Deck 2 or a future Xbox handheld.
Any performance advantage also remains unproven. Players will need actual game demonstrations and battery testing before judging how much the reported hardware delivers.
Rumored PS6 Handheld Specifications Include Zen 6 and 16 GPU Compute Units
Separate reporting on specifications attributed to hardware insider KeplerL2 lists:
- Six AMD CPU cores, comprising four Zen 6c cores and two Zen 6 low-power cores.
- 16 RDNA 5 graphics compute units.
- 24GB of LPDDR5X memory.
- A reported power range of 15W to 25W.
These remain rumored specifications. The latest exclusivity claim also offers no verified details about upscaling quality, pricing, battery life, or the final design.
