Leaked specs hint at Sony’s next-gen PlayStation “Canis” power

Specifications for Sony's upcoming PlayStation 6 “Canis” handheld have been revealed, showcasing a device anticipated to significantly outperform the ROG Xbox Ally X in handheld gaming capabilities. Allegedly, the device includes AMD Zen 6 CPU cores and RDNA 5 graphics, with a potential release slated for late 2027.

According to leaked data from Moore's Law is Dead, Sony's new handheld will likely incorporate a total of six CPU cores. This configuration consists of four Zen 6c CPU cores along with two LP Zen 6 CPU cores. The LP cores are intended for the console's operating system, allowing the more powerful cores to focus on gaming.

Reports suggest that the handheld will be equipped with a 192-bit LPDDR5-8533 memory controller and could theoretically accommodate up to 48GB of RAM. Nonetheless, Sony has yet to finalize the console’s memory specifications and is in discussions with developers to determine the required memory for a next-gen console.

From the recent leak, it appears that Sony’s new handheld is poised to feature 16 RDNA 5 compute units, operating at 1.2 GHz in handheld mode. When docked, the console will increase its speed to 1.65 GHz, enhancing the GPU’s computational performance by 37.5%.

AMD’s RDNA 5 compute units are forecasted to improve AMD’s gaming performance per compute unit by 40-50% when compared to the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The performance boost is anticipated to be even more substantial in ray tracing tasks. In docked mode, the PS6 Handheld is expected to achieve 55%-75% of the PlayStation 5’s capabilities in rasterization tasks. For ray tracing, the handheld should produce 1.3-2.6 times the performance of the PS5. This indicates that many PS5 titles may require patches to run optimally on Sony's PS6 handheld, which might explain the presence of a “low power” mode in several upcoming games.

If the leak is accurate, Sony's new handheld should be compatible with M.2 SSD storage and MicroSD storage. It’s anticipated that MicroSD support will be restricted to MicroSD Express, as contemporary games necessitate rapid storage solutions. Currently, there is no information available regarding support for PS3 titles.

Overall, the leaked specifications for Sony's PS6 handheld are impressive. With increased memory bandwidth and quicker memory speeds, this device should offer 60% more memory bandwidth than ASUS's ROG Xbox Ally X. However, it is important to note that this handheld won't launch for over two years, while the ROG Xbox Ally is set to release soon. Additionally, these specifications far exceed those of Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 console. Nonetheless, it’s still uncertain how much this console will cost or how it will perform in practical gaming situations.

On the other hand, if you are in search of a handheld that is already established, optimized for top-tier performance, and built for serious gaming while on the go, the ROG Ally X is a clear contender. Featuring longer battery life, enhanced ergonomics, and full Windows capabilities, it encapsulates everything the future of handheld gaming should aspire to achieve. As always, for the latest news on hardware launches and industry developments, be sure to follow our dedicated hardware coverage.