Rumor has it Sony is working on a new PlayStation handheld, and a recent leak indicates it could borrow a key feature straight from the PS5 Pro.
Known leaker KeplerL2 revealed interesting details about the allegedly upcoming PS handheld on a NeoGAF forum, stating it'll come equipped with 16GB of DDR5X RAM, a third of the base PS5's memory bandwidth (4MB of L2 cache but with 16 MB of MALL cache) and will be powered by an AMD chip.
Interestingly, the insider also claims it will feature AI upscaling tech, which points to the PS5 Pro's PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution). This improves image quality in supported games, offering sharper and more detailed images, similar to Nvidia's DLSS.
Moreover, since the base PS5 comes with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, the alleged PlayStation handheld is looking to be a powerful system, but not unlike other PC gaming consoles with the same spec, such as the Lenovo Legion Go (although, the recent Lenovo Legion Go S already sports 32GB of RAM).
Reports of Sony developing a next-gen gaming handheld console have been swirling since last year, suggesting it would be able to play PS5 games natively. With PSSR now tipped to be coming along with its 16GB of DDR5X RAM, the next PlayStation handheld could pull this off — at a lower resolution, of course.
Technically, the PlayStation Portal can run PS5 titles, but that's through cloud-based gaming, and as we've found in our testing, you'll need a strong internet connection to have gameplay run smoothly.
There's no official word from Sony about an upcoming PlayStation handheld, and reports on an expected release date are scattered, with some suggesting it could come as soon as 2027 while others believe it will enter mass production in 2028.
More handheld competition
The Nintendo Switch 2 has recently launched (which is already the company's fastest-selling console) and the ROG Xbox Ally is on its way, so it's only fitting that Sony delivers another take at a portable console — one that doesn't need to rely on an internet connection.
If Sony does jump on the handheld bandwagon, there's some fierce competition to overcome. Notably, the ROG Xbox Ally X, sporting an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, is set to conquer handhelds, and that comes with 24GB of LPDDR5X-8000 RAM.
A PlayStation handheld equipped with AMD's latest APU (possibly a Z3 Extreme, or similar, considering its expected release date) along with AI upscaling tech to power games could make for a powerful console, but for now, that's all just speculation.
It also has the rest of the best gaming handhelds to contend with, such as the Steam Deck OLED.
However, if it's anything like the underrated PS Vita (and if Sony gives it the attention it deserves) a new PlayStation handheld could be a win for gamers.
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