Sony's next-gen console leaks – more Switch 2 than PS5 Pro

There will be a PS6 handheld, it's claimed, with a Switch-like docking solution

Young woman playing a PS Vita at Tokyo Game Show in 2015
(Image credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi / Bloomberg / Getty Images)
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Rumours of a PS6 handheld console continue, with the latest suggesting that it'll come with a Switch-like dock.

This is said to enhance games when played on a TV, with capabilities beyond the likes of the PS5.

We may be a couple of years away from the next console generation but that hasn't stopped the leaks and rumours about what to expect from the big players.

We recently heard about potential hardware said to be driving the PlayStation 6, and now a renowned industry leaker has spilled the beans on Sony's potential plans for a PS6 handheld.

We've heard about the possible PS Vita follow-up many times in the past, but the same source at the Moore's Law is Dead YouTube channel (via VGC) claims to have found out additional details on the portable device. And one of them will seem familiar to Nintendo Switch fans.

The channel has revealed that the PS6 handheld will come with a docking solution, much like the Switch. It says that it saw numerous references to the device in "multiple documents", allegedly including some leaked from AMD.

Considering AMD is more than likely supplying the graphics hardware for the handheld and more powerful, standalone PS6, this is an important part of the puzzle.

What's even more intriguing is that the channel claims the portable will also act like a Switch 2 when docked – offering considerably more power to enhance games. It's said to be even more powerful than the PS5 in this mode.

It reveals that the handheld will run on an AMD chipset with four Zen 6c Cores, with graphics featuring 16 RDNA 5 CUs clocked at 1.2GHz in handheld mode, 1.65GHz when docked.

When will the PS6 handheld be released?

Unfortunately though, it'll be a while before any of this can be verified. Sony isn't expected to announced a new console – whether handheld or otherwise – until 2027 at the very least. And plans can always change before then.

Certainly though, it makes sense for the company to want to reenter the handheld market, especially with the Xbox Ally X and Ally on the imminent horizon. The PlayStation Portal is an excellent accessory for the PS5, and decent cloud streaming device, but it can't compete with a dedicated portable console.

And with the PS Vita still fondly remembered by anyone who owned one, it's return to the fray will be much welcomed.

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Rik Henderson
Rik Henderson
News Editor

Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.

Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.

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