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Recent leaks have shed light on the PS6 handheld, codenamed Canis, revealing exciting details about its specifications. Rumors suggest that it will boast 24GB of RAM and outperform the Xbox Series S, a larger console, despite its compact size.
Additionally, the PS6 ‘Canis’ handheld is expected to offer impressive ray tracing capabilities for a cutting-edge gaming experience. Further leaks have unveiled a plethora of specs and information about this upcoming device, all compiled in this comprehensive mastersheet. Read on to delve deeper into the details.
Disclaimer: This article is based on leaks, so readers are advised to approach the information with caution.
PS6 ‘Canis’ Handheld Mastersheet Compilation
1) Hardware Specifications
A leak from the Moore’s Law is Dead (MLID) YouTube channel has revealed key hardware specifications of the PS6 handheld. It is said to be powered by a custom AMD monolithic SoC featuring a Zen 6 CPU, an RDNA 5 GPU, LPDDR5X RAM, and more.
Here are the detailed specs provided by MLID:
- 4 Zen 6c cores + 2 Zen 6 LP cores = 6 cores in total.
- 4MB L3 cache for Zen 6c cores.
- 24GB/36GB/48GB LPDDR5X RAM (realistically 24GB).
- 16 CU RDNA5-based GPU clocked at 1.20 GHz in handheld mode and around 1.65GHz in docked mode.
The leaker suggests that while the PS6 handheld can support up to 48GB of RAM, it is likely to come with 24GB or a maximum of 36GB. Another reputable leaker, Kepler L2, has supported the 24GB RAM claim. According to Kepler_L2, both the PS6 handheld and PS6 will have 24GB and 30GB of RAM, respectively.
MLID also mentioned that while the SoC has six CPU cores, only four Zen 6c cores will be accessible to games, while the two Zen 6 low-power cores will be reserved for the operating system and background tasks. Given MLID’s track record of accurate leaks, his credibility is substantial.
2) Backwards Compatibility
According to Moore’s Law is Dead, the PS6 ‘Canis’ handheld is expected to be compatible with both PS5 and PS4 games right out of the box. The recent addition of Low Power Mode to PS5 is aimed at ensuring that most PS5 titles can run on the handheld seamlessly from day one.
3) Performance Targets (Raster and Ray Tracing)
MLID suggests that the PS6 ‘Canis’ handheld’s rasterization performance would be around 55%-75% of the PS5, while its ray tracing (RT) capabilities could be 1.3–2.6 times faster than those of the PS5. This indicates that the handheld’s RT capabilities would surpass those of the PS5, potentially enabling path tracing to a certain extent.
Kepler_L2 also commented on the performance claims of the PS6 handheld, stating that the SoC’s performance scaling at 15W would be comparable to the Intel Panther Lake B390 iGPU at 30W.
For reference, the Intel Panther Lake iGPU has exhibited strong gaming performance, making it a solid benchmark for estimating performance. Additionally, consoles typically receive optimizations tailored to enhance gameplay compared to standard PC games. Therefore, achieving 55–75% of the PS5’s rasterization performance with the PS6 handheld SoC seems feasible.
4) Development SDKs
Moore’s Law Is Dead claims that Sony has developed a total of 12 different PS5 SDKs, including a new Low Power Mode. This mode is specifically designed to run games using half the CPU cores, significantly lower clock speeds, and half the GPU CUs, aligning closely with the specifications of the PS6 ‘Canis’ handheld.
It is reported that Sony has distributed these development SDKs to game developers to ensure that PS5 games can seamlessly transition to the PS6 handheld without necessitating updates from developers.
In a recent leak, Moore’s Law Is Dead provided further insights into this SDK. According to MLID, a source from a game development company revealed that Sony has introduced an SDK 13, enabling developers to target games for different PlayStation platforms based on assets and textures:
“Until now, developers had to include PS5 Pro’s high-resolution textures and detailed assets in every PS5 download, regardless of whether a specific console was a Pro. However, this has changed! Developers can now specify downloads for PS4 + PS4 Pro, PS5, PS5 Pro, and PS5 Low Power Mode. Yes, Power Saver Mode will have its own Asset + Texture Packaging!”
This independent assets and textures packaging and downloading system for games on PS5 Low Power Mode suggests a dedicated approach if this mode were to represent an entirely new console like the PS6 handheld.
6) Hybrid Handheld + Dock Setup
MLID has shared insights from PS6 handheld documents indicating the presence of two different clock speeds for handheld and docked modes. This suggests that the device will adopt a hybrid handheld + dock setup similar to the Nintendo Switch.
7) Manufacturing and Release Window
According to Moore’s Law Is Dead, the PS6 ‘Canis’ handheld is expected to commence manufacturing in mid-2027, with a potential release window in fall 2027. As such, the launch of this device is still a considerable distance away.
Edited by Suraj Bhowal