Sony recently announced the PS5 Pro to a mixed reception from players as its steep $700 was the big talking point about the powerful console. However, new reports claim that Sony is working on two SoCs (System-on-a-Chip) for its next-gen console and one of them “will be affordable at least”, suggesting it might be a cheaper next-gen console variant with inferior specs similar to the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X situation. Alternatively, it’s also suggested that this could be a handheld device.
The report comes from AMD leaker KeplerL2 (via Reddit) who has a pretty decent track record of accurate leaks when it comes to chip manufacturing. According to the leaker, there are currently two SoCs in development for the PS6 and one of them will be a cheaper variant.
KeplerL2 states that either this is a cheaper next-gen console variant like the Xbox Series S or it’s a new handheld system that Sony had been quietly working on. “There’s two SoCs in development for next-gen, idk if it’s a Series X/S situation or home console + handheld, but probably one of them will be affordable at least,” said the leaker.
Considering the backlash surrounding the Series S this generation, it’s unlikely that Sony would develop an inferior PS6 alternative for its next-gen hardware. On the other hand, the $700 price of the PS5 Pro could indicate a very expensive PS6 on the horizon so giving players a cheaper alternative might mitigate the sting of a potentially pricier new system. The idea of a new handheld is also an enticing one, though we’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out.
As with all reports, take this with a grain of salt until we get confirmation from PlayStation directly – it might be a few years until we actually start hearing about the PS6 in any official capacity.
Source: Reddit
