Digital Foundry: Sony discussed RDNA 5 handheld exclusivity for PS6 portable

Sony has held behind-the-scenes discussions about an "exclusive of sorts on RDNA5 for handheld" for its rumored portable device, according to a report from Digital Foundry. Richard Leadbetter, the outlet's reporter behind the rumor, made the claim on a Patreon-exclusive episode of DF Direct.

The report suggests AMD may be reluctant to fund custom handheld chips unless manufacturers guarantee large orders. That constraint could leave Sony among the few companies able to justify a bespoke next-generation design.

AMD's next-generation technology is reported to focus on improvements in ray tracing and AI-assisted graphics. Sony and AMD are already collaborating on machine-learning graphics technology for future PlayStation consoles.

An unannounced device

The portable has not been officially announced by Sony. In 2024, Bloomberg first reported that Sony was developing a handheld capable of playing PS5 games natively rather than relying entirely on streaming, and Digital Foundry later said it had independently heard similar information.

Sony's current handheld, the PlayStation Portal, now lets PlayStation Plus Premium members cloud-stream select owned PS5 games directly. The company left the handheld market after the PS Vita; since then Nintendo has normalized portable and hybrid gaming with the Switch, while the Steam Deck proved demand for handheld PC gaming and Windows-based devices such as the ROG Xbox Ally have followed.