Support NeoGAF

[AGRacing]

If we were to do a postmortem on life of the Xbox Series S console would we really come away from that exercise recommending to Sony to take a 250 watt machine and tie its fate to one that pulls like.. 45 watts?

The RAM spec is 80% of the full console according the the leak.
The Series S did only have 62% of the RAM of its big brother.
But I think the GPU power itself would be a wider divide just considering the power draw alone.

Would Sony do better by calling the portable machine "PSP 2" and removing the necessity for every PS6 game to work day and date with the machine? I can't see that being a great idea either… it would probably get "Vita'd" even though it would be an easy platform to port to for most non-showcase tier games.

I guess the existence of a PS6 handheld which wouldn't be able to run anything that a PS5 Pro isn't powerful enough to run really muddies the water in terms of a value proposition to upgrade.

Are they screwing up the launch of a console generation by the handheld even existing?

 

[Zacfoldor]

Yes.

They saw the demand for the portal, the heard the zeitgeist noise that you still like the old Sony handhelds, and they ceded the most relevant gaming territory(for development) to Nintendo.

They have incentive to make the handheld.

The problem is the handheld they are making won't address any of those things.

Sony must not require parity across the devices.

 

[Shifty1897]

It's a weird situation. It makes more sense to me to just make a handheld PS5 and keep the PS6 console-only, then release everything as cross generation through 2031 or longer.

 

[ReyBrujo]

They saw the demand for the portal

Which numbers are we talking about? I read that it sold to around 7% of the install base in the US according to Vgchartz.

 

[vkbest]

Yes, if they don't want this being DOA like Vita

 

[Sebastian1295]

A handheld in 2026 is irrelevant. People have smartphones and they use them over a handheld.

 

[SJRB]

Sony and handhelds, name a more unfortunate combo.

These idiots never learn.

 

[Tobimacoss]

Canis is actually 15 watts, with turbo boost up to 20 watts, according to K KeplerL2

Don't expect it to go as high as the PC or Xbox handhelds. For reference, Switch is like 9-12 watts.

It has to be PS6 handheld for it to succeed. Because that's the only way the dockable handheld acts as the entry point console as Sony wants.

 

[adamsapple]

2Vita 2Furious

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

Personally, I think they shouldn't make it at all. I can see how PS6 games can be scaled down to run on the handheld, even if that means running the games at 480p/360p, lowest setting of everything and using PSSR to upscale that to 1080p. I don't see that as a problem.

I just feel they would have been better making a PS portal 2 that is strictly a streaming device, and that you don't have to have a console to stream to.

I also feel the PS6 handheld would be called the PS Portal 2.

 

[th4tguy]

Yes and it needs to play everything the ps6 can play. If it doesn't have parity, most will not want to develop for it. See vita

Sony can't let it be another series s either.
The process for getting games to run on this thing needs to be super straightforward

 

[nosoynadie22]

If the goal is 1080p with PSSR2/3 upscaled from 540p with smooth path tracing using RDNA5, that would be good enough to be the foundation of the generation. I wouldn't worry about parity being an issue if the desktop version aims for 4K upscaling from 900-1290p and better ray tracing/denoising.

 

[Durin]

I can't see this device getting much support without imposing game parity for PS6 titles.

We are already going to have a long cross-gen, more games are going to scale down to hit Switch 2 and older PCs anyway to hit a wider audience, and if they want the value of the Switch it needs to have a large library of games.

I just don't see a world where this device does well if it can't play most of the modern games on the go, and ideally much of Playstation's past games to be relevant in the market.

 

[Kilau]

PSP 360

 

[AGRacing]

A handheld in 2026 is irrelevant. People have smartphones and they use them over a handheld.

Well I think most people use Switch as a handheld first.


I really have convinced myself this should be a PSP2 and not a PS6.

Whitelist the entire portable store. Plays PS4, PS5 and 6 games on the whitelist. Sell it to enthusiasts of the brand. Make it clear what games work and which ones don't. Put as much of the VITA and PSP catalogue back on as you can. And just have logos on the PS6 store (similar to how PSVR was done) for which games will work on both).

 

[nial]

I also feel the PS6 handheld would be called the PS Portal 2.

It's a completely different product, so that would be silly. I also think calling it PSP2 would be stupid as well (there is already a "PSP2"...)
PS6 Portable/Go/Lite/whatever is the only choice.

 

[Pasta la Vista]

Personally im not a fan of the idea. Sony's strength is consoles, besides this would just kind of render the Portal obsolete. Its a really weird move IMO.

 

[bitbydeath]

Given the high amount of RAM it is rumoured to contain it shouldn't become a burden to support, unlike Vita.

 

[J Required]

Its a PS6, it should play everything normal PS6 can. Otherwise why bother?

Also its easily doable with a competent ML upscaler and enough ram and CPU power.

Sony will do it right.

 

[Saber]

No, if anything would be better to have a different name so it doesn't conflict with the actual PS6.

 

[ProtoByte]

Given the high amount of RAM it is rumoured to contain it shouldn't become a burden to support, unlike Vita.

Anything beneath the console is a burden. We've already learned this.

 

[BennyBlanco]

I'm most curious about the price. If leaked specs are right this thing is going to be expensive as fuck and blow every PC handheld out of the water in specs.

 

[KeplerL2]

Canis is actually 15 watts, with turbo boost up to 20 watts, according to K KeplerL2

Don't expect it to go as high as the PC or Xbox handhelds. For reference, Switch is like 9-12 watts.

It has to be PS6 handheld for it to succeed. Because that's the only way the dockable handheld acts as the entry point console as Sony wants.

Idk where you got that "20W Turbo" but I'm pretty sure I never said anything like that.

Also Canis is 15W SoC power (same as Steam Deck), Switch 1/2 are 12 watts total system power (SoC + RAM + Display).

 

[Miles708]

It makes sense for Sony because they're trying to occupy all hardware spaces since they cannot win anymore with the software alone, since they no longer have software.

It's a cop out and they're once again focusing on all the wrong stuff.

 

[MisterXDTV]

Actually it won't run PS6 games, so it's not a PS6 by definition

I don't even think they should use a number

 

[uncreativename]

I think it's a good idea to make a handheld. I disagree that phones have made them irrelevant because playing games on phones sucks and there's lots of things a dedicated handheld can do that phones can't. But Sony are making a big mistake making it so expensive. It's a handheld, it's supposed to be much cheaper than the console, and hell, ideally cheaper than a phone, and it doesn't matter if it's lower power because it's a handheld. I feel like Sony understood this with the PSP, but unfortunately that had other problems, and then they forgot it with the Vita which was more expensive than the 3ds. And now they're about to blow it again while Nintendo will hit it out of the park again with the Switch 2 Lite.

 

[kevboard]

I still think they could make it a "PS5" and it would be fine.

what they can't do under any circumstances is leave it up to individual developers to target it or not.
it needs to be forcefully tied to either the PS5 or the PS6, disallowing any games released on whichever one they bind it to to not also come out on the handheld and vice versa.

the users need to be assured that future game support won't die out like it did on Vita and both VR headsets.
and IMO PS5 parity would be enough to ensure that due to the very long cross-gen period that we can expect.

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

Personally im not a fan of the idea. Sony's strength is consoles, besides this would just kind of render the Portal obsolete. Its a really weird move IMO.

Yes, Sony's strength is consoles. However, this device is supposed to be a literal portable version of the console. I doubt it would ever have a game released for it that isnt on the PS6 and vice versa.

This version is like saying, so you would rather have a portable than the console, ok, here you go. And as long as the games can be scaled down, there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[kevboard]

Personally im not a fan of the idea. Sony's strength is consoles, besides this would just kind of render the Portal obsolete. Its a really weird move IMO.

the Portal is already obsolete... it was obsolete before it even released.

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

what they can't do under any circumstances is leave it up to individual developers to target it or not.
it needs to be forcefully tied to either the PS5 or the PS6, disallowing any games released on whichever one they bind it to to not also come out on the handheld and vice versa.

I don't think they would do that. Hell, I believe a PS6 lite mode or compiler would be built right into their SDK. Presets would be made available so devs have to do as little as possible to get the lite version running.

 

[Tobimacoss]

Idk where you got that "20W Turbo" but I'm pretty sure I never said anything like that.

Also Canis is 15W SoC power (same as Steam Deck), Switch 1/2 are 12 watts total system power (SoC + RAM + Display).

Maybe I misremembered or got it mixed up but didn't you say that it will be much more efficient than the comparable RDNA5 PC handhelds. So are you saying that 15 watts is the max it can do?

 

[deriks]

Yes

Don't fix what is not broken

 

[Hudo]

Playstation 6 Portable

 

[Pasta la Vista]

Another thing, if this is going to be backwards compatible all the way back to PS4 games, how will they ensure the UI or hud for all these games will be adjusted for a smaller screen?

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

Whitelist the entire portable store. Plays PS4, PS5 and 6 games on the whitelist. Sell it to enthusiasts of the brand. Make it clear what games work and which ones don't. Put as much of the VITA and PSP catalogue back on as you can. And just have logos on the PS6 store (similar to how PSVR was done) for which games will work on both).

The crazy thing is, if this device turns out to be what I think it would be, it would play all PS6 games, none of the PS5 games (with the exception of those that have got a patch), and also play PS4 games.

 

[kevboard]

The crazy thing is, if this device turns out to be what I think it would be, it would play all PS6 games, none of the PS5 games (with the exception of those that have got a patch), and also play PS4 games.

wouldn't be the first console with no backwards compatibility or limited compatibility.

the later PS3 revisions are compatible with PS1 but not PS2 games for example. so this would be very similar to that

 

[Hudo]

Another thing, if this is going to be backwards compatible all the way back to PS4 games, how will they ensure the UI or hud for all these games will be adjusted for a smaller screen?

I think the truth is that unless Sony are forcing devs to patch their old shit to work on that format, UIs will just not be adjusted.

 

[Pataponpon]

If it has exclusive software for the handheld, then yes.

"Oh but its unsustainable to split games for the two future devices"

I stand for what I've said.

 

[KeplerL2]

Maybe I misremembered or got it mixed up but didn't you say that it will be much more efficient than the comparable RDNA5 PC handhelds. So are you saying that 15 watts is the max it can do?

There are no RDNA5 Handheld SoCs, the closest is Medusa Premium but that's targeting 35-45W laptops.

 

[Fbh]

98% of games will probably still be released on PS5, and the ones that don't will probably do so for PR ("next gen only!!") rather than true technical limitations. So I don't think it should be an issue to make them run on the portable PS6.

People need to let go of the old notion of what gens were like. With ever rising budgets, insane hardware prices and younger generations less interested in "traditional" gaming, no one is spending $500 million to make PS6 and high end gaming PC only games

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

wouldn't be the first console with no backwards compatibility or limited compatibility.

the later PS3 revisions are compatible with PS1 but not PS2 games for example. so this would be very similar to that

Yeah... thou the low power mode in the PS5 right now is supposedly to ensure games can run on cannis. It apparently makes games run on 8 threads or something like that.

Ah well... in Cerny I trust.

 

[MrJangles]

Its going to be their series s.

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

There are no RDNA5 Handheld SoCs, the closest is Medusa Premium but that's targeting 35-45W laptops.

But cannis is to use 16 of the same CUs and underlying tech that the PS6 uses, right?

 

[kevboard]

Yeah... thou the low power mode in the PS5 right now is supposedly to ensure games can run on cannis. It apparently makes games run on 8 threads or something like that.

Ah well... in Cerny I trust.

my prediction is that there will be a point just before launch of the handheld that the support will become mandatory.
similar to how Pro support on PS4 was forced after it launched

 

[Trogdor1123]

I don't want it. Might drive some cheaper set top boxes for pcs though…

 

[KeplerL2]

But cannis is to use 16 of the same CUs and underlying tech that the PS6 uses, right?

Yeah of course

 

[RoadHazard]

I hate the idea that every PS6 game also needs to work on PS6P. Series S all over again.

 

[AGRacing]

98% of games will probably still be released on PS5, and the ones that don't will probably do so for PR ("next gen only!!") rather than true technical limitations. So I don't think it should be an issue to make them run on the portable PS6.

People need to let go of the old notion of what gens were like. With ever rising budgets, insane hardware prices and younger generations less interested in "traditional" gaming, no one is spending $500 million to make PS6 and high end gaming PC only games

I don't see an entire generation built around the PS5 Pro pricing model working out without a significant generational leap. The hardware spec allows for it… but perhaps not when you have to simultaneously hit a 15W target as well.

 

[memoryman3]

There are no RDNA5 Handheld SoCs, the closest is Medusa Premium but that's targeting 35-45W laptops.

AMD shooting themselves at the foot again. Are they confident that PS6 Canis will sell more than the Vita?

 

[uncreativename]

Yes and it needs to play everything the ps6 can play. If it doesn't have parity, most will not want to develop for it. See vita

I don't think that's the reason no one wanted to develop for the Vita. It was that not enough people bought one of those things, because it was too expensive compared to the 3ds, which got tons of games developed for it, because it was successful.