Horizon PS5 Remaster Updated for Probable PS6 Handheld Support

I understand that the power saving mode is for PS6 handheld, but doesn't this also kind of imply that the handheld will be weaker than a PS5? Am I misunderstanding something?

While i dont doubt that the power savings mode might have something to do with a new handheld it is mainly to do with the companies net zero targets called the road to zero which they have had for some time and is mentioned in this plan on there website.
https://sonyinteractive.com/en/impact/environment/

@wildcat_kickz It will have a lower TDP. Meaning it uses less power. It might be more “powerful” than a ps5 in regards to GPU/CPU etc.

@wildcat_kickz this sounds reasonable. But a handheld being weaker than a console isn’t not the norm. Sony sees the writing on the wall; ultimately, gamers want handhelds. See Switch 2.

I want MORE POWER!
(Sorry, I had to)

@Swandivetotheasphalt @wildcat_kickz
I thought we had already seen provisional specs and that the handheld was indeed somewhat less powerful than base PS5 - though it may have the ability to run a version of PSSR, which if so, could be a game changer. I might be wrong and am only going off memory.

@wildcat_kickz So, to explain as quickly as possible without saying anything I’m not allowed (and people wouldn’t believe anyway so who cares, right?!)

It’s much newer generation of chipset regarding the APU, running at lower TDP than a static home console would.

So it’ll feature much newer technologies that relate to drawing polygons, rendering textures from RAM than PS5 does … and it’ll run at lower resolution than the expected PS5 output of today.

So much like how we see the Switch 2 perform, it’s that it’s using less energy, but on more efficient chipsets, that help it to sort of get close to visually what is on your PS5 at this moment.

It’s about bridging the gap, less so about actual horsepower as such, much like how an Apple M4 could do with much less power and cores what an Intel chip could do five or more years before it.

Think of the handheld as being capable to give you PS5 like graphics, but featuring the newer AMD code to allow for more to actually take place from a visual standpoint.

As in it’ll actually be “better” at tracing a light ray, but then due to power constraints would need to be pulled back due to the TDP.

Essentially, some of the things that make PS6 so juicy, will be also available to the handheld, but gimped to make sure it doesn’t cause your hand to set alight, the battery to get too hot during play, or the chipset itself.

So to look at, sort of PS5, but lower resolution, with some shiny bits.

Genuinely don’t understand the hype behind another PS handheld. I just want to play games on my massive TV haha

@ButteredCrumpet I think that mostly makes sense (I'm a technology layman). I guess I just don't quite grasp why, if the handheld will be better optimized to handle workloads at less power, would an older game need to be scaled back? Isn't the idea that the newer hardware would be able to achieve the same output, but at less hardware strain?

I get you can't get into the nitty gritty. If we ever game together I'm gonna have so many inside baseball questions for you 😂

Please be true! Please be true! Pretty please?

Now way a handheld will be more powerful than the ps5.

@AhmadSumadi if that were true which I’m sure it isn’t why isn’t steam deck setting the world on fire?. Switch sells because of Nintendo games and it’s literally the only way to play them. Not saying there’s no market for a new PS handheld because there obvs is but a ps handheld won’t outsell a ps console I’m certain of that

This is pointless as Sony will just remaster everything again for the PS6 to screw more cash out the gullible.

Last Of Us: Remastered Remastered Remastered anyone?

@wildcat_kickz No reliable source has ever used the term „PS6 handheld“. It was always a „PS handheld“.

I think that we could see the reiteration of the former PS handhelds (IF this new handheld ever sees the light):

• PSP was the companion of the PS3 and played almost-PS2-level games.
• Vita was the companion of the PS4 and played almost-PS3-level games.

That would mean:

• New handheld will be the companion of the PS6 and will play almost-PS5-level games.

@wildcat_kickz I’ll answer all the inside baseball questions you have when I’m on PSN with you haha. Saying too much here only results in people then jumping in and arguing only to be proven wrong upon release and meaning the entire argument was moot. You know, internet stuff! 😂

So, older game, let’s take Horizon as an example to match the article, but, its entire codebase and engine is geared towards producing a result 60 times a second that depends on the architecture of the PS5.

So the draw calls (when the CPU and GPU as each other and RAM for packets of information), then need to be sent at the right time, in the right order and a result is expected to always match.

Like what is happening in say the Switch 2 world when it released, it uses sort of an emulation layer to render and run the code of the Switch 1 games, this meant Mario Maker (some levels created by the public), ran at different timings to what was expected (faster), so essentially the timings of features on the Mario level, or the triggered events all played out at an odd timing ratio.

With consoles, much like PS4 to 5, the issue becomes an engine is expecting to ask hardware for things, and then in return get things it expects back.

With PC it’s sort of similar but gets way too complicated to explain here.

So because the handheld is newer hardware that the engine of Horizon isn’t expecting, it will get results it doesn’t expect. This is as simple as patching the engine/code. However, even if everything is understood, so the language of the hardware and software, the hardware won’t react in the same way.

It means this handheld is powerful, but running with lower power delivery. Which creates unexpected results. So take a car, fast car, say a Corvette, you could get to the end of Route 66 in it really fast, slow, or somewhere in between. Now either way, you’ll get to the end, but ideally for tire wear, petrol consumption and so on you’ll want to get there without pushing it too much or too little constantly.

Now a much older Corvette could do the same trip, but its energy consumption getting there will likely be more (older engine and uses more oil, petrol etc). So you the driver (Dev) would need to make adjustments to how you drive (code).

The games won’t need scaling back due to it being weak as such, more a case of to get the same result you’d expect playing Horizon 60 times a second, there needs to be tweaks taking place to calm down what is being processed. Otherwise you burn through petrol/gas/diesel/hydrogen/electric etc.

Same when you load Horizon on a PC actually, the energy usage, result on screen and all manner of things is going to vary wildly and be all manner of different.

Think of the handheld as Xbox Series S to the PS6. Able to display much of the same, but at a lower everything due to having a screen where you’d have to freeze each frame to even notice in most parts.

I’ll explain more on PSN in a lot clearer way haha.

@Max_the_German Oh, it’s definitely not going to be called PS Handheld either. Nor is it called that internally. As you no doubt know.

@ButteredCrumpet Now I‘m curious what this handheld is called internally at Sony. Do you know it? Canis seems to be the codename for the AMD APU, but I couldn’t find the codename of the whole system.

@wildcat_kickz as PS5 doesn’t take advantage of AI upscaling I’d imagine when the handheld is docked (hopefully it can be), it should at least match or improve on.

On concern is it’ll probably cost £799 but the time it’s released, twice as much as a Switch 2!