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According to notorious hardware snoop KeplerL2, the hardware configuration of the PS6 has been “taped out”.
In industry terms, this means Sony’s completed design of the chip and locked down the specs, and it’s now ready for manufacturing. This all points to a November 2027 launch.
The sneak says PlayStation’s new console will deliver 40 teraflops, compared to the new Xbox’s 56 teraflops.
However, it’s worth noting this isn’t always a reliable measure of performance, as various factors can contribute to how games run. If the Helix will still function like a PC, for example, then it’ll need additional horsepower to manage those functions.
System architect Mark Cerny has also spoken at length about “flopflation”, and how this measure isn’t always the best way to determine the power of a device.
The PS5 is technically around 20% less powerful than the Xbox Series X, although in real-terms this rarely ever factors.
Speaking specifically about the PS6, KeplerL2 says it’ll offer roughly double the power of the PS5, with 12x faster ray tracing and a much more efficient RDNA 5 architecture.
It’ll also presumably benefit from an upgraded version of the platform holder’s proprietary PSSR upscaler, which will massively reduce computational overhead without sacrificing image quality.
A portable model is also planned, although it’s not entirely clear what kind of gaming experiences this will deliver and how it’ll fit into the overall product portfolio.
Clearly these are all queries the company is going to need to answer next year, as it seemingly readies for a November 2027 launch.
The biggest question fans are going to have is the price, and it’s possible Sony may be able to beat Microsoft here, due to its more modest overall design.
The body of materials cost is currently estimated to be around $960, although AI-related demand could push that up or down over the next 12 months.
If true, though, it’s feasible Sony could ship the system at $900, assuming it’s willing to take a small loss at launch. (It’d likely make that money back with a game purchase and PS Plus subscription.)
Obviously there’s still a lot in the air here, and while KeplerL2 is a reliable leaker, none of this is official information by any stretch.
If the PS6 really is coming out next year, though, we’ll know about it within the next six months or so.