Sony’s PS6 handheld may not be as affordable as gamers had hoped

Sony hasn't been a major player in the handheld market for years, with the PS Vita officially discontinued in 2019. But as portable gaming PCs continue gaining popularity, rumors suggest the company could be preparing a new PlayStation handheld to accompany the next-generation PS6.

According to recent leaks, Sony's PS6 hardware could be built around an AMD APU codenamed Canis, featuring Zen 6 CPU cores and an RDNA 5-based integrated GPU. The rumored configuration includes six CPU cores, split between four Zen 6c cores and two Zen 6 LP cores, alongside a 16-CU GPU. The handheld is also expected to use 24GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 192-bit bus.

Now, prominent hardware leaker KeplerL2 has offered an early hint about what the portable console could cost, and unfortunately, the news isn't particularly encouraging. According to the leaker, getting the PS6 handheld below $600 (€514 / £440) simply isn't realistic under current market conditions.

The memory situation appears to be the biggest problem. KeplerL2 specifically pointed toward LPDDR5X, which is widely used in mobile and consumer devices, as one of the components experiencing particularly severe price increases. Demand from AI infrastructure is reportedly putting additional pressure on memory supplies, making it increasingly difficult for manufacturers to keep costs under control.

That's especially concerning for a device rumored to pack 24GB of RAM. If memory prices continue climbing, Sony's portable PlayStation could end up considerably more expensive than early expectations suggested.

We're already seeing the impact across the handheld market. Companies including Lenovo, ASUS, and Valve have raised prices on various portable gaming systems as component costs increase. The Legion Go S, for example, has reached a $1,580 / €1,353 / £1,108 MSRP for its 32GB LPDDR5X and 1TB configuration.

KeplerL2 also believes the current PS5 isn't likely to receive another major price increase soon, as Sony's CFO has indicated that the company secured enough memory supply for 2026. AMD, meanwhile, reportedly purchases memory on a more frequent basis, which has contributed to rising Radeon GPU prices.

None of this has been confirmed by Sony, and the PS6 handheld's specifications and pricing could change substantially before launch. Still, if LPDDR costs remain elevated, Sony's hopes of offering a relatively affordable next-generation handheld could become increasingly difficult to achieve. There are even suggestions that worsening memory shortages could push the broader PS6 launch into 2028 or 2029, although that's far from certain.

As always, for the latest news on PlayStation handhelds, PS6 rumors, hardware pricing, and developments across the gaming industry, be sure to follow our dedicated hardware coverage.