Could a PlayStation handheld be on the way? New rumor says maybe

PS5 Pro
(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Sony just unveiled the PlayStation 5 Pro, and it's up for preorder now. However, a new rumor claims that Sony is already working on PlayStation 6 and may be producing at least two different gaming platforms.

The rumor comes from NEOgaf forum poster KeplerL2 (spotted by Techspot). KeplerL2 originally made the claim in a thread speculating about the price of the eventual PlayStation 6. It was eventually spun off into its own separate thread on the gaming forum.

KeplerL2 posted that Sony has two system on chips in development for the next-generation consoles. "[I don't know] if it's a Series X/S situation or a home console + handheld," they said.

Before the NEOgaf, KeplerL2 was known on Twitter for being a relatively reliable source of leaks on chips on Twitter. However, he is Brazilian, and the country recently banned the Elon Musk-run social media platform, forcing the rumor monger to find a new home.

It's a forum, so speculation ran rampant from suggestions that Sony would simultaneously release a high-end version of the PS6 and possibly a "slim" more affordable model. 

KeplerL2 did note that at least one of the new systems would be more affordable.

The idea of a new Sony handheld isn't new. In August, another reliable leaker revealed that the Japanese tech giant is looking into getting back into the handheld market. A boon for fans of the excellent PS Vita and its predecessor, the PlayStation Portable (PSP). A similar rumor popped up way back in February from Moore's Law is Dead, claiming that Sony is working on a "non-streaming pocket-sized console."

All the rumors seem to be rebukes of the PlayStation Portal, a streaming gizmo that has proven surprisingly popular.

A Reuters report from this week indicated that an AMD processor will power Sony's next console as Intel lost Sony's business way back in 2022. Currently, the PlayStation 5 Pro is powered by a custom chip and built by AMD. 

Allegedly, part of the reason Intel and Sony couldn't reach an agreement was backward compatibility, an essential aspect of PlayStation consoles since the company was raked over the coals for the lack of BC in the PlayStation 3.

In the meantime, the PS5 Pro is selling for $700 and will open up for preorders on September 26, with the official launch on November 7.

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Scott Younker
West Coast Reporter

Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him.