A new leak claims that Sony will launch a PS6 Portable alongside the PlayStation 6 console. If true, it means PlayStation is making big moves to emulate the success of the Nintendo Switch. In my opinion, that’s a good thing, as the industry is rapidly shifting toward portability.
Rumor Claims PlayStation 6 Portable Is on the Horizon
The gaming rumor mill went into overdrive when a new leak claimed that Sony is gearing up to release a PS6 portable device. According to the rumor, Sony will launch two devices alongside their next-generation console. The first is the PlayStation 6 itself, with all the technical bells and whistles. The second is a supposed PS6 portable, said to feature a “15W SoC on 3nm” chipset that is “not as strong as the PlayStation 5.”
However, the most important aspect of this report is the PS6’s performance capabilities. In an update posted on the ResetEra forum, the leaker shared new details about the upcoming console: “It can definitely run PS5 games, just not at the same resolution/FPS, mainly due to lower memory bandwidth.”
Of course, it must be said—take all of this with a major grain of salt, as the rumor comes from an “anonymous source.” Interestingly, popular tech site Digital Foundry mentioned hearing a similar rumor back in December 2024, which could lend some validity to the claim.
Sony Should Copy Nintendo Switch 2 with PS6 Portable
Who would have guessed, when the Nintendo Switch launched in 2017, that it would go on to dominate the market? In the lead-up to its release, many were pretty down on the device due to its weaker specs and the failure of the Wii U. But Nintendo was six steps ahead of everyone else, as they predicted the portable future of gaming—players want console-level quality titles on the go.
And it’s true—I myself have completely made the shift toward portable gaming, specifically because of the Nintendo Switch. I still remember booting up Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the first time and being blown away that I could play a game like that in the palm of my hands. This eventually led me down the rabbit hole, and I now play most of my games on the Asus ROG Ally X. I’m not alone—there are millions of players who are willing to sacrifice a little quality as long as they can play AAA games on their portable devices.
All this to say: the PlayStation 6 should absolutely copy the Nintendo Switch 2. After all, the biggest flaw of Nintendo’s hardware is its outdated tech. If Sony can provide players with a powerful next-gen console, as well as a slightly less powerful portable device to launch alongside it, we’d get the best of both worlds. And for the ever-growing market of players who crave portable gaming, Sony could give them the perfect way to experience their signature console titles on the go.
PlayStation Portal’s Success Is Proof Remote Devices Are the Future
Sony doesn’t even have to look to Nintendo to see that portability is the future—they already have the massive success of the PlayStation Portal. When the device first launched in 2023, many were critical of it since it required a PlayStation 5 console to function. Essentially, it was just a glorified remote play device. However, that all changed in 2024 when Sony added cloud streaming to the Portal.
Since the update, the PlayStation Portal has seen an explosion in popularity, as players can now use it to play PS5 games anywhere in the world via streaming. In my opinion, the inevitable next step for Sony is a true portable PS6—one that can both download games and stream from the cloud. That’s essentially what the newest rumor is claiming, and hopefully, it’s true! A PlayStation 6 that works both as a powerful home console and a remote device would be absolutely perfect.
Now, let’s be real: Nintendo is massively successful because people want to play Nintendo games. But outside of the “Zelda” and “Pokemon” effect, I genuinely believe the Nintendo Switch proved that consumers want to play their favorite AAA titles across two screens. And as hyped as I am for the Nintendo Switch 2 or the inevitable next-gen Steam Deck, a PS6 portable console that can handle PS5-level games would be an absolute dream come true.
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