Sony’s next-generation console, the PlayStation 6, may still be years away, but new leaks have painted a compelling picture of what’s to come. According to multiple reports, Sony is once again partnering with AMD to develop the PS6’s custom SoC, continuing a hardware alliance that began with the PS4. The PS6 chipset is said to feature a combination of Zen 5 CPU cores and a next-gen UDNA GPU architecture, an evolution of RDNA5 manufactured on a 3nm or 2nm nod. Additionally, reports suggest Sony is developing two SoC variants, potentially to support separate hardware SKUs: a premium console and a more portable edition to follow in the success of the recently released PlayStation Portable and the push to handhelds in general. This would mirror Microsoft’s dual-model approach with the Series X|S in the next gen. AMD’s continued dominance in console architecture also reflects its win over Intel, which reportedly failed to secure a PlayStation contract back in 2022.

Kepler_L2: PS6 SoC is design complete and in pre-si validation, A0 tapeout scheduled for late this year. GPU is a fork of gfx13. Sony’s usual cadence for console release is 2 years after A0 tapeout
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Recent remarks by Hideaki Nishino, SVP of Platform Experience and now CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, reaffirmed the company’s dedication to physical console hardware. Nishino emphasized Sony’s ongoing commitment to “custom silicon” and “local processing,” despite increasing interest in cloud-based services. He stated as following

Cloud streaming is progressing well from a technical standpoint … but end‑to‑end network stability is not in our control. And the higher cost per playtime compared to the traditional console model remains a challenge … our belief is that the majority of players continue to want to experience gaming through local execution without dependency on network conditions.” He added that, “There’s a huge interest in our next generation console strategy… While we cannot share further details at this stage, the future of the platform is top of mind.

Meanwhile, previously redacted FTC v. Microsoft court documents—made public during the 2023 hearings—offered a major hint: both Sony and Microsoft reportedly targeted a next-gen cycle beginning “no earlier than 2027.” Although SoC validation is expected by late 2025, and dual-model planning is rumored to be underway, the broader timeline suggests a longer runway. Given the recent cadence of console releases and the strategic caution surrounding new hardware generations, most signs now point to a 2028 launch as the more realistic scenario, rather than a late 2027 debut. Sony is in no rush, especially with the PS5 still performing well in global markets while not having as much of a distinctive library than its predecessors . As Nishino’s comments and legal filings suggest, Sony appears to be hoping that when the PS6 does arrive, it’s a fully matured platform backed by years of architectural planning and it is more of generational leap as some of the winds in it’s sail will be lost by the PS5 Pro bridging the gap like the PS4 Pro did between the gens.