PS6 Portable Set to Disrupt Handheld Gaming in 2028 With Affordable Price and Power

For years, Sony’s PlayStation brand has been synonymous with living room gaming, home consoles, and blockbuster exclusives. But change is on the horizon. According to recent leaks and industry analyses, the PS6—codenamed Project Canis—is preparing to break free from the living room and put serious gaming power in your pocket. If Sony delivers on its promises, the 2028 launch could redefine not only what we expect from handheld consoles but the entire portable gaming market itself.

The story begins with a shift in philosophy. Sony’s previous attempt at portable gaming, the PlayStation Portable (PSP), was loved but ultimately overshadowed by competitors. The more recent PS Portal focused on streaming, not native play, leaving many gamers wanting more. With Project Canis, insiders say Sony listened: this device is designed for native play, meaning you can run PS4 and PS5 games directly on the handheld, no internet connection required, no home console needed.

What’s under the hood? Leaks reviewed by GizChina, Kotaku, and NotebookCheck reveal impressive specs: a Zen 6 CPU (with dedicated gaming and efficiency cores), RDNA 5 GPU architecture for cutting-edge graphics, a 1080p touch screen, USB-C connectivity with TV docking support, and, crucially, backwards compatibility with existing PlayStation libraries. In plain terms: thousands of games will be playable on day one, with new PS6 exclusives rolling out over time.

But the real headline here is price. At an estimated $400-$500, the PS6 portable could undercut competitors like the Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck, while offering access to PlayStation’s vast game ecosystem. Financial analysts note that Sony’s pricing strategy is about accessibility and market share without sacrificing performance—a delicate balance the company seems ready to strike.

Timing is everything. Nintendo’s Switch has dominated the handheld space for nearly a decade, and Valve’s Steam Deck is carving out its niche among PC gamers. Sony’s decision to launch the PS6 handheld in late 2027 or early 2028 is calculated: the company has watched the market, learned what works, and timed its entry to maximize impact. By the time Project Canis hits shelves, Sony will have had years to refine its hardware and strategy, ensuring the device is ready to compete.

Production is set to begin in mid-2027, with announcements likely in 2026 or early 2027. If Sony follows its traditional pattern, pre-orders could open within months of the official reveal, building anticipation and allowing supply chains to ramp up ahead of launch.

Of course, not everyone is convinced. Critics point out that rising memory costs could challenge Sony’s pricing goals, and that packing high-powered chips into a portable form factor brings its own set of engineering challenges—especially around heat management and battery life. Still, Sony has a history of technical innovation, having successfully shrunk PS2 architecture for the PSP years ago. With modern chip efficiency, insiders believe that delivering console-quality gaming on the go is more realistic than ever.

Supply chain issues, such as the GDDR7 memory shortage in late 2025, have raised questions about potential delays. But analysts say these problems should resolve by mid-2027, giving Sony the flexibility to adjust schedules without major disruption.

Perhaps the biggest selling point is backwards compatibility. Where previous console launches felt like a leap into the unknown, the PS6 handheld promises continuity: gamers can carry their existing libraries into the new era, playing favorites alongside brand-new titles. This could ease adoption and make the transition far smoother than we’ve seen in past generations.

Ultimately, Project Canis is more than just another gadget—it’s Sony’s bet on the future of gaming. By combining portable convenience, console power, and a competitive price, the PS6 handheld could be the device that finally bridges the gap between home and on-the-go play.

Sony’s move into native portable gaming—if delivered as promised—could upend established market leaders and fundamentally change how, where, and when we play. The next two years will reveal whether the company can overcome technical and supply hurdles, but if it succeeds, the PS6 may well become the new benchmark for handheld gaming.

Sources: GizChina, Kotaku, NotebookCheck