PS6 handheld CPU could only have four cores for gaming as Sony reportedly wants games that can run on eight threads

For quite some time now, we’ve been hearing rumors that Sony is developing multiple next-gen PlayStation 6 consoles. Leaks have suggested that we may be getting a traditional Sony PS6 home console and a PS6 handheld. Naturally, these two gaming consoles will be vastly different in terms of performance, owing to their different CPU, GPU, and memory configurations. So, if there are indeed two PS6 consoles with different specs, Sony will need to ensure that developers keep these potential spec variations in mind.

Some people, like the YouTuber running Moore’s Law Is Dead, see Sony pushing Low Power and Power Saver modes for PS5 games as a consequence of the company trying to ensure PS5 games work seamlessly on the less powerful PS6 handheld when it launches. Moore’s Law Is Dead now reports that Sony has patched the PS5 Software Development Kit (SDK) “to support Power Saver Mode”. This means that the PS5 Power Saver Mode now comes by default in the latest SDK.

MLID’s source responsible for the leak suggests that, for Sony, Power Saver Mode support takes precedence over developers patching their games for the PS5 Pro (available on amazon.com).

The source also told MLID that there are “new Low Power modes coming eventually” and that Sony is suggesting developers ensure their games can run on only eight CPU threads. The Sony PS6 handheld console reportedly features 4x Zen 6c cores and 2x Low Power (LP) cores. The four Zen 6c cores with their eight total threads are primarily meant for gaming. So, Sony ensuring that developers optimize their titles to run on 8x threads directly points to the existence of the PS6 portable.

Providing even more confirmation of the PS6 handheld's existence, the document referenced by MLID’s source allegedly mentions that “games may run in environments with different CPU configurations”. In other words, Sony is reportedly telling developers that their games may have to run on consoles with different CPUs in the future, which it seems directly relates to the PS6 home console and the PS6 portable having entirely different CPUs.

All in all, it is becoming increasingly clear that Sony is developing multiple next-gen PS6 consoles, including a portable machine. Unfortunately, the PS6 consoles are quite far out. So, it is unlikely that Sony will admit the existence of a portable gamer anytime soon.