Sony may have secured exclusive access of some kind to AMD’s RDNA 5 graphics technology for its rumoured PlayStation 6 handheld, according to a comment from Digital Foundry’s Richard Leadbetter. The claim emerged during a recent Patreon-exclusive episode of Digital Foundry Direct, where the team discussed a Fortune article and information surrounding Sony’s potential portable hardware.
“There has been some behind the scene discussions that Sony has an exclusive of sorts on RDNA5 for handheld with it’s mobile device that’s coming”, Leadbetter said during the discussion.
The nature of the reported arrangement remains unclear. However, the suggestion has raised questions about whether AMD will provide its next-generation graphics architecture to other handheld manufacturers or prioritise Sony’s custom hardware.
The theory is that AMD may be reluctant to dedicate resources to semi-custom chips for devices that cannot generate enough orders to justify the investment. If that proves to be the case, Sony’s handheld could have an advantage over competing portable gaming systems seeking dedicated RDNA 5 hardware.
Under this scenario, Microsoft’s rumoured Xbox handheld and a potential Steam Deck 2 might have to rely on other graphics solutions or existing architectures. Neither company has confirmed its plans for such hardware, and the suggestion that Sony would be the only manufacturer with a custom RDNA 5 handheld chip remains unverified.
Reports surrounding the PlayStation 6 handheld, reportedly codenamed Project Canis, suggest Sony is developing a portable system capable of running PS5 games natively, with potential support for games from the next console generation. Leaks have also pointed to a custom AMD processor, although Sony has yet to officially announce the device.
Microsoft is also rumoured to be working on a dedicated Xbox handheld for a potential late-2027 release. Reports suggest the device could run an Xbox-focused operating system and support console games alongside PC titles, but Microsoft has not confirmed those details.
