Sony Interactive Entertainment’s next-generation console, the PS6, is reportedly making significant progress, with its SoC design now complete and undergoing pre-silicon validation. According to hardware insider KeplerL2, the chip is in the testing phase using simulation models before actual manufacturing begins. The design is slated for an A0 tape-out—the first version coming off the fabrication line—sometime late this year, potentially positioning the PS6 for a late 2027 launch based on Sony’s historical console roadmap.
The insider also revealed that the PS6’s GPU is built on an early iteration of what was once known as RDNA5 and will now be branded as UDNA.
In contrast, while details continue to emerge for Sony’s upcoming console, Microsoft remains noncommittal regarding the specifications for its next Xbox SoC. Hardware leaker zhangzhonghao shared on the chiphell forums that the PS6 will feature 3D Cache technology. Additionally, he confidently predicted that AMD will roll out its UDNA GPU alongside the Zen 6 CPU lineup in 2026.
A late 2027 release date for the PS6 isn’t entirely new. Back in 2022, Sony Interactive Entertainment indicated in a filing with the UK’s competition regulator—made during its opposition to Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard King—that the next PlayStation console was likely to debut around 2027.
As for the next Xbox, insights from Xbox Two co-host and Windows Central editor Jez Corden suggest that Microsoft might take a different approach. Corden pointed to a leak hinting that third-party manufacturers could be involved in releasing customized versions of the upcoming console, similar to the way third-party controllers are already available. He described the next Xbox as having a “heavy” Windows integration, serving as a reference device for manufacturers—a concept akin to how the Surface Pro 11 functions as a benchmark for AI PCs.
As these developments unfold, it’s clear that while Sony appears to be forging ahead with the PS6, Microsoft is still weighing its options for the future of Xbox hardware. Stay tuned for more updates on these next-generation consoles as more details emerge.
