While analysts have predicted that Sony and Microsoft might both push back their next-generation consoles to beyond the originally-rumored 2027 launch window thanks to global memory shortages, a new report indicates that this might not be the case. According to industry insider KeplerL2 on the NeoGAF forums, both companies are seemingly on track to launch their consoles in Holiday 2027. Furthermore, they also noted that Sony will be launching its handheld PS6 in around the same window.
Interestingly, KeplerL2’s claims of a 2027 release window fall in line with a previous report by YouTuber Moore’s Law is Dead, who claimed earlier this month that Sony is unlikely to push back its console launch plans. He noted that these kinds of delays tend to cost companies more than just simply releasing the hardware even if they have to take a hit on pricing because of RAM shortages.
In his report, he also noted that, according to sources familiar with the issue, the global memory situation is expected to get “significantly better” by the end of 2026, and “a lot better” by the end of next year.
During the ongoing Game Developers Conference, Xbox vice president Jason Ronald confirmed that alpha test kits for Project Helix’s development kits will be shipped to developers next year. He also revealed some more details about the kind of hardware that the new console will run on.
“Project Helix is powered by a custom AMD [system on chip] and co-designed for the next generation of DirectX and FSR to unlock what comes next,” he said. “It delivers an order of magnitude leap in ray tracing performance and capability, integrates intelligence directly into the graphics and compute pipeline, and drives meaningful gains in efficiency, scale, and visual ambition. The result is more realistic, immersive, and dynamic worlds for players.”
Reports have indicated that the Magnus APU powering Project Helix will have 30 percent more compute units than the Xbox Series X. These compute units are also slated to be around 65 percent faster. Combined with the fact that the hardware is based on AMD’s newer RDNA 5 architecture, the console is likely to be quite a bit more efficient and powerful than its predecessor. As for how much it will cost, Microsoft is yet to reveal any concrete details for now. However, the bill of materials is likely quite high, and the company is expected to sell the next-gen console for between $999 and $1,200.
As for the PS6, the console is rumored to be powered by AMD’s Orion chip, which comes in at 280 mm-squared in area and is being fabricated on TSMC’s 3 nm process. The GPU is expected to run on 54 RDNA 5 compute units, and the CPU will feature 8 Zen 6c cores, paired with two Zen 6 low-power cores dedicated to handling the console’s operating system. This will reportedly result in an overall 20 percent boost in the CPU power available for running games in the next-gen console.
For more, check out our thoughts on why the PS6’s rumored 30 GB of GDDR7 memory has the potential to be a game-changer.
