I was already hyped for the new PlayStation handheld, but this compatibility leak has sent my excitement into overdrive

For the last year or so, we’ve reported on multiple rumors and leaks surrounding the potential launch of a new PlayStation handheld, but the latest might be the most exciting so far. According to a reliable source, the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 and ROG Xbox Ally X rival, referred to by some outlets as the PlayStation 6 Portable or Project Canis internally, will arrive alongside Sony’s next-generation home console and will be capable of running PS6, PS5, and PS4 games.

These new details are courtesy of Moore’s Law is Dead, a reliable YouTube source for leaks, which reports seeing an internal Sony document referencing the PlayStation handheld’s backwards compatibility credentials. There is a caveat in there in that the device likely doesn’t have a disk drive, so you probably won’t be able to use it to play physical copies of your PS4 and PS5 games, but it’s great news if you’ve already got a sizable digital collection.

The latest report also suggests that the PS6 Portable could be a lot more powerful than the current top picks from our guide to the best handheld consoles, packing an RDNA 5 GPU and AMD Zen 6 CPU. That CPU is still unreleased, so we don’t know exactly what it’s capable of just yet. However, given that the Steam Deck’s CPU is already showing signs of aging when running some triple-A games and the Nintendo Switch 2’s hardware isn’t exactly capable of keeping up with the PS5, let alone the PS6, elite performance could make Sony’s next handheld a tempting proposition.

Previously reported specs surrounding the PS6 handheld have pointed to it coming with 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM, which would be ideal for offering top-end performance while also boasting a touchscreen, MicroSD slot, and a TDP limit of 15-30W. With all that in mind, we’d expect the device to also pack some serious cooling tech, but we’ve not had any specific leaks regarding thermals just yet.

It’s worth noting that while this isn’t the first leak surrounding a new PlayStation handheld, Sony still hasn’t officially confirmed its existence. Despite that, it seems the spiritual successor to the PSP could arrive before the similarly anticipated Steam Deck 2, with multiple reports pointing to a 2027 launch. Of course, a lot could change between now and then, especially with the current issues surrounding memory pricing and availability in the industry, but it all sounds very promising right now.