According to Digital Foundry, it appears that only Sony will receive an RDNA 5 chip for its gaming handheld.
In the race for the next generation of handhelds, Sony may have already outpaced the PC competition before the first device was even officially announced.
According to the latest information from Notebook Check) Sony’s PlayStation 6 handheld could well be the only device to receive a custom-built next-gen processor with RDNA 5 graphics from AMD.
This is reportedly driven by a new strategy from the chipmaker. Since custom designs only become cost-effective at production volumes in the millions, AMD is said to be denying smaller handheld manufacturers access to customized chips.
For other manufacturers, this would mean they would only have access to older architectures or standard chips from AMD.
Note: So far, these are unconfirmed reports—AMD has not yet officially commented on the alleged chip strategy. We have requested a statement from the manufacturer and will post the response as soon as we receive it.
Update October 26, 2026, 11:01 a.m.: AMD has responded and does not wish to comment on this matter at this time.
Why Sony Could Get an “Exclusive Right” Without an Exclusive Deal
Specifically, the information comes from tech expert Richard Leadbetter, who addressed the topic in a recent Patreon episode of Digital Foundry Direct. According to him, behind-the-scenes discussions within the industry suggest that Sony may hold a sort of exclusive right to specially customized next-generation chips for the PlayStation handheld (codename: “Canis”) a sort of exclusive right to specially customized next-generation chips.
However, Sony is reportedly not said to have signed an exclusive contract with AMD. Instead, AMD is said to be taking a selective approach to the development of custom handheld chips (custom SoCs). Due to rising development and production costs, AMD is said to be tying its own chip development to guaranteed purchase volumes in the tens of millions.
While Sony can likely guarantee the required quantities with a PlayStation handheld, the hurdle is likely too high for the rest of the companies in the handheld market.
The figure of 10 million chips has been floated, among others by insider Kepler_L2. According to Kepler, even Microsoft is said to have backed out of the planned Xbox handheld, although this statement was later contradicted by Windows Central journalist Jez Corden.
Valve, too, is unlikely to reach the required number. According to market research firm IDC (via PC Games) have sold approximately 3.7 to 4 million Steam Decks. Estimates project sales of up to 6 million units by the end of 2026.
What this would mean for upcoming gaming handhelds
For Valve and other PC handheld manufacturers like Asus or Lenovo, this strategic U-turn by AMD represents a significant disadvantage. In this scenario, only other manufacturers or off-the-shelf AMD chips would be viable options for a true leap to the next generation of chips.
For the Steam Deck 2, this move could mean smaller performance gains or even longer wait times.
Sony, on the other hand, would be in a favorable position with its rumored PlayStation handheld. Unlike a pure streaming device, such as the PlayStation Portal, the upcoming handheld is expected to run games natively and would therefore likely benefit greatly from customized, next-generation chips.
In addition, the PlayStation handheld could showcase its best performance.
