Sony launched the PlayStation 5 (PS5) in November 2020, and with the console now over four years old, rumors about the next-generation PlayStation are beginning to surface.
According to WCCFTech, a well-known AMD leaker, Kepler L2 revealed that the System-on-Chip (SoC) design for the PlayStation 6 (PS6) has been completed and is currently undergoing pre-silicon validation, with an A0 tapeout planned for late this year.
In electronics design, tapeout marks the final stage of the design process for integrated circuits or printed circuit boards before manufacturing begins.
This timeline suggests that the PS6 may not be far from release. Historically, Sony’s development cycle between A0 tapeout and the launch of a new console spans about two years. If this pattern holds, the PS6 could launch as early as 2027.
For comparison, the PlayStation 4 generation lasted nearly seven years, from November 2013 to November 2020. If the PS5 generation follows a similar trajectory, a 2027 release for the PS6 aligns well with Sony’s historical timelines.
The leaker also provided insight into the PS6’s GPU, indicating that it will be a customized version of AMD’s gfx13 architecture, previously known as RDNA 5 and now referred to as UDNA.
Additionally, the PS6 is expected to utilise AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology, which is featured in gaming CPUs like the 7800X3D and 9800X3D. This technology has demonstrated significant performance boosts in gaming, hinting at a powerful hardware leap for Sony’s next-generation console.