Sources say PS handheld console won't hinder PS6 games, but PC ports will.

According to WccfTech, Bryan Heemskerk, a well-known industry insider, recently shared some interesting insights. He pointed out that the rumored new PS handheld console is unlikely to drag down the performance of PS6 games; rather, it will likely affect the performance of PC ports.

Some time ago, MILD revealed the specific specifications of the PS6 "codename Orion" and the PS handheld "codename Canis", and pointed out that the PS6 is expected to be officially launched in the fall of 2027, and the PS handheld is expected to be launched at the same time as the PS6.

Some are concerned about whether the PS handheld's actual performance can run PS6 games smoothly. Unlike Nintendo's "handheld-first" philosophy, Sony's strategy seems to prioritize consoles over handhelds. Will Sony follow Microsoft's approach with the Xbox Series S, forcing all PS6 games to run on this less powerful handheld? After all, it would be somewhat embarrassing if their own handheld couldn't run their own console games smoothly.

In the latest episode of the MILD podcast, another industry insider, Bryan Heemskerk, discussed this point, stating that the PS handheld console won't actually hinder the performance of games on the PS6 because we've entered the "post-resolution era." He pointed out that games like Street Fighter VI, thanks to NVIDIA DLSS, actually look better on the Switch 2 despite the lower resolution compared to the Xbox Series S.

He stated that most developers believe lowering the resolution is better for maintaining the game's visual quality than reducing graphics settings, so the goal should be to maintain resolution rather than drastically cutting visual effects. If the leaked specifications are accurate, coupled with increasingly mature graphics enhancement technologies like Sony's PSSR and AMD's FSR 4, porting the console version to a handheld version is not an insurmountable obstacle.

He also stated that the inevitable PC ports are now more likely to limit the development of PS6 games, because almost every PS console game is developed with the possibility of future PC ports in mind.

In this situation, developers must take into account different hardware configurations, many of which PC gamers are still using entry-level graphics cards from several generations ago and devices with storage bottlenecks.

If a game fully utilizes the hardware's potential on a console, it can create huge problems for PC porting, so developers usually don't take that risk.

He also gave a few examples: Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake is a multi-platform game. The original version pushed the PS2's performance to its limits, but the remake's graphics don't look much better than Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and it's riddled with problems. However, Death Stranding 2 and Metroid Prime Remastered are exclusive games, so there's no need to consider PC ports, allowing developers to push their hardware to its limits without worry.

Furthermore, he believes that since AMD's market share is not yet sufficient to drive the widespread adoption of its new features developed for next-generation consoles, it is foreseeable that the need to consider PC porting will greatly affect the extent to which games can realize the potential of new hardware.