Although recent rumors about the next-generation Xbox and PS6 are not very reliable, Microsoft has confirmed that it will release the Alpha test machine of Project Helix in early 2027, suggesting that this new console will be released during the year-end holiday. At the same time, the latest news shows that PS6 will also be launched during the same time period. That means the old rivals will go head-to-head again - and likely for the last time.
According to Kepler_L2, a highly accurate hardware leaker, both PS6 and Xbox Project Helix will be released during the 2027 holiday season. If the news is true, Sony is expected to start releasing PS6 development kits early next year.
Both consoles will be based on the same AMD Magnus chip, but the Xbox Project Helix will be more powerful - Microsoft will squeeze the performance out of this chip, while the PS6 will use an energy-efficiency-first version.
This is reasonable, because Project Helix is expected to be positioned at the high end, with a price likely to range from $900 to $1,200. The pricing of PS6 will be more affordable, expected to be around US$600. Of course, memory price increases and hardware upgrades may also push up the price.
The news also revealed that PS6 will not use the complete RDNA 5 architecture like Project Helix - this is not surprising, after all, PS5 also had a hybrid architecture back then.
In terms of memory, the two consoles are equally matched. Project Helix is expected to come with 32GB of memory, while the PS6 will use 30GB of shared memory and be built on 3GB modules.
Kepler_L2 also confirmed that the PS handheld console will be released simultaneously with the PS6 as planned. The performance of this handheld console is expected to be close to that of the PS5. Although the specifications are different, it will not drag down its own console.
What do you think about this? If it is released simultaneously, which side will you support? Welcome to discuss in the comment area.