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| PS5 power saver mode shown with PS6 handheld mockup |
A new energy-saving feature for the PlayStation 5 is raising eyebrows, with industry insiders suggesting it’s about far more than just cutting your electricity bill. According to a detailed report from the YouTube channel Moore’s Law Is Dead, this initiative is a strategic move by Sony to prepare its game library for the rumored PS6 handheld, codenamed “Canis.”
The channel, which has a track record of early hardware insights, claims to have spoken with multiple developers and seen internal Sony communications. The directive is clear: optimize PS5 titles to run well at lower power. But the underlying reason, sources suggest, is to ensure these games are ready for a portable future.
Lower Resolution Over Lower Frame Rates: A Portable-First Hint?
Traditionally, a "power saver" mode might simply cap a game’s frame rate. However, developers speaking to MLID indicate that Sony is specifically pushing for games to maintain higher frame rates by scaling down resolution instead. This approach is particularly telling for a handheld device, where a smaller screen can make a lower native resolution—like 1080p—perfectly acceptable, especially when upscaling techniques are applied.
The contrast is stark: a smooth 60fps at 1080p is generally preferable to a choppy 30fps at 4K on a portable screen. This philosophy mirrors expectations for devices like the anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, where performance and battery life are paramount.
As highlighted in the recent analysis, this isn't just about graphics settings. The push for efficiency appears to be a coordinated effort with Sony’s future hardware roadmap in mind.
Inside the "Canis" Specs: Why CPU Optimization is Key
The preparation doesn’t stop with resolution. MLID’s report details another critical request from Sony to developers: deeply optimize CPU usage. Leaked specifications for the “Canis” device suggest a hybrid chip with four high-performance Zen 6 cores for gaming and two lower-power cores dedicated to the operating system.
While this architecture is expected to be advanced, the strict power and thermal limits of a handheld mean every ounce of efficiency counts. To help, Sony is reportedly recommending developers use its Razor CPU profiling utility to identify and eliminate performance bottlenecks, ensuring games run smoothly within the handheld’s constraints.
Backward Compatibility with a Catch
The goal is for the future PlayStation handheld to offer robust backward compatibility with the PS5 library. However, this compatibility may come with a significant caveat. Without specific patches and optimizations from developers—applied now or in the future—older PS5 games might struggle to run well on the portable hardware.
MLID poignantly notes that some studios behind today’s hits may not even exist by the time the PS6 handheld launches, making proactive optimization now all the more urgent for Sony.
A "Trojan Horse" for the Future?
So, is your PS5’s power saver mode a simple green feature or a strategic play? Moore’s Law Is Dead concludes it’s essentially a “Trojan Horse for getting PS6 Handheld support ready before its launch.” By encouraging developers to build and patch games with extreme efficiency in mind now, Sony can ensure a strong, performant library is ready day-one for its next portable venture.
While Sony remains officially silent on "Canis," this behind-the-scenes maneuvering suggests the company is meticulously planning its next move in the handheld space. For now, players can only hope this behind-the-scenes push for optimization leads to better-performing games across the board, regardless of what future hardware is on the drawing board.
For a deeper dive into the leaks and developer perspectives, you can watch the full report from Moore’s Law Is Dead here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g38VR-GJp7o.