New details around the PlayStation 6 point to a clear direction for Sony’s next console, with early estimates suggesting a $699 launch price, a 1TB SSD, and no disc drive, which signals a stronger push toward digital gaming while also hinting at major changes in how game sizes are handled.
Kepler_L2, a known AMD leaker with a strong track record, shared these details on NeoGAF while discussing the expected bill of materials for Sony’s upcoming console, which he estimates at around $760, and he added that Sony may still subsidize the price to keep it closer to $699, although that decision remains uncertain depending on market conditions at launch.
Base specs focus on cost and efficiency
The same leak outlines a 1TB SSD with no disc drive, which surprised many users given how modern game sizes continue to grow, but the leaker explained that Sony appears focused on cutting costs where it matters most while also relying on new technology to offset storage concerns.
“It’s the most obvious area to cut costs, and if PS6 SDK supports neural texture compression, game sizes could even be smaller than PS5.”
— Kepler_L2 on NeoGAF
That comment points to neural texture compression as a key part of Sony’s strategy, and early testing of similar technology shows that it can reduce game sizes by up to seven times compared to current standards, which means a 150GB game could shrink to around 20GB, making a smaller SSD more practical.
AMD hardware and new compression tech
The PS6 will likely use AMD’s RDNA 5 graphics and Zen 6 CPU architecture, which keeps Sony aligned with its long-standing hardware partner, but there is still some uncertainty around which compression method the console will adopt, as AMD’s own solution remains less visible while NVIDIA’s version already supports AMD hardware and has an available SDK.
This detail matters because Sony will likely choose the option that is ready for developers, and early access tools often shape final implementation decisions during console development.
The move away from physical discs also fits Sony’s broader strategy, as the company already introduced a digital-only PS5 in 2020 and has seen steady growth in digital sales since then, while physical retail continues to decline across global markets.
At the same time, a fully digital PS6 will divide opinion among players, since collectors still value physical copies, but Sony appears focused on long-term trends rather than legacy formats, and this leak suggests that shift is now close to becoming permanent.
