Sony and Microsoft’s next-generation consoles have reportedly reached a major hardware milestone, with the chips for PlayStation 6 and Xbox Helix said to have completed the tape-out process.
According to hardware leaker KeplerL2, the processors designed for both next-generation systems have been taped out, meaning their designs have effectively been finalized and sent for manufacturing.
Tape-out is an important stage in chip development because it allows the first physical silicon to be produced and tested. Major changes become less likely from this point unless testing uncovers problems requiring revisions.
PS6 and Xbox Helix Compute Performance Leaked
In a post on NeoGAF, KeplerL2 also shared alleged compute figures for both consoles.
The PlayStation 6 is reportedly targeting around 40 teraflops, while Xbox Helix could reach approximately 56 teraflops.
For comparison, the current consoles are rated at:
- PlayStation 5 Pro — 16.7 TFLOPS
- Xbox Series X — 12 TFLOPS
- PlayStation 5 — 10.28 TFLOPS
- Xbox Series S — 4 TFLOPS
However, teraflops alone aren’t a reliable way to determine real-world gaming performance, particularly when comparing different GPU architectures.
Memory bandwidth, CPU performance, ray tracing capabilities, upscaling technology and overall system design will all contribute to how the final consoles actually perform.
Sony and Microsoft Haven’t Confirmed the Specs
Neither Sony nor Microsoft has officially confirmed the reported specifications or announced final hardware details for its next-generation console.
KeplerL2 has previously shared information about upcoming hardware, but the 40 TFLOPS PS6 and 56 TFLOPS Xbox Helix figures remain unconfirmed and should be treated accordingly.
If the tape-out information is accurate, however, it suggests development of both next-generation consoles has moved beyond the initial chip design phase and into an important stage of hardware testing and validation.
