Rumor: PlayStation 5 Expected Low Energy Mode Could Indicate Upcoming Handheld System by Reducing Performance to Save Power

Upcoming PlayStation 5 SDK Update: A Glimpse at Low Energy Mode

Exciting developments are on the horizon for the PlayStation 5, as Sony prepares to introduce a new low energy mode within its Software Development Kit (SDK).This enhancement hints at the possibility of an upcoming handheld gaming device.

Details and Implications of the Low Energy Mode

According to information sourced from Moore’s Law is Dead, Sony is actively engaging with developers and distributing documentation regarding this innovative low energy mode for both the PlayStation 5 and its Pro version. This mode represents a third performance profile, alongside the existing base and Trinity modes for the PS5 Pro, and serves to indicate game compatibility across systems.

This notable addition imposes several constraints on the console’s performance, including:

Limiting the system to eight CPU threads.
Reducing 3D Audio processing capabilities to 75%.
Lowering GPU core clock speeds by approximately 10% to 20%, essentially enforcing minimum clock speeds necessary for gameplay.
Halving GDDR6 memory bandwidth.
Restricting the system to 36 compute units.
Eliminating support for features like PSSR and VR.

Despite these reductions, the low energy mode manages to maintain around 90% of the PS5’s core functionality while achieving a power consumption reduction of approximately 20% to 30%.Developers are also encouraged to implement adequate Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support within their games.

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Strategic Timing and Future Prospects

While the reduction in power consumption offered by this update is certainly beneficial, it may not be the primary motivation behind the creation of this low energy mode. As Moore’s Law is Dead suggests, the introduction of this mode appears to be a strategic move towards enabling handheld support while cleverly avoiding potential leaks.

Reputable AMD insider Kepler L2 has posited that this energy-efficient performance profile is indeed indicative of a handheld system’s requirements, particularly addressing the known limitation of memory bandwidth inherent in the related APU.

Oh this is 100% an emulated performance profile for the Handheld, since the biggest weakness of that APU is memory bandwidth and this profile is reducing PS5 bandwidth in half as you said.

— Kepler (@Kepler_L2) June 6, 2025

Anticipation for Future Developments

Currently, implementing the low energy mode is voluntary for developers, but its upcoming inclusion certainly signals intrigue about what Sony has in store. Historical context provides an interesting angle; Trinity Mode, for example, was introduced approximately a year before the launch of the PS5 Pro and later became a mandatory protocol. This pattern suggests that the hardware associated with this new performance profile could be arriving sooner than expected.

Furthermore, there has been ongoing speculation that the future PlayStation 6 might launch alongside a handheld device. With the countdown to the next generation becoming ever more palpable, early approval for this support seems entirely logical.

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