History would tell you that 2025 isn’t a year where you should expect a lot of new game consoles. We’re smack dab in the middle of a console generation and we’ve already seen the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series S get upgrades during it. A wave of brand new consoles is likely three or four years away if the precedent set by previous generations holds up.
And yet, we’re swimming in hardware rumors these days. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all have rumored systems in the works. On top of that, we’re on the verge of an early second generation for portable PCs like the Steam Deck. Companies like Lenovo and Asus are also plotting follow-ups to their own devices. It’s a lot to keep track of, with scattered reports sharing rumors about the status of each. To help you stay on top of the news, we’ve rounded up every major gaming device that’s currently in the works. You can expect to see some — if not all — of these in the next year.
Nintendo Switch 2
The biggest console on the horizon is the successor to the Nintendo Switch aptly named the Nintendo Switch 2. Originally rumored for a holiday 2024 release (thanks in no small part to an odd Gameshark press release that teased the console would launch this September), the system is now confirmed to drop sometime in 2025. We’re still waiting on a specific date, but odds are we should get one during the upcoming April direct.
Few details are known about the system itself beyond its appearance and the fact that it is backwards compatible. The Joy-cons are now larger and magnetic, and also appear to have mouse-like functionality. The only new game we’ve seen running on it so far is Mario Kart 9, but there are certainly more yet to be revealed. So far, nothing about the system’s internal specs has been revealed but Digital Foundry claims it’ll use Nvidia’s T238 chipset, with visuals and performance being on par with the PS4 and Xbox One.
PlayStation 6
While the Switch 2 may still be a few months away, the PlayStation 6 is still years off. We did just get the PS5 Pro in 2024 as a mid-generation refresh, but now all eyes are looking ahead to the true next generation console. At this point, all we have are rumors and speculation to work on regarding the console, especially in terms of release date. The most recent leaks came from a user named KeplerL2 who claimed the PS6 could come as early as 2027 based on reported information about the console’s chipsets being nearly complete and ready for fabrication. They also stated that the system would use a Zen6 chip running on N2 architecture and an early fork of AMD RDNA5. If true, this would make the PS6 almost guaranteed to be backwards compatible with the PS5.
We suspect that the PS6 will use an even more advanced form of PSSR than what we have in the PS5 Pro, but any other features or technical details are all rumors at this point. Price is also a major point of concern after the PS5 Pro launched at a staggering $700. However, VentureBeat did speak to some analysts who reported the PS6 could come in at $600. As with everything else, take that with a massive grain of salt.
New Xbox Series X
While Sony’s consoles only exist through reports and rumors, there’s more concrete validity to Xbox’s upcoming plans. After some unredacted documents were uploaded during Microsoft’s recent Federal Trade Commisssion (FTC) trial, we know that the company has plans for some kind of mid-generation refresh. A leaked image at the time showed a device code-named Brooklin, which radically changed the Series X’s boxy design. The system was set to include 2TB of storage, a new controller, improved power options, and more for $500.
Those plans may have shifted, though. Since then, rumors have emerged that Microsoft has a much different plan. Multiple reports note that the company may have settled for a white Xbox Series X model instead, which would omit the system’s disc drive. There are even some images of the device floating around currently. That redesign would make sense considering that Microsoft launched a black Series S last year, but that would be a fairly big change from Microsoft’s much larger plan. Expect one of the two to be out in time for the holidays.
Steam Deck 2
On top of those three big system launches, there’s a lot currently happening in the handheld PC space. First up, there’s the Steam Deck. While the device got an excellent OLED upgrade last year, Valve has stated that it plans to release a true second-generation follow-up down the line. There are no details on what that will entail, but it’s a more explicit confirmation than anything we’ve seen out of Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox.
Don’t expect a Steam Deck 2 anytime soon though. In an interview with Rock Paper Shotgun, Valve’s Lawrence Yang set some expectations about when we might see the device: “A true next-gen Deck with a significant bump in horsepower wouldn’t be for a few years.”
ROG Ally 2
While the Steam Deck 2 might be a few years off, we might be getting an Asus Rog Ally follow-up much sooner. In an interview with Techlusive, Asus’ Arnold Su said that the company will “most likely” release a new handheld later this year. That’s a quick upgrade, putting just a year-and-a-half between Rog Ally models. That may sound like an aggressive release plan, but it makes sense considering what a stranglehold Valve holds over the space presently. Rivals will need to work twice as fast to catch up.
Legion Go 2
The ROG Ally isn’t the only Steam Deck competitor that’s due for an upgrade — Lenovo’s Legion Go may get a follow-up too. That detail comes from this year’s Lenovo Innovate conference where Lenovo’s Clifford Chong seemed to confirm that a Legion Go 2 is in the works. “It’s a product category that we do see potential in and that we will continue to invest in,” Chong said. “We are looking towards when the time is right to have a next generation to provide even more features.” It’s a a vague sentiment that leaves room for Lenovo to scrap plans, but it does seem like the company is serious about the handheld PC race for now.
Legion Go S
While the Legion Go 2 is still in its prototype stage, we do have the Go S on the way, and it might be even more exciting for gamers. The big draw was the announcement that the Go S may be the first handheld system released running SteamOS that isn’t the Steam Deck. Since it was fully revealed at CES 2025, we had the chance to go hands-on with the new device to put it through its paces and were thoroughly impressed with the hardware. When comparing the Legion Go S to the Steam Deck, the big difference is in price. The Go S will start at $500, which is currently $50 less than the Steam Deck OLED model, but not as cheap as one of the LCD models. However, you will get better internals for gaming for that price, most notably double the memory.
PlayStation Handheld
While we’re confident in an eventual PlayStation 6, a new dedicated handheld from PlayStation is more nebulous. That said, there have been enough claims to entertain the idea that we might get that Vita successor fans have been clamoring for. The only report from a credible rumor came by way of Bloomberg who spoke to an anonymous source who claimed that Sony Interactive Entertainment is in the “early stages” of development as of late 2024. If true, we don’t suspect to see the finished product until perhaps 2028. And that is assuming the product sees the light of day at all.
In terms of power, this PS handheld was suggested to be powerful enough to run the best PS5 games natively rather than utilize cloud streaming. It is possible, and even likely, that it will also have cloud functionality, but the indication that it will play games natively would allow it to directly compete with the Switch 2 and Steam Deck.
Xbox Handheld
Unlike PlayStation, Xbox has been much more candid about wanting to enter the handheld space. It hasn’t outright confirmed an Xbox handheld quite yet, but there are plenty of signs pointing to one being in the works. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer spoke to Bloomberg and stated that the “expectation is that we would do something” when talking about the handheld market and indicated that the company is experimenting with prototypes. This occurred at the same time we got the information about a possible PlayStation handheld, so it seems as though both companies are at roughly the same stage of development. There’s no doubt Game Pass would be a feature of this handheld, but whether or not it would run games natively or only via streaming is unclear.
