AMD driver updates reveal PS6 and Steam Deck 2 codenames, ppe.pl reports
- AMD driver updates released on September 29, 2026, have revealed unannounced hardware codenames that point toward future semiconductor designs for PlayStation 6 and Steam Deck 2, ppe.pl reported.
- User SixPie of the AnandTech forums first spotted three unfamiliar identifiers inside the power-management programming files of the Adrenalin 26.9.2 driver, according to ITHardware.
- According to ppe.pl, the string ATLite3 relates to a platform carrying the internal codename Orion, which industry observers connect to the system-on-chip being engineered for Sony's next-generation console.
AMD driver updates released on September 29, 2026, have revealed unannounced hardware codenames that point toward future semiconductor designs for PlayStation 6 and Steam Deck 2, ppe.pl reported. The discovery surfaced inside Adrenalin software package 26.9.2, where dataminers identified string entries for mysterious processors that security observers and hardware analysts quickly tied to unreleased gaming platforms from Sony and Valve.
Adrenalin Driver 26.9.2 Reveals Hardware Codewords
User SixPie of the AnandTech forums first spotted three unfamiliar identifiers inside the power-management programming files of the Adrenalin 26.9.2 driver, according to ITHardware. The entries include ATLite3, AT2, and Gainsborough. While AT2 is already known as a desktop graphics processor designation linked to the RDNA 5 architecture, the other two identifiers immediately drew intense scrutiny from hardware leaks analysts such as KeplerL2.
According to ppe.pl, the string ATLite3
relates to a platform carrying the internal codename Orion, which industry observers connect to the system-on-chip being engineered for Sony’s next-generation console. Past AMD documentation followed a similar naming convention, where the graphics processor inside PlayStation 5 appeared in driver files as Navi10Lite while its desktop equivalent was designated Navi 10. ITHardware noted that Orion is expected to pair 54 compute units based on RDNA 5 graphics with GDDR7 memory across a 160-bit bus.
Gainsborough Links Directly to Valve Handheld Speculation
Alongside the PlayStation 6 references, the driver files contain multiple mentions of a second mysterious processor designated as Gainsborough,
as detailed by UA.NEWS. This codename sparked immediate speculation regarding a potential successor to the Steam Deck, driven by a strict naming continuity observed across Valve’s portable gaming hardware. The original Steam Deck relied on an AMD accelerated processing unit codenamed Aerith, while the subsequent OLED model received the internal designation Sephiroth. Both prior names derive from characters in the video game Final Fantasy VII, with Aerith bearing the full surname Gainsborough, according to Spider’s Web.
Spider’s Web reported that Gainsborough is a semi-custom AMD chip slated for fabrication on TSMC’s advanced N3P 3-nanometer lithography node. Unofficial specifications gathered from import and export manifests cited by UA.NEWS indicate a package footprint measuring 25 by 25 millimeters, mirroring the physical dimensions anticipated for upcoming mobile Ryzen processors.
Hardware Development Timelines Remain Unconfirmed
Despite the precise technical details uncovered in the Adrenalin software, analysts emphasize that driver footprints do not constitute definitive proof of final retail specifications or guaranteed product launches. Valve has previously maintained that a true second-generation portable console requires a generational leap in energy efficiency rather than an incremental performance boost, keeping release targets informally projected around late 2027 or 2028, according to Gry Online. Meanwhile, Sony has not officially acknowledged the Orion platform details or confirmed when PlayStation 6 hardware will reach the market, leaving the timeline entirely dependent on ongoing silicon validation cycles.