Sonylaunched thePlayStation Portaljust a little over a year ago, allowing users to remotely play games from their PlayStation 5, and soon, thecloud. But now it seems Sony is looking to take itshandheld consoleendeavors to the next level.
According toBloomberg, Sony is reportedly working on developing a new handheld console that could rival the Nintendo Switch, and it’s successor, theSwitch 2. The new PlayStation handheld will let you play PlayStation 5 games natively on the device, rather than relying on remote play or the cloud like the PlayStation Portal. However, the device’s future is still up in the air.
“Sony’s portable device is likely years away from launch and the company could still decide against bringing it to market, the people said, asking not to be named discussing private plans,“Bloombergsaid in its report.
PlayStation Portal
This insanely powerful gaming handheld is way better than a Steam Deck
The ROG Ally X is the best handheld gaming device on the market, but is it totally worth its high price tag.
Sony has its eyes on its competitors
The Switch 2 is coming soon and Valve’s Steam Deck is already out
The news that Sony is reportedly working on a new gaming handheld isn’t entirely unsurprising considering where its competitors are at. Nintendo is hard at work on the Switch 2, the long-awaited successor to the Nintendo Switch, which is expected to release at some point next year. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencerrecently saidthat Xbox is experimenting with its own handheld device too. Valve’s Steam Deck is already on the market, and is a powerful handheld device that lets users play hundreds of Steam games on the go.
Given where its competitors are at, it would be silly for Sony not to consider re-entering the handheld space. While the PlayStation Portal is technically a handheld gaming device, it only plays games remotely (or from the cloud, but that’s in beta), and doesn’t run games natively on the device. The success of the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck is an indication that gaming handhelds can be successful, if done right.
Sony does have a history with gaming handhelds, namely the PSP and PSVita. The PSP was my go-to handheld gaming device back in the day, and I would love to see Sony make a serious return to the handheld space. If Sony can make a gaming handheld similar in quality to the Steam Deck, that plays PlayStation 5 games natively, it could have a real game-changer on its hands – and be a fierce competitor to the Switch 2.
I’m upgrading to the PS5 Pro, and maybe you should too
As a stickler for frames, PlayStation has my wallet in a chokehold over the PS5 Pro.
