According to a new report, Sony is gearing up to return to the handheld market with a portable PlayStation aiming to compete with the Switch.
A new report published by Bloomberg suggests that Sony is developing a portable gaming system that would allow users to play “PlayStation 5 games on the move.” While details on the device are scarce, Bloomberg’s sources claimed that “Sony’s portable device is likely years away from launch, and the company could still decide against bringing it to market.”
Parallels will immediately be drawn to the PlayStation Portal, a remote-play device that needs to be tethered to a running PS5 to facilitate handheld PS5 gaming, which is fair for multiple reasons. Firstly, the Bloomberg report suggests that the Portal was initially conceived as a standalone device before pivoting to remote play. Secondly, PlayStation recently pushed out a beta test for the Portal, allowing PS Plus members to use streaming capabilities and removing the need for a console to be present. Both of these points hint at Sony’s interest in dipping back into the handheld market, though only time will tell.
More than any other factor, we need to look at competitors. Nintendo has seen unbelievable success with the Switch, a hybrid console capable of traditional and handheld play, and the red brand is gearing up for a successor that has been confirmed to be backwards compatible. Over the last few years, we’ve also seen a huge rise in the popularity of handheld PCs, such as the ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and the Steam Deck (which is now available in Aus). Lastly, there’s Mircosoft. Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, recently confirmed with Bloomberg that Xbox is actively looking into handheld options, which would understandably light a fire under Sony to follow suit.
Overall, there’s a lot we don’t know, but it seems to me that handheld gaming is alive and strong in the current gaming landscape, so these stories aren’t going to slow down anytime soon. I just hope that if Sony decides to re-enter the market, they have a long-term support plan for the device, as the company has a track record of releasing hardware and not giving it the attention it needs.
What would you like to see from a handheld PlayStation? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.
Adam's undying love for all things PlayStation can only be rivalled by his obsession with vacuuming. Whether it's a Dyson or a DualShock in hand you can guarantee he has a passion for it. PSN: TheVacuumVandal XBL: VacuumVandal Steam: TheVacuumVandal
