PlayStation could be working on a console to rival the Switch and it’s not the PS Portal
PLAYSTATION hasn’t released a dedicated handheld console in years, not since the 2012 launch of the PlayStation Vita.
In 2023, it released a remote play device called the PlayStation Portal, which saw huge success, but required a PS5 in order to play.
PlayStation recently announced that you can play the PS Portal without a PS5, but you’ll need PS Plus Premium and a strong internet connection to do so.
Still, it is one step closer to a dedicated handheld console for the company that hasn’t released one in over a decade.
According to a new report by Bloomberg, Sony is in the early stages of developing a truly portable console.
PlayStation apparently wants to develop the device to compete with Nintendo, which is the leading company in the handheld console gaming market.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has claimed that Microsoft is developing a portable console, but that it’s still years from being released.
The report claims that PlayStation’s portable is also likely years away from launch, and that the company could still cancel plans to bring it to market.
Bloomberg also claims that the PS Portal was originally planned to be a standalone console, similar to Valve’s Steam Deck.
PlayStation has been researching ways to bring the PS5 library to a wider audience including making a bigger push for PC and live-service games.
Sony declined to comment to Bloomberg on its report, and the company has not publicly announced a portable console.
Nintendo is expected to launch the Switch successor in 2025, following the huge success of the original.
It’s one of the best-selling consoles of all time, and Nintendo will build on this success by adding backwards compatibility with the Switch’s library.
It is likely that companies like Valve, PlayStation and Xbox saw the console’s success and that players still have a thirst for portable gaming.
PSP Go
PlayStation’s last portable console wasn’t very popular in the West, but carved out a niche in Japan by catering to women.
It came in a huge variety of colour variations with more than 50 designs, and had a wide library of RPGs and visual novels.
A new portable PlayStation console is bound to be popular, but we hope that Sony nails the marketing in the West this time.
If you want to read more about PlayStation, check out our predictions for The Game Awards.
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For Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch, check out our full game reviews section.