Image: PlayStation
Sony is reportedly making a handheld version of the PlayStation 5.
A recent report from Bloomberg claims that Sony is currently developing a portable gaming console, which looks to be in the same vein as the Nintendo Switch. The device is currently in “early stages” at the company however, and plans could very well change before it actually launches. If it hits the market, it will be Sony PlayStation’s first handheld gaming console release since 2011’s PlayStation Vita.
Sony is working on a handheld version of the PlayStation 5
It should be noted that Sony Interactive Entertainment already has a functional way for gamers to take their PlayStation 5 games on the go: the PlayStation Portal, a handheld device that initially allowed them to stream games from their console. Recently, the company announced a software update that would allow PlayStation Portal users to stream games from the cloud, without the use of a console.
There is one key difference between the PlayStation Portal and the device Sony now has in the works, however: Sony is now looking to make a portable gaming device that functions on its own, much like the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. This means that by the time Sony’s console hits the market – if ever – it will be competing with Nintendo’s upcoming Switch successor, which launches next year.
Both Sony and Microsoft are now looking to get into the handheld gaming market, following the success of the Steam Deck and continued proven success of the Nintendo Switch. This is in spite of Sony’s own failed attempts to get a handheld gaming device off the ground since the PSP series, with the PlayStation Vita considered an underwhelming successor of the series.
Sony's PSP - short for PlayStation Portable - proved to be a success for the company when it was released in 2004, selling over 80 million units. The device competed with the Nintendo DS at launch (also released in 2004), but the latter device end up selling a whopping 154 million units across all model variations released in its lifetime.
By comparison, the PSP's successor the PlayStation Vita is estimated to have only sold 15 to 16 million units since its release in 2011. Its commercial failure was attributed to a high retail price (US$250) and an unremarkable library of games.
Sony is also pushing the PlayStation 5 Pro out to users this year as a mid-generation console refresh, before the inevitable PlayStation 6 hardware leap. Microsoft’s plans for the next generation of Xbox consoles were leaked a while back, but remain years away from hitting the market.
As for Nintendo's next big hardware launch, here's everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2 so far.
