SoPlayStation 5 Handheld: A Nintendo Switch Challenger
In a new report coming from Bloomberg, Sony has already began development on a new PlayStation 5 handheld console that will go toe-to-toe against Nintendo’s Switch. But insiders familiar with the matter are now saying the project remains at an early stage, and plans could still change. In contrast, though work on Microsoft’s Xbox handheld is confirmed even by Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer himself, it too is a couple of years away from release.
Sony’s Legacy in Handheld Gaming
Sony launched the PSP as its first handheld in various markets in late 2024. It found itself positioned against Nintendo’s DS directly. It did quite well, moving over 76.4 million units by 2012. These figures fell short of the DS, one of the most successful consoles ever..
Meanwhile, Sony launched PlayStation Vita in 2011 in Japan and in 2012 in the rest of the world. At that time, the PS Vita had state-of-the-art features but failed commercially. Sony stopped first-party game development on the platform in 2015.
PlayStation Portal: A Peek into the Future of Sony
Sony has recently released the PlayStation Portal. It has been a success for now, boasting decent sales, though it can do little else than stream games from the cloud. According to a report by Bloomberg, the Portal originally took inspiration from Valve’s Steam Deck-a handheld powerhouse capable of natively playing games-however, Sony eventually decided to go with something simpler.
What to Expect from the New Handheld
With no official information released, there has been much speculation on what Sony’s new handheld console will feature. Recently, tech outlet Moore’s Law Is Dead reported that Sony is potentially collaborating with AMD on the hardware aspect, which could result in the device emulating both PS4 and PS5 games. However, Bloomberg writes the device will likely only feature PS5 games because “playing PS4 games might not meet expectations when it hits the market.”.
This can very well turn out to be that dramatic shift for Sony, right in the midst of Nintendo Switch and other such devices which have been monopolizing handheld gaming in the market.
Competitive Gaming Landscape
If Sony launches the PlayStation 5 handheld, that would be really interesting. The Nintendo Switch is the leader of portable gaming, touting a huge library of exclusives and a big active fan base. On the other hand, Microsoft’s Xbox handheld might be many years away but will bring another strong contender into the mix.
Conclusion
A handheld PlayStation 5 in the making would simply be further proof of Sony’s innovation within gaming. While the future of the project remains vague, this just goes to prove that it is a company willing to venture into more untapped markets, reimagining a handheld gaming legacy.
Source: Bloomberg