Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Don’t expect Sony to ever make another handheld PlayStation

Gabe Gurwin
By

Sony PlayStation Vita Slim review front screen angle
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Nintendo’s Switch console proved to the world that there’s still hope for portable gaming devices, but Sony’s PlayStation Vita failed to find the same success, and now exists as a niche platform for indie and Japanese titles. And according to Sony, it could be the last handheld system the company ever makes.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Andrew House said that there wasn’t “a huge market opportunity” for handheld gaming in regions other than Asia.

Recommended Videos

As many others have stated in the past, House believes that smartphones have largely replaced handheld gaming devices, and we’ve seen several games on the PlayStation Vita eventually coming to phones, as well. Moreover, games like Tearaway and Gravity Rush have eventually made their way to PlayStation 4, though they’ve needed to cut Vita-specific features in order to function.

Related

Back in 2015, Sony said that it had “no titles in development” for the PlayStation Vita, and was instead focusing its efforts on the PlayStation 4, and now, PlayStation VR.

The Vita’s sluggish sales numbers weren’t caused by its games’ quality, however. At launch the excellent Uncharted: Golden Abyss was available, as was a great version of Rayman Origins. In 2013, Killzone: Mercenary was also released, giving first-person shooter fans bite-sized campaign levels as well as a surprisingly great competitive multiplayer component. Over the last few years, PlayStation Plus subscribers have received most of the system’s best games for free, so if you haven’t picked up the Vita yet, you could have a fully-stocked library without ever having to purchase a game.

Sony also has no plan to offer a “hybrid” gaming device like the Nintendo Switch, instead choosing to stick with the more traditional console model.

“The folks at Nintendo have their strategy and that’s great,” House added. “We remain focused around a highly connected gaming experience and also coupled with having a great range of other entertainment experiences so you can reach multiple people in the big screen in the household.”

In recent months, the PlayStation 4 has been dethroned by the Switch as the best-selling console in the United States. Previously, the system had been the top seller almost every month, only occasionally falling behind the Xbox One.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
PlayStation State of Play, January 2024: How to watch and what to expect
Eve kneeling with her sword.

Sony announced its first State of Play of 2024 today. This digital showcase, which will take place on January 31, will set expectations for PlayStation's 2024, much like Xbox's Developer_Direct did for Sony a couple of weeks back. It's shaping up to be a lengthier show full of intriguing exclusives, so it's something that PlayStation fans will definitely want to tune into.

For those wondering when and where they should be tuning into the first State of Play of 2024, as well as what they should be expecting from it, we've rounded up all that useful information for you.
When is January 2024's State of Play?
The first State of Play of 2024 will begin at 2 p.m. PT on January 31. When it comes to length, Sony says that it will be "over 40 minutes long."
How to watch January 2024's State of Play
State of Play | January 31, 2024

Read more
2023 gaming report card: how did PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo score?
The Xbox Series X and PS5

It's been a long year filled with massive games, but we've finally reached the end of 2023. There's no question that this year will be remembered as one of the all-time best for new releases -- and one of the worst for game creators -- but it's been a whirlwind 12 months for the "big three" console makers. PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo all had pivotal years, though in entirely different ways. While the Nintendo Switch took a victory lap, the PS5 entered an experimental era. The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, finally delivered the suite of exclusives fans had been waiting for ... with mixed results.

To reflect on such an eventful year, we've decided to take on the role of teacher and hand each company a final grade for 2023. We took several factors into account here. Exclusive games are a major component of the final grade, naturally, but we also looked at how well each system maintained its wider ecosystem. That includes supporting services like PS Plus and Game Pass and evaluating how new hardware changed how we play.

Read more
Our favorite PlayStation games of 2023: Spider-Man, Final Fantasy, and more
Spider-Man and Miles Morales stand in front of a Best PS5 Games 2023 logo.

With the video game industry as busy as it is these days, there's rarely ever a "bad" year for any console. Even in a less busy year, platforms like Xbox still tend to have highlights in exciting indie games. That was true for PlayStation this year, which continued its strong momentum this generation despite only having a handful of big-ticket games.

While not every big PS5 exclusive thrilled this year, there were a lot of strong experiences to dive into. Developers got more mileage than ever out of the system's beefy tech specs, while PlayStation VR2 gave the platform some creative, immersive experiences. That's not to mention a handful of indies and third-party releases that Sony locked down as console exclusives for a time. That list of heavy hitters even included Baldur's Gate 3 for a few short months. In reflecting on another great year for PS5, we've highlighted seven games that stuck with us this year. Some were certainly divisive, but all of them helped give Sony's powerhouse system some extra depth in a crowded year.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Read more