Sony is working on a proper portable console, report claims

By Carli Velocci Published November 25, 2024

PlayStation Portal bundle home screen while turned on. — Giovanni Colantonio / Digital Trends

Sony could be following up the release of the PlayStation Portal with a new handheld PlayStation 5 console, according to a new report.

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Bloomberg claims that Sony is working on a portable PlayStation 5 and would be in direct competition with the Nintendo Switch successor or an Xbox handheld, which Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said is in early testing. However, the PlayStation handheld is likely years away from an announcement even if it makes it to production. So nothing is guaranteed.

Additionally, the Bloomberg article states that the PlayStation Portal was originally going to be a full portable console like the Steam Deck, according to sources. Right now, the PS Portal is limited to just streaming from your PS5 when the console is running, although a cloud streaming feature now in beta allows players to stream select games directly from PlayStation’s servers instead of their own device.

The handheld console space has exploded in recent years thanks in part to the massive success of the Nintendo Switch, which can be docked to a TV or taken on the go. Imitators like the Steam Deck or the Asus ROG Ally go a bit further by allowing players to take their catalog of PC games with them, and there are so many other more niche devices on the market.

Whether related or not, console and game makers PlayStation and Xbox have been looking to expand onto other platforms like mobile. Xbox wants to lean in thanks to its acquisition of Activision Blizzard subsidiary King (Candy Crush Saga) and is releasing its first-party games on competing platforms like the PS5 and Switch. PlayStation has also made it clear it wants to get into mobile, establishing its mobile division in 2022 (although it did shut down its mobile studio Neon Koi this year). It’s also releasing more of its games on PC, even with some like Helldivers 2 on Steam at launch.

At one point, Sony was ahead of the curve in the handheld console space, with devices like the PlayStation Portable and the PlayStation Vita, which even had exclusive games. However, the Vita couldn’t compete with mobile gaming, and it was discontinued. There were even plans to shut down the PS Vita digital storefront before Sony reversed the decision. Former CEO Jim Ryan even said Sony had no plans to make another handheld as recently as 2023.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…

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