Third time’s the charm: Sony is developing a portable console that can run PS5 games

According to insiders, Sony is working on a new handheld
It will run PS5 games, but launch is still years away (if it ever comes out).
It will compete with the Nintendo Switch and Xbox handhelds.

Sony’s PS5 Pro has been out for less than a month, but rumors are already swirling about what the next release of gaming hardware might have in store for us. And the latest report is not about some even higher-end PS6, but that Sony is working on a new portable device that will be able to play PS5 games.

Little is known about the project at this point, but Bloomberg reports that sources familiar with the device say it will compete with the Nintendo Switch and the final version of the Xbox handheld, a prototype of which is currently in development.

Sony currently has a portable pseudo-PS5 in the form of the five-star PlayStation Portal; however, if this laptop uses an internet connection to enable remote play or now cloud gaming for PS Plus Premium members, this new laptop will run PS5 games on its own – like an upgraded version of a scrapped PlayStation Vita or PlayStation Portable. (PSP).

Don’t get too excited about the PSP’s potential return just yet, however, as Bloomberg’s sources added that Sony could still decide not to bring the in-development handheld to market – and that its launch is “probably still a long way off.”

What we want to see from a PlayStation handheld

Limited Edition Steam Deck OLED White

Steam Deck is a competitor that Sony should strive to beat (Image credit: Valve)

So it’ll probably be a while before we get a better idea of what the PlayStation handheld console has to offer us, but we’re hoping that instead of becoming a Nintendo Switch competitor, Sony sets its sights on another handheld console: the Steam Deck. .

This would mean that Sony’s laptop would have a higher price tag, making it a little less affordable, but it would likely have a lot of possible benefits that could help justify the price, such as an OLED display instead of a disappointing LCD display. Portal and software parity with PS6, which will likely be released in a few years.

By parity we don’t mean identical performance, but in the same way that most new PC games run on the Steam Deck – with some graphics and performance limitations if they’re the more powerful AAA releases – we’d like to have a similar setup with the PlayStation. portable.

We also hope that this will mean that the new laptop will be much easier to maintain and less likely to break down. Instead of needing its own dedicated gaming platform like the PSP, Vita and (as a more recent, though not portable example) PSVR 2, it will rely on games that are already in development. Of course, there will be some additional costs involved in porting these games, but likely much less than what would be required for a brand new dedicated handheld game.

This is just one approach that Sony could take from several viable options. All we really want is for Sony to effectively support the new portable and not let it join the growing graveyard of failed Sony spinoff consoles. Perhaps, given the competition from Xbox and the growing dominance of mobile gaming, Sony will try a little harder this time – but for now we can only hope.

Third time’s the charm: Sony is developing a portable console that can run PS5 games

Archives

Categories