Sony's New Handheld: Playstation Portal Rivaling Nintendo Switch

Sony is allegedly in the early stages of development for a new portable console aiming to expand Sony’s presence in the mobile handheld market. Read on to learn more about their plans!

Sony Allegedly Developing Handheld ConsoleReturning To The Portable Gaming Market

Tech giant Sony is reportedly developing a new portable handheld console enabling players to enjoy PlayStation 5 games on the go, according to a November 25th Bloomberg article. A handheld console would bolster Sony's market reach and competitiveness against Nintendo and Microsoft—the former a handheld gaming leader since the Game Boy era, continuing with the Nintendo Switch; the latter also planning entry, with prototypes underway.

This portable concept supposedly builds upon the PlayStation Portal, a device launched last year enabling PS5 game streaming. However, the Portal's reception was mixed. Enhancing the Portal's technology to enable native PS5 game play would broaden Sony's appeal, especially given the recent 20% PS5 price increase due to inflation.

This isn't Sony's first foray into portable gaming. The PlayStation Portable (PSP) and its successor, the PS Vita, enjoyed success. Yet, even with positive reception, they couldn't surpass Nintendo's dominance, which continues with the Nintendo Switch. Sony's handhelds lagged behind its PlayStation consoles—but reportedly, Sony is again pursuing the portable gaming market.

Sony hasn't officially addressed these reports.

The Rise Of Mobile And Handheld Gaming

Today’s society is hectic and fast-paced, with many people constantly on the move. Because of these conditions, mobile gaming has been burgeoning and contributes to a significant portion of the industry’s revenue. Its accessibility and convenience are unmatched—smartphones provide not only useful functionality for daily life, like instant messaging and productivity apps, but also a platform for gaming, readily available in your pocket. However, smartphones have limitations, and most phone devices still cannot play large, demanding games. This is where handheld portable consoles enter the picture, capable of playing more complex games through a specialized device. So far, this segment of the market has been dominated by Nintendo and its ever-popular Nintendo Switch.

With both Nintendo and Microsoft focusing on this niche in the gaming industry, especially with the former releasing the Switch’s successor sometime in 2025, it’s no surprise that Sony wants a share of that market as well.