Bloomberg: Sony Working on Handheld Console for PS5 Games to Rival Switch

[Phantom Thief]

The product is aimed at expanding Sony's reach and contending with Nintendo Co. for the portable gaming market, according to people familiar with its development. It would also counter any potential mobile hardware from Xbox maker Microsoft Corp., which is working on prototypes in the category as well. Sony's portable device is likely years away from launch and the company could still decide against bringing it to market, the people said, asking not to be named discussing private plans.

The idea builds on the PlayStation Portal, an 8-inch handheld device Sony released in 2023 that allows users to play PS5 games by streaming them over the internet. Tokyo-based Sony initially had intended for it to function as a standalone device like Valve Corp.'s Steam Deck, the people said.

Sony Working on Handheld Console for PS5 Games to Rival Switch

Sony Group Corp. is in the early stages of developing a portable console that would play its PlayStation 5 games on the move.

www.bloomberg.com

Portables were always the future, and Sony going scorched earth on the market segment was stupid and short sighted. They could have had an established product line that they could leverage into this next paradigm shift for the industry, instead they are having to scramble and start functionally from zero.

In any case, I love portables, I love the PS ecosystem, and I love PS portables too, so I will get this when it comes out, and hope I love it as much as I did the PSP and Vita.

 

[Nokia]

A handheld that plays PS5 games natively is a long while away technology wise, add in extra years for being at a reasonable price. I know there's rumors of Sony making multiple SKUs for the PS6, but would they really go for a handheld as one of them?

 

[brutaka3]

I doubt this will happen, at least not in the next few years, but if it happens...

I can't wait for all the devs to fully support it on day one unlike the Switch! I welcome back the ANGIN alliance

 

[MegaXZero]

Copying what I wrote in the MC thread.

The report on face has a ton of red flags. PS5 exclusive to a portable is already tough given the obvious power and price constraints.

It mentions this is years away so could just be exploratory, but then it would be launching with PS6. So then it would require developers to make two separate skus. That’s not a problem for AA, but AAA that would want to aim solely for PS6, like PS studios, would not be pleased. They already complain about series S and this would be an even bigger power differential. We’ve seen several times with SIE they don’t support multiple consoles, Vita and PSVR1+2.

Given the report mentions they could back out I’m not convinced this isn’t just trying to see what sticks.

 

[GaiusBaltar25]

Sounds good to me. There's little reason for them to not make a portable console akin to the Switch around the time that the PS6 launches. I know that there are invariably a lot of issues they'd have to navigate, but I'll definitely buy one if they can make it.

 

[Himura Kenshin]

PlayStation Portal's new update is an early test run for this upcoming device. Everyone knew it right when it was announced last week. Not to mention Sony has spoken on more than one occasion about how happy they are with the success of the Portal. It was clear the Portal wouldn't be the end of things.

A handheld that plays PS5 games natively is a long while away technology wise, add in extra years for being at a reasonable price. I know there's rumors of Sony making multiple SKUs for the PS6, but would they really go for a handheld as one of them?

The article mentions it's years away. Also, going by what we've seen from Sony lately I don't think 'reasonable price' is high on their list of concerns. If this happens, I see it coming in 6 years aka a staggered release and not day-and-date with PS6. It would be PS6 in 2028, and this device maybe two years after the PS6. Staggered release is the roadmap Sony has followed with PSP, Vita, PSVR1 &2, and Portal.

They've never launched anything alongside a new PlayStation.

 

[Multiverse]

I’m just going to repost what I said earlier:

I was going to post the exact same thing lol, but you said it first. And I think I’ve posted before; I feel like a lot of these companies don’t understand why the Switch is a success (Valve included). If their takeaway is “handheld gaming” is “booming” again, is just completely wrong. Kind of feel like those BOTW clones who copied the art and aesthetic of the game and didn’t understand that it’s the open-air nature of the game; that’s why it’s huge, not just the cell shading, glider, and long green grass lol. They copied the surface level stuff but the core nature of the game went over their heads.

The Switch is a modular hybrid console. You can play it docked. You can play it handheld and in tabletop mode. It has detachable controllers which means two controllers out of the box, which allows co-op play, and a dock, etc, etc, etc. And the docking is not just a simple TV out (those types of devices have existed before). The Switch has increased power to transform itself into a console. The switching between portable and dock is also very fast and hassle free. The seemlessness of the transformation of the device to various modes that allow you to play anywhere is why it is a success. Why the hardware clicked. That’s the big main reason. Not just because it’s a handheld. And of course, the library of EXCLUSIVE games and IPs. The first handheld to play console games on the go, not just “handheld or mobile” games. The joint library. Nintendo joining their dev pipeline to support it (both used to be handheld and console ips and games existing on it). And one last thing, PHYSICAL MEDIA. The games are on the carts. NO INSTALLS. Most games anyway.

Also handheld isn’t booming. It’s kinda TANKING actually. Nintendo themselves moved away from pure handhelds. The Switch Lite is the WORST selling Switch skus. And we have the SteamDeck and the countless pc handhelds barely scraping 100K sales to show. It’s “booming” from manufactures misreading the market sure, NOT booming from consumer demand. It’ll probably take even more flops for them to change course, even though some of us saw it right away (Hi!, Concord). Don’t be shocked when this sells very niche numbers like all the other current portables. If that’s what they’re aiming for… ok. But if their ambition is to actually chase the Switch market, it is completely wrong. The Switch market is NOT really the portable market.

The hybrid device is booming actually. Let’s see who’s the real first one to have that on the market to actually rival Nintendo. Competition is good.

 

[allan-bh]

I believe is very likely that Sony will launch a Playstation handheld, portable gaming is a piece of the market where several companies are looking at the moment.

How would work they probably don't know yet and are evaluating options like run PS5 and older games natively and PS6 on the cloud, being a SKU of PS6 like Series S...

The technology available and the costs will define the viability and scope.

 

[Joseki]

Valve, Microsoft, Sony do what Nintendoes.

 

[Biscuit]

If I had to guess, this would be a dedicated streaming device that doesn't require owning discrete dedicated hardware

 

[Pamm]

The hybrid device is booming actually. Let’s see who’s the real first one to have that on the market to actually rival Nintendo.

This.

The PSP was popular in the past because you had established gaming companies like Rockstar, Square, Konami etc. making different (quality) handheld installments of their franchises than what you were getting on home consoles. The Switch is popular for being a hybrid console that can play the same games whether on the go or in front of a TV. If this is true, what will be its differentiating factor? Playing PS5 games on the go when the gen is over, one gen behind a new PS home console? I don't think this is going to be a mass market device.

What the people who are eagerly waiting for the PSP3 really want isn't a portable PS hardware that plays games one gen behind the home console, but the handheld games from Japan or the unique handheld installments to their favorite home console franchises, stuff that was plentiful during the PSP era. Look at the PSP library. They don't want to carry around PS4/5 games, much like they didn't want to carry around PS3/360 games. They want new, fresh experiences from what's being offered on the home consoles, like what DS and PSP provided in the past. If they're not interested in the games that can be played on the PS4 or PS5 right now, this is not gonna bring them back in just because of the form factor. So if this is true, I see it as being a niche device must like the existing PC handhelds, not a Switch competitor in any way. The 3rd party support will be more or less similar between this and the Switch 2, and the main draw will be the first party titles, which the Sony studios will be releasing on the home console not a handheld, while Nintendo can target a hybrid system.

 

[Pamm]

Japanese Bloomberg article:

ソニーがＰＳ５対応の携帯型ゲーム機開発中、スイッチに対抗－関係者

ソニーグループが、家庭用ゲーム機「プレイステーション（ＰＳ）５」向けソフトを外出先でも遊べる携帯型ゲーム機の開発をしていることが関係者への取材で分かった。

www.bloomberg.co.jp

Interviews with persons in the know have revealed that the Sony Group is developing a portable game console that will allow users to play PlayStation (PS) 5 home video game software on the go.

The aim is to expand business by further stimulating online communities by improving the environment in which PlayStation games can be played. It is also intended to compete with Nintendo's Switch, which can be used for both stationary and portable gaming, and Microsoft's portable gaming console under the XBOX brand. The development is in the early stages and may not be released, the official added.

A Sony Group spokesman declined to comment on the matter.

A person familiar with the matter said that Sony Group had initially aimed to develop the PlayStation Portal Remote Player as a standalone device like Valve's Steam Deck. If the new device under development can be developed as a portable device that does not need to be connected to the PS5, Sony Group's games could become accessible and attractive to a wider range of users.

Handheld gaming, which accounts for most of the industry's revenue, is dominated by smartphones, but Nintendo has carved out a lucrative niche for itself with the Switch, which can be played on the go or at home. With a successor model due for release in the coming years, the console market could become even more competitive.

 

[derby_440]

Copying what I wrote in the MC thread.

The report on face has a ton of red flags. PS5 exclusive to a portable is already tough given the obvious power and price constraints.

It mentions this is years away so could just be exploratory, but then it would be launching with PS6. So then it would require developers to make two separate skus. That’s not a problem for AA, but AAA that would want to aim solely for PS6, like PS studios, would not be pleased. They already complain about series S and this would be an even bigger power differential. We’ve seen several times with SIE they don’t support multiple consoles, Vita and PSVR1+2.

Given the report mentions they could back out I’m not convinced this isn’t just trying to see what sticks.

It will be pointless to aim for native PS5 games when 720p with PSSR upscaled to 1080p will be good enough for handheld.

This sound like rumored PS6 handheld. PS5 ports will have to be developed separately. But there is good chance it can play native PS4 games.

Its also likely by 2028 Sony will develop dev tools that will allow smooth scalable versions of console games between portable and home console for PS6. Just like in PC.

 

[MegaXZero]

It will be pointless to aim for native PS5 games when 720p with PSSR upscaled to 1080p will be good enough for handheld.

This sound like rumored PS6 handheld. PS5 ports will have to be developed separately. But there is good chance it can play native PS4 games.

It’s also likely by 2028 Sony will develop dev tools that will allow smooth scalable versions of console games between portable and home console for PS6. Just like in PC.

Scalable versions would mean the developers would have to use the portable console as a base for this to work well. Which would mean the entire gen of PS6 would be at a base of something less powerful than a PS5 home console.

It could happen…but that would be a gigantic ask on devs.

 

[randomreader22]

By the time this thing releases, the Switch is most likely already faded away or in life support mode. It's not that diffucult to rival it at that point. Seriously speaking, this is gonna end up being the PS6's portal, surely.

 

[Aime]

PSP GO 2 (Digital only)
How Sony can force their AAA party to make AAA game on them.(like Ps Vita)

 

[Oregano]

I'm not surprised they're prototyping stuff but I'm inherently skeptical of these devices making it to market as a mass market proposition.

If hardware power, storage and price will be issues for Switch 2 they're going to be significantly bigger issues for any device that has to have some level of guaranteed compatibility with high end consoles.

 

[Aostia82]

Sony is slowly (and succesfully) pivoting into the Apple of vodeogames, so. PSP3 able to run PS5 game at 80bucks in 2027 makes sense

 

[sfortunato]

If the device is capable of running PS5 games independently, it’s likely to be positioned as a premium product, competing more directly with devices like the Steam Deck rather than the Nintendo Switch or its successor. However, if it functions more like the PS Portal, its appeal will largely depend on the size of the existing PS5 user base, which could limit its broader market reach.

 

[awng782]

Beyond the technical feasibility of making a handheld PS5 being a big challenge, I'm not sure releasing a PS5 model alongside or after the launch of PS6 - when Sony will be pushing to the next generation and the PS5 will be on its way out - is all that lucrative of an idea.

The perfect time to release a PS5 Portable would be right around now, and that ended up being the PS Portal.

 

[Lelouch0612]

Sony is definitely wise to explore ideas on that space, it is a segment where both Nintendo and Valve found success.

However, they have hurdles to overcome:

- Price
- Library transition for PS5 physical games
- Battery life
- Impact on the dev side
- Internal storage
- Price

Steam Deck is probably their inspiration, and clearly not the Switch. It is an additional SKU that should increase engagement of their top clients, and attract a few others.

Given the PS5 price, the big problem is how a portable console playing natively PS5 games would cost.

Current Sony wouldn't be afraid of pricing it at 700$+ but would the target audience at that price be worth the hassle?

That's what they are currently figuring it out.

If I had to guess, this would be a dedicated streaming device that doesn't require owning discrete dedicated hardware

They already have such a platform with the PS Portal which started to beta-test Cloud fonctionalities.

 

[Ronin]

Portable running Ps5 games would need tons of power.

 

[Copilot]

If they launch this in 2026, they could make a PS4 turbo like machine, with boosted CPU and GPU, 16GB RAM and a SSD. Put a dock and i think it should sell very well.

 

[Danny]

They will make a handheld with better specs that cost more than Switch 2. I do wonder what implication it will have for Switch 2 third party support. Will some third parties jump ship from Switch 2 to develop for PS instead?

 

[SirArthur]

They will make a handheld with better specs that cost more than Switch 2. I do wonder what implication it will have for Switch 2 third party support. Will some third parties jump ship from Switch 2 to develop for PS instead?

They wont. Its not a dedicated hardware, it could be similar to being "verified". And considering how the industry is with games being expensive excluding a platform does not make any sense.

 

[AruanaRiva]

The only point that i see is running opposite with PS current doctrine is. PS is console for the strongest power with huge amount of third party support.

By adding a handheld which is going to be weaker than even base PS5 4 or 5 years in the future. And mandating all games on PS6 can be run on PS handheld. Thats going to put a self obstacles that will lead to them losing the advantage that PS6 console has over other consoles as now power is strangled by PS handheld limit.

 

[derby_440]

Scalable versions would mean the developers would have to use the portable console as a base for this to work well. Which would mean the entire gen of PS6 would be at a base of something less powerful than a PS5 home console.
D
It could happen…but that would be a gigantic ask on devs.

PS6 will not be much of a leap going by rumors. Sony is likely aiming for 2x GPU power increase. PS4>PS5 was 5x. With same SSD and bit better CPU. Cross gen likely to last longer. More work for devs but if it can sell 20-25m then it will be worth it for Sony.

 

[Smelly]

The handheld will probably be digital only.

 

[Lelouch0612]

The handheld will probably be digital only.

That's one of the hurdles they'll face yeah. Retail PS5 games won't be compatible on PS5 P so how do you handle this?

How did cross-buy work between the PS4 and Vita again?

 

[Godzilla]

Considering Switch 2 (and 3, and 4, etc...) will play the old games (and NSO) natively, Sony doing the same but on a handheld 1 generation behind, sounds fair honestly.

I doubt the success of this but i also don't think expectations are high.

 

[Danny]

I do wonder what Sony's goal is with this handheld? Is it to juice their revenue a small bit, or something very aggressive like trying to dominate the market? I do think they are waiting too late with this handheld, by 2028, Nintendo will have doubled their EPD teams with the current expansion being finished. I think they will be too big at that point with too much development resources for Sony to be able to put them in a Wii U style market position again.

 

[Lelouch0612]

I do wonder what Sony's goal is with this handheld? Is it to juice their revenue a small bit, or something very aggressive like trying to dominate the market? I do think they are waiting too late with this handheld, by 2028, Nintendo will have doubled their EPD teams with the current expansion being finished. I think they will be too big at that point with too much development resources for Sony to be able to put them in a Wii U style market position again.

Just like the Steam Deck was for Valve, it is a way to increase engagement and draw more core gamers in their ecosystem.

It is going to be an expensive product and won't aim for mass-market sales.

 

[Godzilla]

Although i don't think we will have ps5 capable hardware for even decent price (without heavily subsiding the cost) untill even a few years after PS6.

And if they don't hit that, they would need ai to auto downscale games resolution/frame rate unless they expect companies to do so

 

[Des96]

We are probably looking at a very long crossgen period so even if it releases after PS6 it'll still be a viable product. Price is going to be something though.

 

[Aostia82]

Is Sony trying to steal Nintendo Switch 2 thunder, by announcing "it" before the [REDACTED]?

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

I just can’t see a realistic scenario where Sony is forcing developers to port all console games to a portable device, we’ve seen Xbox lose games because of the S, and that’s still a powerful home console.

They would have to go the old route where it’s a totally separate platform from their home console which is going to have the exact same problems as the Vita.

A streaming device is the only thing that makes sense but they already have that.

 

[Terrell]

Scalable versions would mean the developers would have to use the portable console as a base for this to work well. Which would mean the entire gen of PS6 would be at a base of something less powerful than a PS5 home console.

It could happen…but that would be a gigantic ask on devs.

Not just a big ask, a precarious ask if SIE wants to maintain their current market position. I had this to say 2 months ago...

You force publishers to make a handheld/hybrid SKU for their games, and all that means is they’ve lowered the technical floor. The consequences of that are immense to PlayStation.

3rd parties would then have to develop software for a device that is close enough to Nintendo hardware (which will benefit from first-mover advantage and momentum from Switch) that they’d be idiots to decide not to release on Nintendo hardware for what would be blatantly arbitrary reasons that devs couldn’t possibly spin their way out of like they can now, and then you’re just increasing the value of your competitor’s offering at the expense of your own.

... and I stand by it now. Too much risk for what will probably be a moderate reward at best from the kind of audience SIE has cultivated for the PS brand.

 

[awng782]

Is Sony trying to steal Nintendo Switch 2 thunder, by announcing "it" before the [REDACTED]?

Not sure if this is sarcasm but this PS5 handheld is allegedly years away and may not even ultimately materialize.

 

[Joseki]

Is Sony trying to steal Nintendo Switch 2 thunder, by announcing "it" before the [REDACTED]?

Are you suggesting Sony will officially announce a device 3-5 years before its release?

 

[derby_440]

I just can’t see a realistic scenario where Sony is forcing developers to port all console games to a portable device, we’ve seen Xbox lose games because of the S, and that’s still a powerful home console.

They would have to go the old route where it’s a totally separate platform from their home console which is going to have the exact same problems as the Vita.

A streaming device is the only thing that makes sense but they already have that.

That would fail like Vita and take even more dev resources to develop exclusive games. Simple down ports are not that big of a deal nowadays. See how AMD handhelds can play latest PC ports with no specific optimization.

 

[Joseki]

That would fail like Vita and take even more dev resources to develop exclusive games. Simple down ports are not that big of a deal nowadays. See how AMD handhelds can play latest PC ports with no specific optimization.

You are describing a portable PC like the Steam Deck, not a console.

 

[Kmds]

Is Sony trying to steal Nintendo Switch 2 thunder, by announcing "it" before the [REDACTED]?

But…… Sony and Microsoft both preached to courts that Nintendo wasn’t a competitor.

Why on Earth would they want to rival a company that is friendly to them?

/s

 

[opaidiota]

Is Sony trying to steal Nintendo Switch 2 thunder, by announcing "it" before the [REDACTED]?

Even though this has nothing to do with the future handheld, I am pleasantly surprised to see that Sony is preparing something for the 30th anniversary.

We'll keep an eye out.

 

[Danny]

Is Sony trying to steal Nintendo Switch 2 thunder, by announcing "it" before the [REDACTED]?

Contrary to Sony official statements i'm starting to think Sony actually sees Nintendo as a bigger competitor than Xbox. Not only because Nintendo consoles have a bigger sales potential than Xbox consoles, but also because the Switch 2 potentially getting more AAA third party multiplats probably means that Sony will have to see Nintendo as a bigger competitor once again. Meaning they will make as many moves against the Switch 2 as they have historically made against Xbox consoles. Nintendo probably knows that as well, which is why they have stated in their financial briefings that they have built a warchest so they can respond to various moves by their competitors that could affect Nintendo's business. So if Sony goes that route of increased competition, we will see Nintendo start moneyhatting various third party exclusives to Switch 2 on a much bigger level than during the Switch era. And given that the Switch era has been the most profitable era ever for any console company, i feel Sony left this push against Nintendo far too late, they don't have the resources to push Nintendo to the margins ever again as they could during the Gamecube era, given the insane warchest the Switch era has given Nintendo. And remember, Nintendo has zero debt as of today, meaning that they aren't even constrained to their own warchest, but could start borrowing to fund even more moneyhats and acquisitions based on the moves Sony will make against them.

All in all the coming 5 years will see insane competition in the gaming space, but this time around it won't be easy for one of the companies to aggressively push one of the others to the margins, Sony is a big player, Tencent is a big player, Microsoft is a big player, and Nintendo have built up capabilities they never had before, with bigger development resources and more money to spend on moneyhatting games than ever before.

 

[Neo_arcadia7]

Would absolutely love this but alot of concerns..

- can Sony leverage development with 2 platforms ?
- are we just going to get HH experiences for PS5 titles?
- can we expect exclusive SW for the device?
- will it accept physical media?

if this is just akin to the steam deck I don't see it doing anything crazy, it seems the portal was initially developed with the steam deck in mind so Sony has likely had the idea floating around for awhile. I just hope we can get unique exclusive experiences with this device. While many gamers including myself would love native play depending on the cost of this it's going to be tricky with the portal in the market. It could also help Sony in the domestic market possibly but it could also just serve as another avenue to lead consumers to the main platform which would be the home console.

 

[Gimmick]

This is about the cloud. Cloud gaming is still in the shadows, PS streaming and xCloud are low-end cloud streaming, but once they get to the GeForce Now standard, everything is gonna change.

Once the casual audience picks up on how good high-end cloud gaming is, it will take off, and you can sell $200 cloud consoles.

This is a real threat for Nintendo because they are far behind Xbox and PlayStation in this regard.

 

[Danny]

This is about the cloud. Cloud gaming is still in the shadows, PS streaming and xCloud are low-end cloud streaming, but once they get to the GeForce Now standard, everything is gonna change.

Once the casual audience picks up on how good high-end cloud gaming is, it will take off, and you can sell $200 cloud consoles.

This is a real threat for Nintendo because they are far behind Xbox and PlayStation in this regard.

True, Nintendo lacks the internal capabilities. But just like their Nvidia partnership and their partnership with DeNA in the mobile space. They can easily just pivot to a partnership with a big company that will handle cloud gaming for them, when the technology of cloud gaming has reached a maturity point. No such company would say no to having a partnership with Nintendo when it comes to cloud gaming.

 

[Biscuit]

Sony is definitely wise to explore ideas on that space, it is a segment where both Nintendo and Valve found success.

However, they have hurdles to overcome:

- Price
- Library transition for PS5 physical games
- Battery life
- Impact on the dev side
- Internal storage
- Price

Steam Deck is probably their inspiration, and clearly not the Switch. It is an additional SKU that should increase engagement of their top clients, and attract a few others.

Given the PS5 price, the big problem is how a portable console playing natively PS5 games would cost.

Current Sony wouldn't be afraid of pricing it at 700$+ but would the target audience at that price be worth the hassle?

That's what they are currently figuring it out.

They already have such a platform with the PS Portal which started to beta-test Cloud fonctionalities.

The portal is what I'm thinking about! In comparison to a 5G streaming solution, locally run, native PS5 games on a handheld just seems like a very big ask

Unless they want it to double as a panini press, or possibly a waffle iron

 

[Multiverse]

Cloud will never be thing as long as there’s input lag. I’ve played Fortnite on Nvidia’s service and Xcloud. Good image quality. Xcloud looks even better than Nvidia. They ran at 60 fps and looks great, but the Switch version still plays better at 30fps.

That’s where Cloud is at right now. Good luck with that.

 

[Old sorta fan]

This is about the cloud. Cloud gaming is still in the shadows, PS streaming and xCloud are low-end cloud streaming, but once they get to the GeForce Now standard, everything is gonna change.

Once the casual audience picks up on how good high-end cloud gaming is, it will take off, and you can sell $200 cloud consoles.

This is a real threat for Nintendo because they are far behind Xbox and PlayStation in this regard.

I’ll believe it when I see it. Many countries, including the United States, don’t have ubiquitous free wi-fi. Mobile internet access is usually over 5G and data is constrained and overages are expensive. Even unlimited plans get throttled down to 56k speeds after a certain usage per month.

On top of that, here have been multiple cloud video game services that have come and gone. Why would SIE succeed where Google failed? Cloud services is also very risky for the vendor. The cost of maintaining the servers and bandwidth 24/7 for that level of usage has a constant and high fixed cost.

What’s in it for the customer? Pay a monthly subscription and then pay for games too? Then own nothing if you cancel? All this after paying hundreds on hardware? That’s a lot. It’s clear that Netflix/Spotify style buffet streaming subscriptions are not profitable on a net cash basis at current subscription prices. The cap ex is too high unless they can raise prices to about $30 a month. It would be more for video games due to needing extra bandwidth for two way data rather than just linear one way streaming.

I can see them trying it or maybe exploring it internally but not succeeding. The fixed costs are very high. Look at GAAS’s that don’t become instant huge hits. They get shut down because the server costs are high. It would be that but at a larger scale.