Sony's New Handheld Console to Rival Nintendo Switch

Sony is reportedly in the early stages of development for a new portable console aiming to expand Sony’s reach back into the mobile handheld market. Read on to find out more about their plans!

Sony Reportedly Developing Handheld ConsoleReturn 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 dominating handheld gaming since the Game Boy era through the Nintendo Switch, while the latter is reportedly developing its own entry.

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. Improving upon the Portal's technology to create a device capable of native PS5 game play would enhance Sony's offerings, particularly 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. Despite positive reception, neither challenged Nintendo's dominance, which continues with the Nintendo Switch. Sony's handhelds were overshadowed by its PlayStation consoles—but reportedly, this is changing.

Sony hasn't officially addressed these reports.

The Rise Of Mobile And Handheld Gaming

Today’s society is busy and fast-paced, with many people frequently on the go. Because of these conditions, mobile gaming has been on the rise and contributes to a significant portion of the industry’s revenue. Its accessibility and convenience are hard to match—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 come in, able to play more complex games through a specialized device. So far, this segment of the market has been led 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.