PlayStation Portal is just the beginning, Sony reportedly working on new handheld console

Rik Henderson
·2 min read
PlayStation Portal review image.
PlayStation Portal review image.

QUICK SUMMARY

A known YouTube hardware leaker has revealed that Sony plans to follow-up the PlayStation Portal with another handheld, but this time it'll be a standalone console.

It's at least "two years out" though, so details are thin on the ground.

The PlayStation Portal has been so successful it's nigh-on impossible to buy one – like with the PS5 at launch, stock seems to disappear in seconds each time it is made available.

Add to that the huge interest in handheld games machines, like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally, plus, of course, the continued enthusiasm for the Nintendo Switch and there's no doubt that this sector of the industry is becoming a big deal.

It comes as little surprise therefore to learn that Sony could be making another handheld, although this time it will reportedly also contain console gubbins, and not just be a streaming device.

According to hardware leaker Moore's Law is Dead (via Insider Gaming), a successor to the PS Vita is on the cards.

He claims that it is being built with a custom AMD APU – not dissimilar to existing devices like the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go (they are built around the AMD Ryzen Z1). However, he also suggests that the project is "at least two years out, and technically not greenlit for launch yet".

That effectively means there are few other details as yet, although the YouTuber does add that talking with developers reveals it could play PS4 games, as well as PS5 after a "pro-like patch".

Of course, it might be that Sony was developing this device alongside the PlayStation Portal but opted for the cloud-based Remote Play handheld instead.

And there is every likelihood that the Japanese gaming giant will add extra functionality to its highly-sought after alternative in the coming year. It has already confirmed that the hardware is capable of playing games streamed entirely over the cloud, not just from a home PlayStation 5, so that could be made available through a patch sometime in the near future.

But, as a huge fan of the PlayStation Vita during its relatively brief run, I'd be happy to see Sony re-enter the full-fledged handheld market again too.