Where handheld gaming is concerned, Nintendo’s Switch device is the clear front-runner, with a handheld Xbox console in the works from Microsoft. Now, Sony is going to throw its hat in the ring with an extension of the PlayStation Portal, which will let you play PS5 games from just about anywhere.
Sony Is Developing a New Version of the PlayStation Portal
Asreported by Bloomberg, Sony is working on a new portable handheld console that “builds on” the PlayStation Portal. The hardware will be more similar to Nintendo’s popular Switch console, as well as a portable Xbox console that is reportedly in the works. That said, it’s still “years away” from actually being in stores.
After releasing the Playstation Portal in 2023, Sony’s handheld console was one of thetech products on Google’s Holiday 100 listin 2024. Google also provided the statistic that searches for “ps portal” went up by 50% this year in the US. Still, the existing console is not a direct comparison to what Nintendo offers with Switch, which lets you play games from anywhere, directly on your device.
Playing Games Natively
With the PlayStation Portal, you’re able to only stream PS5 games from the cloud, requiring a Wi-Fi connection. This puts the device behind the eight-ball compared to consoles like the Nintendo Switch and even Valve’s Steam Deck, the latter of which offers the ability to install games locally as well as stream from your gaming PC with a feature called Remote Play.
With Sony’s new hardware in development, you would in theory be able to play games natively on the console, meaning that you could use it from anywhere—including plane or train travel. And, isn’t a long plane ride exactly where you’d want to play games to pass the time? It would be nice to not have to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi.
We’re still a ways away from being able to purchase this console from Sony, so it will be interesting to see if, by that time, it will still be competitive. Other vendors might end up raising the bar in other ways. In fact, Nintendo recently announced that its new homeconsole will be backwards compatible with Switch games, another big tick for the entertainment provider. Hopefully, Sony won’t abandon this handheld like it did with the PS Vita, which was discontinued in 2019.
