New PlayStation Portable Rumor Reveals Release Window

Hard as it might be to believe, there was a point less than 10 years ago where the video game industry thought that portable gaming was dead. The PlayStation Vita had flopped, and the growth of Android and iOS gaming seemed like a major threat to Nintendo 3DS. The arrival of Nintendo Switch completely changed that narrative, with the system quickly proving that there was still a lot of interest in portable gaming on a dedicated device. Since then, we’ve seen the arrival of systems like Steam Deck and Analogue Pocket, and PlayStation seems to be planning a new portable of its own.

Rumors about this new PlayStation handheld have been bouncing around for quite some time. Sony has clearly shown more interest in the handheld market with the PlayStation Portal, but fans have been eager to see something that offers true portability, as opposed to a cloud gaming device. Known insider HeisenbergFX4 on the Neogaf forums says that they expect the new system “somewhere around PS6 launch.” They also note that this doesn’t look like “a real refresh of the Portal,” and won’t have similar pricing. That seems to imply that it could be a dedicated handheld.

As with any rumor, readers are advised to take all of this with a grain of salt. We’re still a few years away from the launch of the PS6, and a lot can happen in a few years. Plans are constantly changing in the video game industry, and just because this seems to be a sure thing right now, it doesn’t mean that everything will fall into place. There clearly is an appetite among PlayStation users for something more substantial than the Portal, but finding the right price point and features (especially around the timing of a new console), is going to be very important.

PlayStation is not the only company looking to cash in on the success of Switch; Microsoft has openly talked about creating an Xbox handheld. Rumors suggest that Microsoft is planning its own internally developed device in the next few years, but we could see an option much sooner from one of the company’s partners. The ASUS ROG Ally already features Xbox Game Pass compatibility, and leaked images show an ASUS built handheld with official Xbox branding, which has yet to be officially announced.

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While mobile gaming remains a very big part of the video game industry, it seems there are limits on what people are interested in playing on Android and iOS devices. Mobile has clearly not replaced dedicated portable devices, and Sony can’t be blamed for wanting a bigger piece of the handheld market. It remains to be seen whether the company can succeed where it previously failed with the Vita, but the industry is a lot different now than it was back then. Hopefully Sony can come up with a reasonably priced option that offers more freedom over the PlayStation Portal, without breaking the bank at the time a new console is also launching.

Do you want to see a new PlayStation handheld? Do you think it could find more success than the Vita did? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Reddit]