New PlayStation Rumor Could Point to the Existence of a PSP, PS Vita Successor

Could Sony be creating another PlayStation handheld?

By Logan Moore

A new rumor has some PlayStation fans believing that a long-awaited handheld successor to the PSP and PS Vita could be on the way. When it comes to Sony's current plans on the hardware front, all eyes are on the PS5 Pro, which is slated to launch in November. Further down the line, the inevitable PlayStation 6 is also expected to be released and seems poised to be backward compatible. And while details for the PS6 and anything else that Sony might be working on are currently hazy, we now know that two platforms of some sort seem to be in development. 

Coming by way of leaker KeplerL2 on NeoGaf, it has been said that Sony currently has two SoCs (system-on-a-chip) in the works. For those unaware of what this means, it suggests that Sony is creating two pieces of hardware that are different from one another in some manner. Presumably, one of these two SoCs would be assigned to the PlayStation 6, but the other is much more nebulous. One option could be a second version of the PS6 that would be weaker in power, similar to Microsoft with the Xbox Series S. Others have theorized that the alternative option could then be a handheld platform that is designed to work either alongside the PS6 or on its own. 

If you're skeptical about the idea of Sony getting back into the handheld space in a major way, there are two major reasons why this could make sense. For starters, the PlayStation Portal has been a massive success for Sony since its arrival in 2023. In fact, the PS5 accessory has done far better from a commercial standpoint than Sony expected, which shows that there is a desire for handhelds from its own users. 

The second reason would then just be the general renaissance that gaming handhelds of all types have seen over the past few years. Whether it be Nintendo with its lineup of Switch consoles, or Valve with the Steam Deck, handhelds are bigger than they have been in well over a decade. Naturally, Sony surely sees this and in turn wants a piece of that pie, which is how it got into the market in the first place with the PSP back in 2005. 

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Still, since this is just a rumor, it's worth stressing that everything here be taken as such. Sony is likely considering all possibilities for its next-generation console and those plans are almost surely not set in stone just yet. Whether or not a return of PlayStation handhelds could also happen around the launch of the PS6 remains to be seen, but it now seems more possible than it once did a decade ago. 

[H/T Push Square]

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