Watch: Is 'Playstation Switch' Coming?

The Nintendo Switch has proven that we've got a lot of mobile gamers out there that want to take [...]

By Liana 'LiLi' Ruppert

The Nintendo Switch has proven that we've got a lot of mobile gamers out there that want to take their adventures on the road. Now Sony is no stranger to handheld devices, their PSP handheld system performed quite well and their PS Vita had a lot of potential. Though the Vita did ultimately fall short of expectations, the remote play feature on the system was a handy treat. With the Switch's hybrid nature proving invaluable it makes us wonder - will Sony venture back out into the handheld market once more but from the Nintendo Mindset?

Digital Foundry seems to think so. According to the tech driven site, "it's much easier to scale up a mobile device to run on a living room flatpanel than it is to take a traditional console and scale it down to run on the go. And in actual fact, this 'mobile first' strategy isn't exactly exclusive to Nintendo - the Maxwell technology on which the Tegra X1 is based was built from the ground up first and foremost for applications in the mobile field. If you can achieve exceptional efficiency at the low end, the rewards with more power, more frequency and more bandwidth become even more pronounced."

The video above shows the comparisons between the Switch as is and the PlayStation 4. But where the Switch is succeeding, the PlayStation platform has more than a few challenges to face. One of those, as seen evident above, is a charging conundrum and inaccurate readings. It seems that the biggest roadblock isn't necessary "could it work" but "how" given the power drain seen with these ports.

playstation switch
(Photo: Digital Foundry)

Ultimately, it looks like the "Mobile First" mentality would be a huge roadblock, whereas DF also states that the Switch's living room capabilities are a bit on the drawback side, though the true value lies within the hybrid console's scaling abilities. To be an equal competitor, Sony would have to nail down the scaling ratio, which the Vita did not do. Though remote play was possible, it was distorted and often threw the controls out of whack making it almost unplayable.

So yes, in theory a PlayStation "Switch" could work but Sony would need to learn from their mistakes with the Vita and look beyond what Nintendo is already doing. You can read the full tech diagnostics here if you're like me and just really dig learning more about how everything works.

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