Sony is reportedly developing a new handheld gaming device, described as a potential successor to the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and PS Vita.
This upcoming handheld is rumored to complement the PS5 and could position itself as a competitor to the anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 and Valve’s Steam Deck.
According to Bloomberg, this PS5-compatible handheld is still in the early stages of development and may be years away from release—if it materializes at all. There remains the possibility that Sony might abandon the project.
The report indicates that the PlayStation Portal, originally envisioned as a standalone product similar to the Steam Deck, later evolved into a device dependent on streaming via a PS5 console.
However, recent updates to the PlayStation Portal have introduced a cloud-streaming beta for PS Plus Premium members, enabling the device to play games without requiring a PS5 console.
Sony’s interest in re-entering the handheld gaming market aligns with broader industry trends.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has openly expressed interest in developing an Xbox handheld, although such a device is also “a few years out” and may never reach production.
Meanwhile, Nintendo is expected to reveal the Switch 2 in the coming months, with the company confirming earlier this month that the new system will support backward compatibility with the current Switch library.
If realized, the PS5 portable system would mark Sony’s return to the handheld gaming space for the first time since the PS Vita’s release.
The PS Vita launched in Japan in 2011 and arrived in North America in early 2012. Despite a strong start, the system was discontinued in Japan in early 2019, shortly before the PS5’s debut.
Sony’s earlier handheld, the PlayStation Portable (PSP), made its debut in Japan in 2004 and North America in 2005.
During its lifespan, the PSP competed with Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS, remaining a prominent player in the handheld gaming market throughout the mid-to-late 2000s.
