[Bloomberg] Sony Working on Handheld Console for PS5 Games to Rival Switch

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Go for the kill make it portable PS5pro with VR plus dockable at competitive price.
 
hououinkyouma00 said:
Read it again. I'm saying you can't have a PS5/PS6 type of device in a handheld device, and a hybrid is first and foremost a handheld device. A hybrid makes no sense and would be Sony basically going backwards which isn't going to happen.

A handheld doesn't prevent them from releasing a PS6 especially if it's a more niche device meant to be a companion device to their main console similar to what the Portal is now.

What you are presenting would not only be more work/expense for Sony but also kill the PlayStation brand.

When people say you can't have a dedicated handheld now they mean only that you can't have a dedicated handheld device with a separate game pool. A new PlayStation handheld would simply be a device that players PS4/5 and possibly 6 games at a lower resolution/settings and possibly framerate similar to how PC handhelds play the same games as their full fledged counterparts.
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I said that the only viable way for them is an hybrid console, not that they are going to do that…Sony can't even support the PSVR properly and you think they are going back to the handheld race…What's going to be PS5 handheld selling point? ☝️Look you can play some old PS5 games that are available in PC handhelds via steam but at full price 🤔 that's doesn't make any sense… Or going full Vita, making games exclusive for that platform. PS Portal is doing really good for Sony, i think that they are going to expand in that idea, maybe making some old PS2, PS3 that can run natively.
 
nial said:
Games mainly published by SIE (and Bungie, a wholly owned subsidiary of SIE).
2024:

2025:

In comparison, games mainly published by NCL.
2024:

2025:

I don't really see a big gulf in terms of quantity here, Nintendo's and Sony's outputs are pretty much on par on that aspect.
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You forgot many Nintendo games in 2025 but anyway... I guess there are more SIE games than I thought, I guess that people are hyped for Lost Soul Aside and Convallaria. 😂
 
LordOcidax said:
I said that the only viable way for them is an hybrid console, not that they are going to do that…Sony can't even support the PSVR properly and you think they are going back to the handheld race…What's going to be PS5 handheld selling point? ☝️Look you can play some old PS5 games that are available in PC handhelds via steam but at full price 🤔 that's doesn't make any sense… Or going full Vita, making games exclusive for that platform. PS Portal is doing really good for Sony, i think that they are going to expand in that idea, maybe making some old PS2, PS3 that can run natively.
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Delusional
 
Donkusei said:
You forgot many Nintendo games in 2025 but anyway...
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Like...? I will say that I don't count licensed stuff in the same way I didn't include Everybody's Golf World on Sony's list.
Donkusei said:
I guess there are more SIE games than I thought, I guess that people are hyped for Lost Soul Aside and Convallaria. 😂
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Weird dig considering that Nintendo publishes far worse stuff like Endless Ocean Luminous and Drag x Drive, but whatever. :lollipop_hushed:
 
sony will arbandon gaas woke crud and make games like astobot and portimbles like nintendos everrryone will bee harpy
 
DavJay said:
If they are making a portable ps5 than physical is really dead… unless they put a disc drive on it which is ridiculous.
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PS5 using physical means any handheld can't be based on this generation.
With PlayStation's current licensing scheme in place (both discs and PSN games) they can't make a handheld console, period.
100% of existing disc games for PS4/5 will be incompatible with a handheld. It'd be like Nintendo making Switch a portable GC that doesn't work with GC discs.
The only way a handheld will work is with a generational reset paired with an updated unified licensing system.
E.g., PS6 would use discs to install games but licenses would be 100% owned via the PSN. This way 100% of games would work on PS6 and PS6 handheld.
 
LordOcidax said:
That's doesn't make any sense at all for a new console…It kills the whole purpose of a new system. You can bookmark this post, if Sony launches a handheld, it's going to be an hybrid system, that's the only viable way, and i don't ser Sony doing that…
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The PS5 generation will probably still be viable until around 2035 for all AAA games. People don't seem to realize that. Sony could release their handheld in 2028 and they could theoretically could support it with all of their games for 7 or so years.

The handheld would just be the Series S version for the Playstation 6 and it would probably be sold as a hybrid. The console PS6 will solely be playing games with better performance for a very long time. It won't have exclusives for many many years after launch
 
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LordOcidax said:
Lol, why some of you think i am attacking Sony with my opinion 😂 I am just doing an analysis on the situation, could be right or could be wrong, is that simple.
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You are assuming the only path to success is a hybrid console and that a portable device is doomed to failure because of lack of support, when the reality is they are the same thing

If you make a hybrid, you have to develop two versions of a game. No different from a separate handheld and separate console
 
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mckmas8808 said:
It'll be a portable PS5. It'll add to the PS5 count in the same way PS5 Pro adds to the "PS5 units sold" count. So, yeah.......it doesn't need huge sales to validate its existence.
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If Sony wants to stop Nintendo from beating the PS2's sales numbers they'll do that with a PS2.
A TV console that takes plug-in DS2s, 8mb memory cards and PS2/1 games would start sales at 160mil where PS2 slim left off.
Done correctly they could get PS2 console sales to >300mil in the next decade.
Getting everyone with a PS2 to buy the improved PS2 with DualSense won't be difficult.
 
coachmcguirk91 said:
The PS5 generation will probably still be viable until around 2035 for all AAA games. People don't seem to realize that. Sony could release their handheld in 2028 and they could theoretically could support it with all of their games for 7 or so years.

The handheld would just be the Series S version for the Playstation 6 and it would probably be sold as a hybrid. The console PS6 will solely be playing games with better performance for a very long time. It won't have exclusives for many many years after launch
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Agree with you… And like i said before it's going to be the same case as the Series S.
 
James Sawyer Ford said:
You are assuming the only path to success is a hybrid console and that a portable device is doomed to failure because of lack of support, when the reality is they are the same thing

If you make a hybrid, you have to develop two versions of a game. No different from a separate handheld and separate console
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Nope, the Switch just uses two profiles for the settings: docked and handheld, is the same hardware with different clocks speeds, devs only have to tweak the settings… Is not the same when you have a complete different hardware configuration.
 
Woopah said:
I'm not sure I understand the PSP/PS2/DS/Gamecube part.

What does that tell us about today?
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I think it tells us that there is a market for a PlayStation handheld and that if it receives the requisite support can rack up significant market share.

And I think it allows us to suppose that when it comes to combined TAM that two Sony devices would have a significant advantage over one from Nintendo.

That whereas someone who might have purchased one DS and a Gamecube would likely only purchase one Switch. That as well as the Switch has sold, it has yet to breach the combined TAM of Nintendo when they had separate devices with the exception of the time with the GBA and N64.
 
LordOcidax said:
I said that the only viable way for them is an hybrid console, not that they are going to do that…Sony can't even support the PSVR properly and you think they are going back to the handheld race…What's going to be PS5 handheld selling point? ☝️Look you can play some old PS5 games that are available in PC handhelds via steam but at full price 🤔 that's doesn't make any sense… Or going full Vita, making games exclusive for that platform. PS Portal is doing really good for Sony, i think that they are going to expand in that idea, maybe making some old PS2, PS3 that can run natively.
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If Sony launches a dedicated high priced/high spec portable it'll fail. The trend is already there with all their peripherals except PSP.

PSP Go did lousy and in some aspects worse than the standard PSP, PS Vita did a fraction of PSP sales, PSVR only sold about 5-6M units (I think it was about 4% of PS4 consoles), PSVR 2 will sell even less, and Sony had hardly any first party support for Vita/VR systems. So it shows they dont commit to the system with games, but assume gamers will buy it for third party games. The only system they did support well was PSP.

Their best success was a modestly priced PSP, lots of first party games, and a good system. It sold a ton. Since then, sales drop like a rock as price goes up and first party support tanks. And I dont see Sony releasing a portable system that is price friendly or having tons of first party games lined up.
 
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LordOcidax said:
It's not that simple on a closed systems like consoles… Devs have to do some optimizations for that specific hardware configuration.
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They have to do the same thing on Switch

Cerny makes dev environments simple. They already create builds for PS5 Pro and base PS5. Adding a handheld in the mix is not difficult. Again, you are making a mountain out of a molehill.
 
StreetsofBeige said:
If Sony launches a dedicated high priced/high spec portable it'll fail. The trend is already there with all their peripherals except PSP.

PSP Go did lousy and in some aspects worse than the standard PSP, PS Vita did a fraction of PSP sales, PSVR only sold about 5-6M units (I think it was about 4% of PS4 consoles), PSVR 2 will sell even less, and Sony had hardly any first party support for Vita/VR systems. So it shows they dont commit to the system with games, but assume gamers will buy it for third party games. The only system they did support well was PSP.

Their best success was a modestly priced PSP, lots of first party games, and a good system. It sold a ton. Since then, sales drop like a rock as price goes up and first party support tanks. And I dont see Sony releasing a portable system that is price friendly or having tons of first party games lined up.
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They are having great success with PS Portal.

A "Steam Deck" like PS6 handheld will find success in the market. But it's still an ancillary system and not required. You can pick which devices you want to use in your ecosystem - Handheld only, Console only, or maybe you buy both and play across both.

Sony doesn't need to sell as many PS6 handhelds as Nintendo does Switch 2's in order to find success. It's an optional device they will mark up for a premium cost to make a profit, and it broadens the appeal of their entire ecosystem. It's not the sole driver like it is the Switch hybrids
 
James Sawyer Ford said:
Sony doesn't need to sell as many PS6 handhelds as Nintendo does Switch 2's in order to find success. It's an optional device they will mark up for a premium cost to make a profit, and it broadens the appeal of their entire ecosystem. It's not the sole driver like it is the Switch hybrids
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I'm not sure they'll sell it at a profit. Probably not much market in that, but I do think they could sell it at a loss with hopes of selling more software and increasing overall TAM.
 
James Sawyer Ford said:
They have to do the same thing on Switch

Cerny makes dev environments simple. They already create builds for PS5 Pro and base PS5. Adding a handheld in the mix is not difficult. Again, you are making a mountain out of a molehill.
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I think you don't really understand how the Hybrid concept works… Devs doesn't have to do that on Switch. The Switch docked and undocked have the same hardware configuration, just different clocks speeds 🙄.
 
Schmendrick said:
And I think you have no clue how software development works.
Even if we are talking about the same hardware we`re still talking about vastly different performance levels in the 2 modes.
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Lol ok…

Its not the same as having a totally different hardware configuration at all, not even close, With the hybrid concept is just a few tweaks and you are ready. Switch devs tends to go from handheld first to docked in that aspect not vice versa… On the PC side you have the OS layer and the APIs that makes everything somewhat simpler but you can't code to the metal as on consoles.
 
Mibu no ookami said:
The Portal has friendly margins and a low entry price. The PS Portable won't. They aren't the same at all.
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They will sell a PS6 handheld @ a $50 markup. It's not going to be sold at cost, and that $50 markup isn't going to be a make it or break it decision. It will probably end up costing $400-500
 
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James Sawyer Ford said:
They will sell a PS6 handheld @ a $50 markup. It's not going to be sold at cost, and that $50 markup isn't going to be a make it or break it decision. It will probably end up costing $400-500
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There is zero reason to sell it at a profit when the real goal is increasing software sales.

At that point every 50 dollars drives your ability to sell the console down drastically.

Imagine you sell 5 million units... that's 250 million dollars in revenue.... That's not really worth the decreased software sales.
 
Mibu no ookami said:
There is zero reason to sell it at a profit when the real goal is increasing software sales.

At that point every 50 dollars drives your ability to sell the console down drastically.

Imagine you sell 5 million units... that's 250 million dollars in revenue.... That's not really worth the decreased software sales.
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Nah, $450 vs $499 is irrelevant

The goal isn't to solely sell software, it's to make the product profitable by itself since it's not the cornerstone of their strategy
 
James Sawyer Ford said:
Nah, $450 vs $499 is irrelevant

The goal isn't to solely sell software, it's to make the product profitable by itself since it's not the cornerstone of their strategy
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Selling software and subscriptions are.

Same reason they aren't selling the Ps5 at a high profit either. Not sure how you convinced yourself they're going to start now.
 
James Sawyer Ford said:
They are selling PS5 Pro, a secondary product, at a profit.

The handheld is a secondary product
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Apples and oranges. The PS5 Pro wouldn't be sold nearly as much at a profit if it had any real competition which a PS Portable absolutely would.

Then you have to remember the demographic for which the handheld is suitable for. The cheaper it is the more affordable an option for kids i.e. their parents.

That's not the aim of the PS5 Pro, which is exclusively for power users of PlayStation.
 
Mibu no ookami said:
Apples and oranges. The PS5 Pro wouldn't be sold nearly as much at a profit if it had any real competition which a PS Portable absolutely would.

Then you have to remember the demographic for which the handheld is suitable for. The cheaper it is the more affordable an option for kids i.e. their parents.

That's not the aim of the PS5 Pro, which is exclusively for power users of PlayStation.
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Their aim isn't to sell 100M PS handhelds, and even so, a $50 profit margin isn't going to be the difference maker in terms of adoption

Sony is run much more conservatively now, and I suspect even the ps6 will be sold at a profit

Especially true without much competition in consoles anymore
 
It will easily outsell the pc handhelds like steamdeck takin on switch 2 is a big gamble but fuck it take us back to the glory days of psp vs ds
 
ArtHands said:
Yah. Sony couldn't even make any dent when Nintendo wasn't at its peak. They have already failed twice in a row, with the second flop being one of the biggest Playstation hardware failure of all time.
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But the PSP wasn't a flop.
 
I have no faith in Sony releasing and supporting a new handheld after they released the awesome PS Vita and then proceeded to ignore it. They even did the same thing again with PS VR2, thus, guaranteeing that VR will never achieve mainstream success in the gaming market.

I just don't get Sony sometimes...
 
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Doctor Hades said:
I have no faith in Sony releasing and supporting a new handheld after they released the awesome PS Vita and then proceeded to ignore it. They even did the same thing again with PS VR2, thus, guaranteeing that VR will never achieve mainstream success in the gaming market.

I just don't get Sony sometimes...
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That's why not requiring developer intervention is so important.
 
asdasdasdbb said:
I'd even go so far to say that the PS5 will continue to be sold well past the PS6's launch.

Unfortunately generations are over. The PS6 is basically going to be what the PS5 Pro should have been. It's not going to be a massive leap.
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You're crazy! A Zen5 processor will smoke a Zen2 processor. And a GPU that can run FSR5 (yes I said 5) with better tensor cores will run circles around a PS5 and PS5 Pro.

LordOcidax said:
You can't have a cutting edge piece of hardware like the Ps6 and the same tech for a handheld at the same time, unless Sony price the PS6 portable more expensive than the console…
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It's going to be a PS5 handheld. Why do yall keep calling it a PS6 handheld?

Mibu no ookami said:
No one said that the PS6 won't use cutting edge technology and the two SOCs are being built in tandem.

The PS5 Pro uses cutting edge technology not present in the PS5, it doesn't mean games aren't designed for the PS5 or are even cross gen with the PS4. The PS4 games running natively on PS5 also run superbly on PS5 Pro and they don't share the same design architecture.

You're going to be wrong on this and it's going to be obiovus when it happens and you're going to act like you never said this.

Like I said, it'll be a handheld around 500 dollars, compared to the Switch which is 350 dollar kit sold evenly or for profit. This means Sony can build a 550-600 dollar PS Portable and sell it for 500 based on their own practices.

That's significantly more advanced than the Steam Deck and Switch 2.

Sharing a platform with PS6 means the economies of scale are massive here, not only in hardware production but also software development.
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It's NOT going to be a PS6 handheld.
 
mckmas8808 said:
But the PSP wasn't a flop.
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Yet the levels of piracy going on with it, even during it's prime years, were so bad that games flopped/underperformed left and right on it -- and the times that didn't happen, well, there was still a lot of money left on the table due to piracy.
 
Loxus said:
This should be able to play PS5 games that are optimized for it at lower resolutions.
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I think they'll need a specialized memory setup both for TDP and performance reasons - ie. a large eDram buffer of some sort.
But the original problem stays here - anything that 'needs' ports of PS5 games is going to be a really awful value proposition at the onset, especially next to Switch 2 with a massive BC library and large amount of existing software.

Even with 'PS6-S' level of performance - we are so far down the diminishing returns on the graphics side that people will probably be unable to tell the games on different handhelds apart, and if the 'only' reason to buy one is Sony vs Nintendo exclusives (and 3rd parties are basically the same), who exactly would this be for?
 
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