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[VolticArchangel]

No. Not the PS4.

It would be an even bigger disastrous decision than the SPE's inside the PS3.

I don't want any new console hardware, especially new Sony portable console hardware, to go back to an archaic outdated architecture, it's I/O capabilities, and it's development pipeline to affect design decisions for developers, going forward.

If they want a new PSP in the market, which they obviously can and have room for, being only the second traditional closed portable console maker to still be in the market should they wish to be, they should make one like the Switch 2 (but in line with the x86 architecture of the PS5, and in future, the PS6), which will be playing current generation games.

Have the crossbuy initiative across devices like they used to have between PSP/Vita/PS3/PS4, but now between (this new) PSP/PS5/PS6 (when it's out).

It should hold back no more than the Series S.

 

[Shifty1897]

A portable PS4 made more sense in 2020/2021 when titles were still releasing for it. It makes less sense now, but I'd still buy it to play my favorite digital titles.

 

[StereoVsn]

IMO, it would need to have PS5 support in some fashion. Otherwise its kind of meh since Windows handhelds and Steam deck have access to like 95+% of the library.

Edit: If Sony handheld natively supported PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4 and Vita games (digital ones in Sony store of course), I would probably grab it.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

A portable that plays only PS4 games is a terrible idea

A portable that plays PS4 games and allows creation of new games specifically for it is an even worse idea.

The only way another portable makes sense from Sony is if it it is PS Portal 2 (Remote Play/Cloud Streaming) or if PS6 is a hybrid console.

Edit:
Or ....it allows native PS1-PS4 games, direct connect remote play to PS5 and PS6 and Cloud Streaming.

 

[Kacho]

A new Sony handheld needs to be able to natively run all games on the market. If it can’t do that it’s DOA.

 

[drotahorror]

New portable that can play PS1/2/3 and it's own native games. I don't care if it's DOA, if it can play PS3 games lets go.

 

[Radical_3d]

Digital Foundry already discarded the possibility of a portable PS4 due to the speed of the RAM of the original console. Making it too energy consuming for a practical device. But let’s put ourselves in the best case scenario: everyone and their mother has known what SoC the Switch 2 is using. Sony could undercut that console with their own AMD solution, arguably less expensive than nVidia as a provider, and with its PSSR giving feature parity with what Nintendo is releasing. Ok. So you have a cheaper Switch 2 or a more powerful Switch 2. All the third party support that the most popular brand is getting can be easily ported to your Sony hybrid console. So… what’s the point of that console. Why buy a better or a cheaper Switch 2 when you can have the one that is receiving all the first party support from Nintendo? It just doesn’t have the software horse power to survive. Unless they make every PS5 game scale down to mobile hardware, which I doubt they can even with PSSR.

 

[Agent X]

On the rare occasion that I'd want a console on me, I just take a vintage one. They come in different sizes from a swan to a big comfy lynx. Most actually go in a pocket, though. The games take less time to settle into. Batteries last long. I take one with here and there. Neo Geo Pocket, DSI, GBA, all nice pieces for when you have to hurry up and wait somewhere.

If I wanted a modern portable, it would be one of those android emulator ones. Even a switch is too much. To big, short battery, uncomfortable to play on.

I'm in agreement with you that many modern "portable" gaming systems aren't well suited to actual portable play. They're expensive, bulky, and have rather short battery life.

Although I've been advocating for a portable PS4, I would also have some concerns about these factors.

IMO, it would need to have PS5 support in some fashion. Otherwise its kind of meh since Windows handhelds and Steam deck have access to like 95+% of the library.

Edit: If Sony handheld natively supported PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4 and Vita games (digital ones in Sony store of course), I would probably grab it.

If they did a portable PS4, then they could theoretically have streaming support for PS5 games.

As far as the other Sony consoles' game libraries are concerned:

PS1: Many games already available for download from PS Store, still adding more games on a regular basis.
PS2: Many games already available for download from PS Store, still adding more games on a regular basis.
PS3: Streamable rhrough PlayStation Plus Premium.
PS4. Of course.
PSP: Many games already available for download from PS Store, still adding more games on a regular basis.
PS Vita: Unlikely to get "native" support for several reasons (system architecture, unusual input methods). However, many of the best PS Vita games were already ported to PS4; some of the digital downloads even honor cross-buy.

With the above in mind, the biggest holes that are the hardest to fill are the PS3 and PS Vita games. The good news is that many great games from these systems have already been ported to native PS4 games. The bad news is that there's no clear sign that these back catalogs will grow anytime soon. PS Vita games that use dual cameras and/or rear touchpad would require some reworking. They haven't added many PS3 games to PS Plus Premium lately, and there's no native support for PS3 games on even the more powerful PS5 and PS5 Pro.

PS1, PS2, and PSP games on PS4 seem to be chugging along nicely, even though it might not be as quickly as we'd all like. I think the existence of a portable might actually encourage publishers and developers to tap into these back catalogs with more vigor and enthusiasm, since a lot of those games are well suited for portable play.

 

[StereoVsn]

I'm in agreement with you that many modern "portable" gaming systems aren't well suited to actual portable play. They're expensive, bulky, and have rather short battery life.

Although I've been advocating for a portable PS4, I would also have some concerns about these factors.



If they did a portable PS4, then they could theoretically have streaming support for PS5 games.

As far as the other Sony consoles' game libraries are concerned:

PS1: Many games already available for download from PS Store, still adding more games on a regular basis.
PS2: Many games already available for download from PS Store, still adding more games on a regular basis.
PS3: Streamable rhrough PlayStation Plus Premium.
PS4. Of course.
PSP: Many games already available for download from PS Store, still adding more games on a regular basis.
PS Vita: Unlikely to get "native" support for several reasons (system architecture, unusual input methods). However, many of the best PS Vita games were already ported to PS4; some of the digital downloads even honor cross-buy.

With the above in mind, the biggest holes that are the hardest to fill are the PS3 and PS Vita games. The good news is that many great games from these systems have already been ported to native PS4 games. The bad news is that there's no clear sign that these back catalogs will grow anytime soon. PS Vita games that use dual cameras and/or rear touchpad would require some reworking. They haven't added many PS3 games to PS Plus Premium lately, and there's no native support for PS3 games on even the more powerful PS5 and PS5 Pro.

PS1, PS2, and PSP games on PS4 seem to be chugging along nicely, even though it might not be as quickly as we'd all like. I think the existence of a portable might actually encourage publishers and developers to tap into these back catalogs with more vigor and enthusiasm, since a lot of those games are well suited for portable play.

Personally I would not a buy a device where I have to stream large parts of the library.

But yeah, I think the above would be interesting to a lot of folks, just not me.

 

[SakkanartSilentJealousy]

PS5 + PS Portal say hi, if you don't play outside that much. Some games can reach 1080p60 but PS portal still has some flaws though.

 

[IAmRei]

Sony PS4P and Switch 2 will be a blast for me *chef kiss

 

[PatientGamer]

Sony just needs to go the Switch route with their PS6.

Take what worked with the PS Portal and have a console x handheld hybrid or two separate SKUs.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Didn't vote, because:

- No, I'm content with PS Portal

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Sony just needs to go the Switch route with their PS6.

Take what worked with the PS Portal and have a console x handheld hybrid or two separate SKUs.

Wouldn’t that result in either…

A. A weak home console

B. An overly expensive/bulky handheld

C. An Xbox Series S scenario potentially hamstringing developers


Switch is a bloody excellent handheld, but an incredibly weak home console

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Didn't vote, because:

- No, I'm content with PS Portal

I think the design of the Portal, with its protruding controllers/handles, was intentionally to differentiate it from a potential dedicated handheld…

…which I assume would look like a cross between a SteamDeck and a PS Vita.

Shame it abbreviates to “PSP”

 

[Impotaku]

Sony just needs to go the Switch route with their PS6.

Take what worked with the PS Portal and have a console x handheld hybrid or two separate SKUs.

It amazes me when people say stuff like this, what the hell would power it for it to remain portable for more than 5 mins? Battery tech is not evolving fast enough to cover power hungry hardware. Unless they do some miracle work to design chips that hardly draw power you will end up with a steam deck kind of situation where the battery drains fast if you hammer the graphics.

console makers still havent learnt this rule even back in the day lynx, game gear & pc engine gt all sacrificed graphics for battery life and look where it got them. Battery tech has gotten better but there are limits and the only way you could power something so power hungry would be with massive batteries the thing would weigh a ton.

 

[PatientGamer]

Wouldn’t that result in either…

A. A weak home console

B. An overly expensive/bulky handheld

C. An Xbox Series S scenario potentially hamstringing developers

Potentially. In that case, they should just re-do what they did with the PS Portal, but fix the wireless audio situation and figure out a way to better handle storage/streaming. e.g. play any game from your library whether it's installed on your home console or not.

The last thing they should do is try to create a separate line of software for it. That's what caused the Vita's failure.

It amazes me when people say stuff like this, what the hell would power it for it to remain portable for more than 5 mins? Battery tech is not evolving fast enough to cover power hungry hardware. Unless they do some miracle work to design chips that hardly draw power you will end up with a steam deck kind of situation where the battery drains fast if you hammer the graphics.

console makers still havent learnt this rule even back in the day lynx, game gear & pc engine gt all sacrificed graphics for battery life and look where it got them. Battery tech has gotten better but there are limits and the only way you could power something so power hungry would be with massive batteries the thing would weigh a ton.

Ok, that's fair enough. They should consider doing a better PS Portal in that case so they don't need to make significant trade-offs for their home console.

 

[Newari]

No. A modern console, even hand held one, should be optimized for modern storage solutions. Making it a portable PS4 would ignore years of improvement in storage/asset streaming/decompression.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

I think the design of the Portal, with its protruding controllers/handles, was intentionally to differentiate it from a potential dedicated handheld…

…which I assume would look like a cross between a SteamDeck and a PS Vita.

Shame it abbreviates to “PSP”

Probably.

Personally, I don't need a handheld, just PS Portal for it's RP feature.

 

[Trilobit]

I wouldn't want to play PS4 games on the go and after what I've seen with how they've supported their handhelds in the past I think it's for the best that they only focus on consoles.

 

[SmokedMeat]

I’d rather a PC handheld since that’s my main platform, versus a handheld where games and prices are purchased from a single Sony controlled store.

It just has nothing enticing to offer me.

 

[dragonyeuw]

With Sony putting their games on PC, I'm not sure what a handheld from them would provide over a PC handheld which also grants access to MS games, thousands upon thousands of current/past PC games spanning decades, open platform, choice of storefronts and general benefits of a PC ( I suppose you could apply the same logic with consoles, but I'm just referring to an open handheld vs closed one in this case). What would be the sales pitch over a Steam Deck/Rog Ally/Legion Go/ etc etc?

 

[BlackTron]

Or ....it allows native PS1-PS4 games, direct connect remote play to PS5 and PS6 and Cloud Streaming.

All four native?

 

[MayauMiao]

Given Sony's history with portables, nope.

 

[Three]

A new Sony handheld needs to be able to natively run all games on the market. If it can’t do that it’s DOA.

Why? The steamdeck doesn't run all games on the market and you have to look at some unofficial proton compatibility list to find out and even then it might not be at acceptable framerates to the individual. Is the steamdeck a dead handheld walking?

The worst thing PS can do if they release this PS4 spec handheld is to mandate it runs all games. It will hold back their more powerful consoles. Just have it as an option to play the majority of your library, Dave the diver, LBP, Spiderman, God Of War etc but don't mandate that some demanding release like Wukong or Spiderman 2 must run on it .

 

[Three]

I wouldn't want to play PS4 games on the go and after what I've seen with how they've supported their handhelds in the past I think it's for the best that they only focus on consoles.

In the past they were on strange architectures like Cell vs Arm. Now an x86 handheld wouldn't require that much support to get the same games. They have Nixxes already doing that.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

All four native?

My bad, emulated.

 

[Griffon]

Maybe in a world where the Steam Deck doesn't exist.

But now? Hell no.

 

[ArtHands]

Want it to happen for 2 reasons:

• I can show them that I can play PS5 1st party games like Returnal or Rift Apart on my Steam Deck and they can't on their PS4P
• for Nintendo to make a hat trick

 

[Bond007]

I have both times and would again. That being said, Sonys support outside of their flagship console has always left much to be desired

 

[GoldenEye98]

Wouldn’t that result in either…

A. A weak home console

B. An overly expensive/bulky handheld

C. An Xbox Series S scenario potentially hamstringing developers


Switch is a bloody excellent handheld, but an incredibly weak home console

The Xbox Series S was still a ~75W console at the end of the day. If your base console is handheld it's more like ~20W the gap between it and you top end console is going to even larger.