A true PlayStation handheld that plays PS4 and PS5 games on the go could be in the pipeline.
The revelation comes from the YouTube channel Moore’s Law Is Dead, which previously broke news of a PS5 Pro console that has since been corroborated by others.
Of course, Sony only recently released the PlayStation Portal, but that lowkey handheld can only stream the games you already own directly from your PS5. Whereas the newcomer will be a standalone device that isn’t connected to a separate console, making it more akin to a Steam Deck.
Sony reportedly has already given the nod to computer chip maker AMD to start active development on the new device. Still, it’s reportedly only in the embryonic stages of its design right now, and may never see the light of day.
Notably, AMD already makes the graphics processing unit (GPU) that powers the PS5, which is capable of 4K visuals at a smooth 120 frames per second.
The new handheld probably won’t be able to scale the same heights for fear that it would quickly zap the battery. Plus, Sony likely doesn’t want to slap a £1,000 price tag on it either. After all, it already offers the relatively affordable £200 PS Portal, while the Steam Deck starts from a pleasing £349.
Seeing as the specs for the new console aren’t set in stone, Moore’s Law is Dead decided to take a stab at them. By the sounds of it, the system could be virtually identical to the PS4, with 18 compute units in its GPU and a slower clock speed of 1.8 GHz. As such, it will only be able to natively run PS4 games, with PS5 games requiring a software patch to work on the new console.
As for an ETA, the earliest the new handheld could arrive is in two years' time - unless Sony decides to launch it alongside the PS6 as a handheld alternative aimed at the Japanese market.
Until we hear it from the horse's mouth, however, it's probably best to take this rumour with a grain of salt.
In hindsight, the 12-year gap between the PS Vita and PS Portal was a sign of Sony’s reluctance to release another handheld. When it did finally cave, it played it safe with a device that functioned more like a PS5 peripheral than a self-sufficient console in its own right.
Perhaps the success of the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck has convinced it to give proper handhelds another shot. Avoiding mistakes of the past by offering a system that doesn’t require you to purchase separate games could do the trick.
