The anticipation for a new PlayStation handheld is stronger than ever after years in which Sony had neglected this segment. Now, the gaming landscape has changed enough for the Japanese company to once again consider competing head-to-head not only against Nintendo, which continues to lead with its Switch and the upcoming Switch 2, but also against the wave of PC-based handheld consoles like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. Interest in portable gaming devices not only persists but is growing, and Sony is ready to seize this new opportunity.
Many fondly remember the PSP era and the technological leap that the PS Vita represented, even though the lack of support from Sony itself and major Western studios relegated the latter to a secondary role. However, recent trends and the unexpected success of PlayStation Portal, despite its limitations, have restored Sony's confidence to invest in a new generation of handheld console.
The legacy of PSP and PS Vita
Sony's history in the handheld market is marked by the remarkable success of the PSP, a console that shone thanks to its multimedia capabilities and original games, reaching over 80 million units sold . The PS Vita brought added value with a touchscreen OLED display, two analog sticks, and processing power that rivaled desktop levels. However, sales didn't follow suit. The abandonment of the handheld line, however, seems to have stopped, driven by current demand and the rise of gaming options outside of television.
From the PlayStation Portal to the development of the new console
The year 2023 brought PlayStation Portal, an accessory that, while not a console itself, allowed users to remotely play PS5 titles. Its surprising market success, exceeding two million units sold, convinced Sony that there was a player base willing to embrace portability. Shortly afterward, leaks and solid rumors began to surface about the new portable PlayStation based on the PS5 , conceived in parallel with the upcoming PS6 and tentatively known as the "PS5 Portable."
This new device, according to sources very close to the process, is in the middle of development with the idea of integrating several of the technological advances associated with the next generation of Sony consoles.
Technical specifications and architecture of the future
The core of the hardware will be a processor based on AMD's new UDNA architecture (a blend of RDNA and CDNA) , still under development, and manufactured using a 3nm process. This platform will include a Ryzen APU with 16 compute units, 32 ROPs, and 2.304 shaders, as well as an AI-powered upscaling system enabled by technology inherited from the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR).
The RAM would consist of 16 GB of LPDDR5X , which, although offering less bandwidth than the PS5 (based on GDDR6), would compensate for this with a combination of 4 MB of L2 cache and 16 MB of MALL cache. This structure would allow for optimized data traffic management, reducing efficiency and power consumption for extended use away from home.
Design, battery and storage: what awaits us
Everything points to the design being very similar to that of PlayStation Portal, with at least an 8-inch screen and integrated DualSense controllers (including haptic feedback). Sony will do away with the disc drive, going all-in on digital, and will equip the console with a minimum of 1 TB of NVMe SSD storage , expandable via microSD Express card. This approach follows market trends and allows for reduced size, weight, and cost.
Regarding battery life, rumors agree that it will have a battery of at least 40 Wh , promising a gaming experience of about 3 to 6 hours, depending on the type of game played and the level of graphical demands.
Game catalog and compatibility
Sony's goal with its next handheld is clear: to enable access to the digital catalogs of both PS5 and PS4 . This will be achieved through intelligent resource management to adjust performance and image quality. PS5 titles will run using shader binary compatibility, although in practice they will require specific patches from developers to ensure smooth gameplay and stability. PS4 games, without restrictions, could even benefit from visual enhancements. On the other hand, next-generation titles, such as those for PS6, will only be playable on the handheld via streaming or remote access, thus guaranteeing universal integration within the PlayStation ecosystem.
The new PlayStation portable project is still in its early stages, so its launch could be delayed until 2028, coinciding with the potential arrival of the PS6. Sony is looking to balance risks and opportunities, and once the prototype and industrial development phases are complete, it will likely see the light of day. As for the price, estimates range between €500 and €700 , placing it below a next-generation home console and above other peripheral devices like Portal.
