\"Play anywhere\": Sony boss's words ignited the dream of a handheld PlayStation

In recent weeks, discussions around PlayStation revolved around a single question: what will PS6 actually be for if it loses discs and increasingly resembles a gaming PC? One answer, however, remained undeservedly in the shadows — a native handheld. And the words of Sony’s boss have now brought it back into the light.

What Nishino actually said

In an interview with the Japanese magazine Famitsu, Hideaki Nishino stated that PlayStation could in the future utilize technologies applicable in various forms and in various places, emphasizing that the “pull out and play” style is becoming increasingly important for today’s gamers. He did not announce any new handheld with this — but the phrasing fits into rumors like a key into a lock. Until now, portable PlayStation gaming was mainly possible via PlayStation Portal, which, however, relies on streaming.

The dream called PS Vita 2

Leaker Moore’s Law Is Dead already spoke about a Vita successor in 2024. According to that rumor, the handheld should arrive with the new console generation and run PlayStation games natively — meaning even where streaming fails: in a car, on a plane, at a cabin without a decent signal. Reddit envisions an ideal à la Nintendo Switch, where the same digital library runs at home on the console and outdoors in hand.

But let’s keep our feet on the ground. Hardware isn’t born from a single clever statement in an interview, and PS6 itself isn’t expected until around 2028. Any potential handheld is thus more a promise of direction than a product within reach. But after all the skepticism surrounding PlayStation’s digital future, it’s nice to finally have something to look forward to.

Would you buy a portable PlayStation that could handle games without streaming?

Source: Famitsu, Notebookcheck