The rumoured PlayStation portable will likely only play PS5 games, as a leaker claims to have additional information.
The next generation of consoles is increasingly looking like it will become a war of handheld devices, as Microsoft and Sony both look to compete against the Nintendo Switch 2.
Microsoft has confirmed some kind of Xbox handheld is in the works, alongside its next generation console, but the picture is less clear with Sony. The company launched the PlayStation Portal for the PlayStation 5 to considerable success, and several rumours since indicate another handheld is in development to coincide with the PlayStation 6.
Whether this is another PlayStation Portal or a successor to the PS Vita are unclear, but a new rumour suggests it might be more closely tied to the PlayStation 5 than Sony’s home console.
According to leaker KeplerL2, who previously revealed accurate specs for the PS5 Pro console, the next PlayStation handheld will ‘definitely run’ PlayStation 5 games but ‘not at the same resolution/FPS’ as the home console.
In response to someone who asked if current gen games will require patches to run on the handheld system, KeplerL2 replied: ‘[As far as I know] it has shader binary compatibility so it should ‘just work’ but performance may not be great without a patch.’
This suggests PlayStation 5 games will require some kind of update to properly function on the device, in the same vein as the Steam Deck Verified label on Valve’s portable.
If the next Sony handheld runs PlayStation 5 games at a lower resolution, this suggests PlayStation 6 games (assuming they are a sizeable upgrade) will likely not run on the system at all – or if they do they’ll be a significant downgrade.
If Sony is looking to emulate the PlayStation Portal though, it’s possible PlayStation 6 titles could run on the device via remote play instead, while the downgraded PlayStation 5 games could potentially operate without being tethered to an internet connection.
Nothing has been announced about any new PlayStation handheld, so it’s entirely possible none of this happens, but the amount of rumours suggests Sony is cooking up some kind of portable device. We’ll just have to wait and see if it can run games without a home system.
Earlier this year, the same leaker claimed the PlayStation 6 will launch in late 2027. If this is true, and a handheld is planned for around the same time, it’s likely any portable device will not be a massive improvement over the Switch 2 or Steam Deck, unless it carries a hefty price tag.
The Switch 2 can run current gen games but, based on footage we’ve seen of Star Wars Outlaws, they are noticeably downgraded. Other current gen games are confirmed for the system too, including Split Fiction and Borderlands 4, but we’ll have to see how they perform when the new console launches on June 5, 2025.
Beyond any potential handheld, Sony’s biggest challenge is convincing people to upgrade to a PlayStation 6, at a time when many people haven’t even made the jump from the PlayStation 4.
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