Why we want a PlayStation handheld.

Between Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck and smartphones, is there still room for a PlayStation handheld? We think so and explain why in the column!

Everyone knows the problem: Over the decades of video game enthusiasm, far too many small and large pleasure purchases have accumulated. At some point, these gather dust in moving boxes and end up moving back into the basement from one move to the next.

“Enough of that,” I thought to myself at last and began the big sorting out. I found two treasures: the PlayStation Vita and the PlayStation Portable. And then it came to me: Why is there no PlayStation handheld in the age of the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck? And maybe a mobile console is exactly what the market needs right now?

Bad experiences

It is not surprising that Sony has no plans for a mobile console so far. In the past, you have never been able to fully assert yourself against the strong competition. Both the PlayStation Portable, released in 2004, and the PlayStation Vita, released in 2011 (or 2012 in Europe), were technically impressive and scored with big games like “Uncharted: Golden Abyss”, “Tearaway” or “Gravity Rush”.

Sony was never able to position itself alongside Nintendo in the market, even though the devices offered better graphics and more options. Similar to my moving boxes, the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita were also gathering dust on retail shelves. Sony withdrew from this business and focused on its core business of stationary consoles.

Technical quantum leap

But more than ten years have passed since then and some problems of the past have been cleared up. User behavior has also changed. While in many places the further development of smartphones had to serve as the end of Sony’s handheld ambitions, Nintendo Switch and smartphones, for example, now coexist peacefully.

Microsoft was also interested, but went a different way. Games can be controlled via the Xbox Game Pass via cloud gaming, app and external smartphone hardware. This works very well in the WLAN, but is heavily dependent on the network on the go. Nonetheless, the possibilities are there.

Above all, Microsoft, Valve and Nintendo are uniting their game library on stationary and mobile platforms. That’s a big difference from previous generations of handhelds. You bundle the resources, so to speak, and so players can, for example, start a “Zelda: Breath of the Wild” on the couch and then simply take it with them on the go.

That’s why a PlayStation handheld would be cool!

Exactly this approach could also lead to success with a Sony handheld. Of course, the basis for this was a powerful handheld console that is able to automatically downscale PS4 and, above all, PS5 titles and display them accordingly. Technically complex and expensive? Probably! Impossible? Certainly not!

At the same time, thanks to modern online functionality, stationary and mobile devices could be linked and the gaming experience maintained over the long term. Game saves could be exchanged effortlessly thanks to cloud support.

So why a PlayStation handheld? Because times and gaming habits have changed and users today would be willing to invest in this additional hardware. This is where the new concept behind PlayStation Plus comes into play. Especially the expanded libraries and the integration of classic games could give the PlayStation handheld the edge over the competition. The variety of large, own brands is almost unmatched.

If Sony wants to re-enter the handheld market, it will do so with a similar boldness as it did with the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita, for example. The technical possibilities would be there and with a docking station or something similar one could easily bring mobile and stationary platforms together.

potential difficulties

But what are the chances of a PlayStation handheld? Currently, unfortunately, rather bad to ZERO. After at least the supply situation for the PlayStation 5 is slowly easing, PlayStation VR 2 is already in the starting blocks and should go on sale in 2023. Accordingly, Sony will pool its resources and push both the PS5 and the new VR hardware next year.

The rising prices in terms of components as well as delivery and energy prices are likely to pose a problem – both for the customer and for the manufacturer. Accordingly, you will not take any risks here at first and forego the handheld adventure for the time being.

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Nevertheless, the time is ripe for a modern and technically up-to-date handheld. The approaches of Nintendo, Microsoft and Valve show that more is possible than simply sitting out the issue. Come on Sony, flex your muscles and jump on the mobile train!

More stories on Column, Opinion, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Handheld, Steam Deck.

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