Sony is currently making a new handheld gaming console that allows users to play PlayStation 5 games anywhere. According to Bloomberg, the console is being developed to compete against Nintendo and Microsoft in the portable gaming market, and is likely “years away from launch” — if Sony decides to release it at all.
Sony’s efforts to not be left behind would build on the PlayStation Portal: the eight-inch gaming device it released last year that wirelessly streams PS5 games from the cloud — but, according to Bloomberg, was originally meant to function as a standalone device. The new device would allow games to be played natively rather than over Wi-Fi, potentially expanding Sony’s audience and making its games more accessible.
This isn’t completely new territory for Sony, having previously released portable gaming consoles like the PS Vita and PlayStation Portable — but these have long since been discontinued.
