The PS5, PlayStation 5, or whatever Sony plans to call its PS4 successor may use cartridges in some fashion. According to a patent filed by the company in South Korea for what's being described as an "electronic game cartridge" suggests a connection at the end of the device that could be used to work with a console. As to why this could end up being for the PS5, there are a host of reasons. For one, Sony isn't looking to make a third handheld after the PSP and PS Vita and more importantly, it appears that the Nintendo Switch has made a massive impact on how Sony views the gaming space if comments of PlayStation boss John Kodera are any indication.
"Rather than separating portable gaming from consoles, it's necessary to continue thinking of [portable gaming] as one method to deliver more gaming experiences," Kodera said in an investor relations briefing back in May. This could see the PS5 use different media options like cartridges, for which the aforementioned South Korea patent was discovered.
After stating that the PS4 is in the final stage of its life cycle, Kodera suggested that it has three years before Sony considers it end of life. In an interview with Bloomberg Japan (translated by Japan games industry expert Serkan Toto), Kodera said that the PS4 has entered the final stage of its life and Sony will spend the next three years "preparing for the future". This hints that we will get first-party exclusives and new games from Sony till then at the very least.
In addition to this, Kodera said his company "considers various options around the PS Vita" again. This comes after his predecessor Andrew House said last fall that portable gaming is not a big market. Furthermore, he said that while PS4 and Vita are separate machines (home versus portable), Sony is continuously looking for ways to offer unique game experiences. Perhaps the success of the Nintendo Switch has raised some eyebrows at Sony, forcing the company to consider its options for a hybrid PS4 successor?
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