Sony's Planned PlayStation Handheld Report Gets Backing, Possible 'Prototype' May Exist

Sony has reportedly been working on a handheld console that will be able to run PS5 games natively. The PlayStation parent was in the early stages of developing the device, Bloomberg had reported last week. The claim has now received backing from Digital Foundry, which said Monday, citing sources, that a Sony handheld was indeed in the works. The company launched a handheld device last year, the PlayStation Portal, that acts as a remote player for the PS5.

Sony's New Handheld Report Backed

In its latest DF Direct Weekly show on YouTube, Digital Foundry, known for its in-depth technical analysis of games and gaming hardware, corroborated the report about a new PlayStation handheld.

“... we actually heard about this handheld some months ago from a couple sources specifically. We're not in the business of leaking things, but it's interesting that this finally started to make its rounds, because it just sort of confirmed what we had seen and heard off the record about this existing — which is cool,” Digital Foundry's John Linneman said during the show.

“To me this sort of just strengthens the notion that yeah, they're very much working on something. And this article makes it seem like it's even further out than I actually thought based on that,” he added.

According to him, Sony may already have a prototype of its handheld. “So, I'm not sure where it's going; I think there's like prototype stuff out there, possibly. There's still a lot of questions for this, but it does feel like this future of offering a handheld and a home console option is very likely at this point.”

Sony, on its part, has not commented on its reported plans for a new gaming handheld that could run PS5 games on the go.

The PlayStation Portal remote player was launched in 2023
Photo Credit: Sony

Last week, a Bloomberg report claimed the company was developing a new handheld, intended as a competitor to the highly successful Nintendo Switch. The device would be able to run games natively, in line with previous handhelds from Sony like the PSP and the PS Vita. The reported handheld, however, is likely years away from launch. 

The company's most recent handheld, the PlayStation Portal, can only stream games and media from a connected PS5 over Wi-Fi connection. This requires the device to be paired with a PS5, which must stay in rest mode to enable remote play on the Portal.

The PlayStation Portal, however, did get an update in November that added cloud streaming support for certain PS5 games. The feature, currently in beta, is available to PlayStation Plus Deluxe/ Premium tier subscribers in select countries. According to Sony, PlayStation Portal users will be able to stream over 120 PS5 games directly from the company's servers, without requiring a PS5 linked to the device.