There’s A Lot Riding On The Possible Upcoming Sony Handheld

Being an “older generation” kid, sometimes the gaming advancements of today genuinely surprise me. In the early days, we had to line up at the arcade to play games before finally getting a personal device. Waiting for your turn at the arcade was replaced by waiting to buy the games, and power outages were also common. Yet I thought of this as all part of the gaming experience. 

Which is why seeing fancy handheld devices run the latest AAA games at performance better than my PC just blows my mind. With unbelievable advancements in handheld tech, I think it’s safe to say that portable gaming is the future. With handheld PCs available in every budget range and even consoles like Switch and Xbox Ally jumping in, gaming has never been more convenient. What about Sony, then?

The “Power Saving” Experiment

It hasn’t been said enough, but electricity concerns are very real for many gamers. They have to set up a solar generator, or risk constant interruptions at best, or even frying their systems at worst. This is exactly why handheld gaming is so popular. Minimal power concerns, play anywhere you like, and above all, genuinely impressive performance for such a small form-factor; the gift that keeps giving.

Thus, everyone is jumping into the handheld market, except for Sony. Well, it seems, however, that Sony too is in the process of cooking something up, though nothing official yet. We can’t say anything for certain, but the chances of this being true are fairly high, what with Sony’s latest power-saving experiment.

Why did sony stop doing handheld consoles? They could compete with the switch and the steam deck.
byu/JamesHatesLife insony

If you’re not aware, Sony has introduced a new low-power mode in the PS5, which is officially for the purpose of saving the environment. It reduces the power consumption significantly, at the cost of slightly downscaling the game. But, from what we’ve seen so far, the power/performance ratio is actually quite impressive.

Take Demon’s Souls as a reference. While playing in low power mode, the game aims for 30 fps instead of 60, delivers it fairly well, and there’s almost negligible visual downscale. The power, on the other hand, goes from 220W to as low as 90W. I don’t know about you, but if this isn’t an experiment to test PS5 games at low power to gauge the feasibility of a handheld device, Sony’s wasting a golden opportunity.

Don’t Repeat The Portal Mistake, Sony

Even though I’ve criticized a lot of Sony’s decisions and this current PS5 era is nothing to write home about, I’m still very excited for a new handheld console from the tech giant. The PSP fanboy in me refuses to lose hope and clings to the nostalgic greatness that is the PlayStation Portable. 

The PSP was ahead of its time.
byu/Mazendrak inPSP

PSP was, without a doubt, one of the best consoles and Sony’s masterpiece when it comes to handheld devices, which is exactly why I was furious when I saw the PlayStation Portal. Here I was, sitting all hyped for the new handheld, and it turned out to be nothing more than a fancy PS5 remote, something even your phone could do. Imagine my utter disappointment.

All the more reason why Sony shouldn’t fumble its next handheld. Back then, portable gaming was getting bigger day by day, yet Sony failed to capitalize on it. Today, the stakes are much higher. Handheld gaming is at its peak, with portable PCs pushing the possibilities of handheld performance, and consoles like Xbox Ally and Nintendo Switch 2 changing the landscape of console gaming. Sony can’t afford another failure here.

Surviving The Competition

I reiterate that things are different now. Like it or not, handheld gaming is going to be the dominant choice in the near future; people value comfort too much. Plus, Sony hasn’t made the PS5 as amazing as its previous consoles, either, reinforcing my point that it needs to secure a lead in the portable department.

Just look at Xbox and Nintendo. Microsoft has shifted practically everything towards the Game Pass and accessibility strategy. Its latest console, the Xbox ROG Ally, promises a vast but portable gaming ecosystem, and it seems to be working in overdrive. And need I say anything about Nintendo and Switch?

Xbox rog ally x felt really good in good!
byu/Gaddri07 inxbox

If Sony wants to stay the premier gaming console choice, it needs to step up. First, this rumored new handheld needs to be a reality, and second, if it’s anything like the PSP was, you can be sure that this major fumble, which was the PS5 era, will be redeemed. I’m actually counting on it.