PS4 PlayStation 4 Portable Handheld 1

Sony suggested this week that it doesn’t see a market for portable gaming consoles at the moment. It’s an expected statement given the current climate for dedicated handheld devices: the Nintendo 3DS will have to work hard to pass even the PlayStation Portable’s lifetime sales, and it’s not going to come close to the Nintendo DS. Meanwhile, the PlayStation Vita – despite generally being very well liked among the few that bought it – is little more than a statistical anomaly, and the decline in portable sales directly correlates with the rise in smartphone popularity.

But the Nintendo Switch has thrown a curveball: Sony says that its status as a hybrid means that it’s a different approach, and it could easily be argued that the Mario maker went this direction with its new machine because it sees a similar lack of potential in the traditional Game Boy sector as its competitor. But it has opened up an age-old discussion: do you actually want another portable PlayStation console?

We’ve put together a poll (more of a survey, perhaps) designed to pick your brains over the ol’ handheld subject. We want to know your current relationship with portable consoles, smartphones, and more – and then we want to hear your opinion in the comments section below. Would you buy a new handheld PlayStation system? Would you expect it to be a hybrid like the Nintendo Switch? Are you even interested in portable gaming at this point in your life?

On average, how long do you spend playing portable gaming consoles per week? (281 votes)

  1. Less than one hour18%
  2. Between one and five hours26%
  3. Between five and ten hours20%
  4. More than ten hours15%
  5. I don't play portable gaming consoles21%

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On average, how long do you spend playing smartphone games per week? (283 votes)

  1. Less than one hour31%
  2. Between one and five hours18%
  3. Between five and ten hours6%
  4. More than ten hours2%
  5. I don't play smartphone games43%

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Would you buy a brand new dedicated portable PlayStation system? (290 votes)

  1. Yes, without any hesitation31%
  2. Hm, I’d need to know a bit more about it first48%
  3. No, I doubt I’d be interested21%

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Would you like to take your PS4 games out and about? (281 votes)

  1. Yes, I’d play more if my PS4 was portable44%
  2. Eh, it’d be a nice novelty but I’m not really bothered29%
  3. No, I prefer to play my PS4 games on a TV25%
  4. I already use Remote Play to do exactly this1%

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Which of the following is more important to you when purchasing games? (275 votes)

  1. Graphical prowess and online connectivity13%
  2. Portability and excellent local multiplayer8%
  3. It all very much depends upon the type of game80%

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Complete this sentence: The PS5 should… (272 votes)

  1. Be as powerful as possible and offer cutting edge connected experiences81%
  2. Sacrifice power in favour of the convenience that portability can provide19%

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