The last time Sony talked about handheld gaming, former PlayStation president Andrew House ruled out the possibility of a PS Vita successor, while Worldwide Studios bigwig said that the “climate was not healthy” for portable gaming. While we still believe that statement to be generally accurate – the Nintendo Switch is a very different beast, let’s be honest – it sounds like new boss John Kodera is more open to exploring the sector than his predecessor.
Speaking with Bloomberg, he had the following to say: “In my opinion, rather than separating portable gaming from consoles, it’s necessary to continue thinking of [portable gaming] as one method to deliver more gaming experiences and exploring what our customers want from portable. We want to think about many options.”
It’s an interesting comment, although it’s far from confirmation that the company will release another portable system. The options that Kodera’s referring to could, for example, include increasing investment in its new ForwardWorks label, which has been setup to create mobile games. And the executive also talked about the platform holder’s PlayLink line, which allows you to use a smartphone or tablet to control PlayStation 4 games.
We’re not sure what to think about all this. The handheld market seems to be alive and well in Japan, but PlayStation is practically an American company these days, so we’re not sure how much it truly cares about that. And while the Nintendo Switch has been doing very well globally as mentioned, it’s important to remember that the Big N created a hybrid for a reason.
[source bloomberg.com]
Comments 51
Well, they'd be foolish not to keep an open mind.
Nintendo created a hybrid for a reason.
To merge their strongest and weakest market into one.
Sounds like something Sony could do given the fortunes are similar but in reverse...
Just copy the Nintendo Switch, we won't judge you.
PSP is my favorite handheld system ever, and the Vita had some of my favorite games from the last 6 years, give or take, but I'd much rather Sony just to stick what it does well and that's home console gaming.
@kyleforrester87 Kodera is a smart man. Where House would throw away something because it failed he knows that a failure is not a bad idea. You learn from it rather than pretend it didnt exist.
You just need to look at nearly every other industry to see why he still looks at portable gaming, which can mean gaming while moving around not necessarily a dedicated system, as something to watch.
Remember when telephines hung on tge wall or in street boxes? Where are phones now?
Remember when computers filled whole rooms? Where are they now?
Hell look at cars. They got smaller!
The benefit to something like your smartphone, like your laptop or tablet is pure convenience as its always there. Kodera knows this.
They will have an issue when the spec wall hits and they need to reverse in specs for a while to achieve it (short of a tech breakthrough anyhow) but it is the inevitable future, be it running natively in a portable device or streaming.
I bring up the point of portable convenience because our phones and tablets are just part of life now. Always there. That's what Sony wants. To be your life.
PSNow, PSVue, the list goes on. They want this ecosystem to always be there and the best way to do it is to always been on hand.
They should maybe look at the mobile market and using their IP in that vain. Their own mobile range could be tweaked, and already offers remote play.
I wouldn’t mind a ps-like Switch.
Or we are making a playstation switch please support it this time more that 2 min. not leave it on the side and make great games
@LieutenantFatman you must be new to the Internet.
I wouldn’t mind PS5 having a Switch inspired design as long as the docked play on the television has no sacrifice in graphical fidelity or power. A better thought would be a PS5 / Vita 2 bundle with two independent systems that somehow interconnect on certain games. Like an evolution of the cross save feature.
take the Vita, get rid of unnecessary touch controls and make storage ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE
@viciousarcanum
Shhh, don't tell them what will happen, it will be funny.
Nintendo have always had the handheld market locked down with the exception of the PSP and even then Nintendo dominated so I really feel like Sony should just focus on what they are the best at, and that's making compelling home consoles. I don't see why they should stray from what has made them the kings of this generation thus far.
Please don't. If anything, release one last revision of the vita without a proprietary memory slot and make it backwards compatible with psp disc things.
The PS5 being a hybrid would seriously weaken their position in the console space. Microsoft would be rubbing their hands if Sony's that foolish. (Fortunately, they're not!)
I wouldn't mind seeing another dedicated PlayStation handheld. I still have my now 11 year old PSP, and I'm still willing to give Vita a try. I just hope it would get plenty of support and quality titles.
As for hybrid systems, it's likely something that will be either standard or increasingly common in the future, but I would hold off until we get the power to have the portable option without any goofs. So I don't think the PS5 should be a hybrid.
#1 thing I'd like from a portable console is a platform holder who doesn't give up on it if it doesn't sell 700 million units in its first year. Can you handle that, Sony?
I'm not that bothered about portability. My 3DS rarely got played outside of my home. If Sony released something portable, I would be unlikely to get it unless it has enough games that I really want to play.
Remind me to never read the comments section on any article that mentions Sony and portable gaming. Jeez.
Sony won't and probably shouldn't bother with portable gaming again, but a well-supported Playstation hybrid would draw me back to the PS fold in a major way. I just don't like playing on home consoles as much as I do on handhelds or hybrids, which is why Nintendo will occupy the majority of my attention for the foreseeable future.
@FullbringIchigo I love the Vita, but I hope Sony is done with touch panels after the Vita and PS4. The Vita's touch-sensitive screen was great, but I HATED that one on the back, and the touchpad on the DS4 is a massive waste of space.
And yeah, I'm not looking forward to any more games that significantly force touch controls.
I think a portable gaming system that played their back catalogue would do gang busters. PS1-3 games handheld would be spot on.
If course that ain't gonna happen. I do think there is not enough money in the handheld market to justify any new foray.
As great as a hybrid PS5 would be, I agree it might not be a very smart idea. They could explore the Cloud and streaming games on portable devices such as smartphones... But I'm not sure the world's internet is ready for the amount of data and speed required for that. Another idea would be a second optional device that can play digitally installed PS5 titles on the go, sacrificing graphics a little. It wouldn't harm Sony but would add an option to customers.
Anyway, I'm glad whatever it is, PS4 still has 3 years ahead of it. Long live the best Playstation ever! =)
@ShogunRok What's the issue? I know I'm sick, but this comment section seems fine. There's been much worse.
I've been a proponent of Sony staying in the handheld space b/c it's so huge in Japan, but I'm not sure they can do both that and PSVR, and right now I think PSVR should be their secondary focus after a seriously powerful home console PS5.
PS5 going forward is really the problem. Doom on Switch shows you can have home console games on Switch, so I think they could squeeze enough PS4 power into a handheld at an affordable price, albeit with pretty bad battery life. But the PS5 is probably 18-30 months out, and getting that power into a handheld isn't going to be possible for another 4 or 5 years after that, so a portable PS4 is basically DOA now.
A decade from now, PS7, I can imagine all consoles are Switch like hybrids, and they're all available w/ optional PSVR like headsets so we can all look like Borg while playing on mass transit. So I can imagine a future where Sony is selling handhelds again. But PS5 needs to be a powerful PS4 and PSVR 2 needs to be a better VR experience. That needs to be the priority right now. Handhelds might be spreading themselves too thin at the moment.
But if they don't want to abandon Japan, Vita Cloud. Well actually PSP Cloud, Vita has to go. And PSPgo was a quickly forgotten failure. But there's really no point releasing it outside of Japan, which they probably learned from PSTV.
I want psvita successor that can play all ps1 to ps3, psp and psvita games, with the addition of ps4 indie games. Maybe sony can make it only one generation difference with ps console, so when ps5 arrives, there will be new ps portable that can play ps1 to ps4 games.
We already had a PS Switch. It was the PS Vita/TV. Didn't go over very well and Sony was super quick to drop them. I still like them better than the Nintendo Switch.
Honestly the Vita is an amazing device and deserved to sell like hotcakes. If they are intent on selling a portable system again there is one surefire way to make it work.
Sell it a year or so after ps5 comes out, have it link to your ps account, and let it play any digital game you own on ps5 but portable. Oh and dont sell rediculously priced memory cards.
Oh and I dont understand the people who say theres only room for nintendo in the handheld market. But then they turn around and say Microsoft needs to stay in the gaming market to give Sony and Nintendo competition.
I don't agree with either of these statements.
They can't, unless they find a way to make a medium storage device that is not as limited and expensive as the cartridges that Nintendo uses, for example. Spec-wise, they can overcome that any day of the week, it doesn't have to be a mobile chipset. Get creative, Sony. You'll get somewhere if you keep an open mind.
Switch is awesome. Similar concept from Sony that is distinct from ps5 would be worth keeping an eye on.
With the Switch performing so well and essentially being a traditional system when used in handheld mode, it'll be difficult for Sony to jump back into the portable scene. Nintendo created what is basically a VITA version 2, so I'd imagine Sony will either try to make a portable, lower-end PS4 of some sorts or make a very budget-friendly system with no gimmicks. The Switch costs $300... what if Sony made a smaller portable with only the basics for ~$150?
Rebirth of the PSP2... screen size of switch/Ipad mini. Has exactly same physical controls of dualshock (so all games from ps1 to ps5+ are identical). Or we can bluetooth link a dualshock to the PSP2 tablet! Can use cheap industry standard micros SD cards so if we own a PS4 or future PS5+ games, the same game can be downloaded onto a 100GB card (at no cost like switch!). PSP2 a must to have access to Google play store. I want to watch netflix, stream Spotify, watch YouTube, browse Internet, socialise on snapchat, even play angry birds, etc. Removable battery so if I'm on a 6 hour journey can charge a second whilst using first battery. Touch screen identical to tablets, no need for rumble or back end swipe gimmicky thing! Option to buy memory card version of game which is identical to console version, incase some owners don't want to own a large console (here's looking at you Japanese owners!). Switch has done this part right methinks! A UI that's slick like PS4 or basically exactly like PS4/PS5+. Similar price to switch! Can it also make American pancakes in the morning pls!
bring the Vita back with normal memory cards!
It’s simple. From portable (hybrid) gaming I want a Nintendo Switch, which I have. I will not buy another “portable” Sony system again. Their bread and butter is in powerful home consoles which is what I like the most.
we had the memory card issue on the vita to stop pirates cracking the thing like they did the psp.......
No over price memory card nonsense. No missing buttons (R2 L2 R3 L3). Improve the ergonomics somehow. Improve upon the Vita OS. Get rid of the camera and rear touch screen but keep the front one. QHD-4K screen like the phone with HDR supporting Dolby audio. Release a cheaper VR headset which can slot in the new portable console.
@crazykcarter Not really. The importance of exclusives is totally overrated on sites like these.
@FullbringIchigo Finally someone who i agree with makes affordable machine no gimmics and games the PS4 sells because of the games. Square Enix makes the worst games for the PSVita and they dont sell and they are baffled...
@GarySan Yeah and a batterylife of a hour and the price of a mobile phone? What could go wrong 1080P on a small screen is enough. i heard nobody complain about the resolution on the switch.
The PSP was already a hybrid system with the TV out and DualShock support from PSP-2000 models onwards. That shows you can enable hybrid/TV functionality and still make it a great handheld.
I'd love a ps vita 2. Hopefully they make it more accessible price tag wise (looking at you sd cards). And have it interact with the PS vr and ps5 somehow.
Who didn’t see this coming once the Switch took off? While we don’t know what the future holds, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sony comes up with some kind of tablet add-on.
Love this stuff 🤣
I'd love to see a PSwitch happen, or if the PS5 could become portable without sacrificing the 4K HDR native quality.
@THEundying27 Watch the language please
I loved my psp and vita. the expensive memory cards and the complete lack of games on store shelves doomed them. I think a handheld like the switch that plays PS4 games on the go would be the best option as opposed to exclusive games.
Guy Longworth proclaimed Vita would see at least one major game from every single first party studio they own and Yoshida continued banging the drum that would treat Vita fairly after the criticism PSP received for being left half way in it's life.
If Sony think they can just come out with a successor to the Vita with their tails between their legs I have news for them. Even the blindest fanboy on earth will be asking them questions next time. Vita had by far the worst first party support of any system in recent memory despite how much Sony swore it would be different.
A Vita successor that can play all ps4 titles and has quality first party content after the ps4 stops getting new games. Id buy that.
@wiiware 100% agree. Sony has amazing library. If they can take advantage, Sony will make a handheld comeback
Something that can play actual 3rd party games. So, not another Indie box like the Switch.
Also, The hybrid concept is garbage if I'm playing 3 year old DOOM at 600p @19fps when at home. I rather just spend the money and do CrossSave with a PS4 or PS5
Trouble is we've all heard all this before from Sony. Remember Ruin/Warrior's Lair cross play and Cross Save? We've heard the "PSx but in the palm of your hand" power claims before and it never matched expectations.
If they are serious about this then we need the following.
1) Call the thing the PSP 2 No-one knew or remembered the name Vita
2) SD cards rather than the Vita only ones, just update your game encryption or only allow transfers from your PS4.
3) Clip on UMD drive so we can all play the old PSP games if we want rather than the tiny selection of digital versions on the store..
4) DS4 style (but smaller) sticks and buttons.
5) 6" or so touch screen with HD capability (1920 x 1200 should be very cheap to manufacture).
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