A new leak has revealed that a new console is on its way from Sony, and its bound to cause shockwaves for Nintendo and Xbox.
Bloomberg have reported that Sony has a new handheld console in early development, which will allow PlayStation fans to play their PS5 games on the go. This is a true handheld, scrapping the game streaming features of the PlayStation Portal. Games will run natively on the console, much like the Nintendo Switch or the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.
The new console will be seen as a successor to the PlayStation Portal, which will be a major overhaul. The Portal relies on streaming games wirelessly from your PS5 — it suffers from some latency issues that hinder gameplay, so this will be good news to anyone waiting for a "PlayStation Portal 2."
Bloomberg's source has said that the original intention for the Portal was for it to compete with Valve's Steam Deck, and that the vision shifted later in development. It is possible that this latest announcement is a return to this original goal.
Xbox have recently announced that they are also working on a handheld console, looking like news of the upcoming Switch 2 has provoked a portable console war for the upcoming generation.
Unfortunately, you shouldn't expect an official announcement anytime soon. Sony have refused to comment on the announcement to Bloomberg, and it is likely that Sony doesn't even take it to market — it is years away from making any sort of public appearance. Still, the opportunity to play the best PS5 games while out and about is an exciting prospect indeed.
The PlayStation Portal acted as a rather pricey accessory for the console, essentially an extra $199 on top of the base PS5 required to store and run your games. Fans will no doubt be excited at the prospect of a powerful new alternative, which won't require a PS5 at all.
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