Summary

  • Rumors claim a new PlayStation handheld is on the way.
  • The latest rumor claims it will be able to play PS4 games.
  • Sony patents hint at cloud gaming features for seamless gameplay across devices, but treat the rumors with a grain of salt.

Another leaker has claimed that a PlayStation handheld successor system is in development, and that it may be able to play PS4 games. There have been a number of rumors suggesting a new PlayStation portable device is in the works. Unlike the PlayStation Portal, a remote handheld player that gives gamers access to their installed PlayStation 5 library through the cloud, this new system is rumored to be a successor to the PSP and PS Vita handheld consoles.

Rumors of a PlayStation handheld gaming device first surfaced this past February from YouTuber Moore's Law is Dead (MLiD), who claimed the system was in very early production. He speculates the device could potentially run PS4 and even PS5 games, making the device akin to the Steam Deck. A recent report seems to support these claims, suggesting that the claim about Sony's rumored handheld being able to run PS4 games is correct.

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This claim comes from Russian journalist Anton Logvinov's recent Telegram post. In a rough translated version of his post, he confirms that Sony is planning to release a "new PSP," though notes that the launch lineup is only PS4 games. He likens the device to Valve's Steam Deck, which aligns with prior leaks provided by MLiD.

Doubts About the Rumored Sony PlayStation Handheld

Loginov expresses doubt over this new PSP handheld successor, as a lot of PS4 exclusives have already been ported to PC, and gamers could get a Steam Deck in order to get the same experience and more, with some gamers also sharing the same sentiment. Loginov had previously leaked the PC ports of Death Stranding and Horizon Zero Dawn prior to their announcements, so while there is some track record behind his leaks, fans should take this leak with some healthy skepticism.

MLiD had previously stated that the next Sony handheld would contain a custom processing unit, and PS5 games would get a patch that would make it able to run on this handheld device. He also suggested the device would be launched alongside Sony's next-gen hardware family as well, possibly with or after the PS6 console.

The claims of a rumored handheld seem to be supported by recent Sony and PlayStation patents, which describe the process of using cloud gaming to seamlessly switch between playing on the PS5 console to a handheld, something that the current PlayStation Portal or Remote Play applications don't support. This patent also describes how a cloud server would be used to improve gameplay, inputs, and response time as well. That said, fans should still take these rumors with a grain of salt until more information is officially presented.

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Sony
Sony
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Date Founded
May 7, 1946
Headquarters
Minato City, Tokyo, Japan
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Sony Pictures, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Imagesoft, Sony Online Entertainment
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PlayStation