- PlayStation CEO Hideaki Nishino has suggested that the brand’s next console could be a handheld IR hybrid
- He said that Sony wants to break the perception that “PlayStation equals the living room”
- Nishino added that the next-gen console will offer “a seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally outside the living room”
New comments from Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino seem to suggest that the next generation PlayStation console could be a handheld.
During a recent Q&A published by Sony (via IGN), Nishino was asked how Sony plans to bring back users who migrated to gaming PCs during the COVID period, and whether the company sees potential for significant changes with the next-gen console.
Nishino responded, saying that the PlayStation “has long been strongly associated with the idea of gaming in the living room.” But in recent years, gamers have been using personal screens elsewhere in their homes, so Sony is now selling peripherals such as monitors and speakers “to break away from the fixed perception that ‘PlayStation equals the living room’ and to expand usage scenarios.”
This is where Nishino hinted at the next generation console, which we expect to be the PS6.
“For the next-generation platform, rather than simply serving as an alternative to PCs, we aim to deliver value unique to PlayStation,” he said. “This includes not only technological advances, but also an expansion of usage styles, enabling a seamless experience that can naturally be enjoyed outside the living room.”
It’s this comment in particular that suggests Sony is looking to shift gears and perhaps create a console similar to the Nintendo Switch 2.
The CEO made similar comments in a recent interview with Famitsu, saying that Sony wants to leverage technology “that can be used in different forms and places.”
Confirming that the company plans to continue focusing on consoles, Nishino said, “My belief that a console is necessary to play games has not changed,” adding that Sony “wants to continue providing its own game consoles.”
He added that “pick up and play” is the most important quality for consoles today, which brings to mind the Switch 2.
Rumors of a PS6 handheld have been circulating for some time. According to a reliable insider, Moore’s Law is Dead, Sony will launch its next-generation PlayStation with three units in 2027, including two consoles and a companion handheld.
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