- PlayStation boss Hideaki Nishino says “pick up and play” is the most important quality for consoles today
- He says Sony wants to leverage technology “that can be used in different forms and places”
- The CEO’s comments suggest that Sony is looking to re-enter the handheld market
A new PlayStation handheld could be on the table after comments from Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino suggest the company wants to create new hardware similar to the Nintendo Switch 2.
In an interview with Famitsu (translated by IGN), Nishino was asked if PlayStation plans to continue focusing on consoles, following a previous comment he made in 2024 about how hardware won’t disappear anytime soon.
The CEO confirmed that it would, saying, “My belief that a console is necessary to play games has not changed,” adding that Sony “wants to continue to provide its own game consoles.”
But what kind of consoles? Nishino went on to mention that “pick up and play” is the most important quality for consoles today, which instantly makes one think of the Switch 2 or PlayStation Portal.
Nishino continued, saying that developing new consoles will mean that Sony will “take advantage of technologies that can be used in different forms and places” and that this would allow Sony “to create something exciting.”
“For example, although the PlayStation brand is strongly associated with gaming on the TV in the living room, we plan to release screens and speakers so that people can also play comfortably elsewhere,” Nishino said. “We developed the PlayStation Portal as part of this initiative.”
PlayStation Portal is a remote player that allows PS5 users to play their PS5 games via their handheld device, a challenge Sony took on to create a new kind of gameplay experience, according to Nishino.
“We thought, ‘Let’s try it, let’s try it,’ and I want us to continue to develop products as we explore different ideas like this,” he said.
While the PlayStation Portal is a handheld console, it is purpose built for streaming and cloud gaming unlike the PSP and PS Vita.
While the PSP took off and became Sony’s biggest handheld ever, selling 70 million units, the PS Vita didn’t fare as well, shifting an estimated 15 to 16 million units before it was discontinued in 2019.
If Sony plans to rejoin the handheld market, it will have stiff competition going up against the Switch 2, which has officially sold nearly 6 million units within its first year of release.
A PS6 handheld has been rumored for some time. According to a reliable insider and leaker, 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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