Will Sony make a next gen dedicated portable console?

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elheber

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Poll Will Sony make a next gen dedicated portable console? (30 votes)

Yes, of course. Mobile hardware is getting so cheap. 30%
No. The handheld market isn't large enough anymore. 53%
Sort of. "Dedicated" is a strong word, so don't expect exclusives. 17%

The drop in support for the Vita is alarming at least. Perhaps it means Sony is cutting losses and getting ready to announce something new to replace it, or it simply means they're cutting losses and not entering the mobile space in the foreseeable future anymore.

Certainly the mobile space has infringed upon the handheld space, even if only for pocket space at least. And certainly the more power a handheld has, the more it costs to develop for it exclusively. Is there room for a portable console in the current/future market?

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amyh7292

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#1 amyh7292
Member since 2015 • 324 Posts

In my opinion the PS handhelds were always great ideas poorly executed. Both models were hyped up and quickly forgotten about and have 80% garbage titles. I'm a big PS fan, I've owned all their consoles, and I wish their games for Vita weren't horrible, 3DS titles with "better" graphics, or just plain no-name titles. My original PSP had gorgeous graphics and controls for handhelds at the time (7-8 years ago) so you'd think they would dominate handhelds but they really dropped the ball and should just stop trying. For $250+ at this point for a new handheld (my estimate for a PS based handheld if a new one came out) it's not worth it at that point... just get a PS4. I'd love for them to prove me wrong though

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Telekill

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#2 Telekill
Member since 2003 • 12061 Posts

If they do, I won't buy one. They promised one thing with the PSV and ended up reversing that and going another direction. When you're told it's going to have AAA games and all you get is indie BS? Yeah, I learned my lesson.

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xantufrog

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#3  Edited By xantufrog  Moderator
Member since 2013 • 17875 Posts

I don't believe so. They have a history of supporting their hardware/peripherals that sell and cutting investment in those which don't (which is usually a self fulfilling prophecy, of course). PS3 was a big exception where they really had no choice but to go all in on bludgeoning it into being successful - was too important for them to let it languish and too much already invested.

IMO, their preferred market has always been console, and I think with the Vita's mediocre performance and their divestment they will decide to focus on PS5s for the traditionalists, and better versions of PS-TV, with a vision of moving computation server-side (e.g. psnow) with the later type devices as a means of further making money from service-based gaming

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The_Last_Ride

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#4 The_Last_Ride
Member since 2004 • 76371 Posts

I don't know, i would like to see one. Just don't **** things up with the memory cards

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Gaming-Planet

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#5 Gaming-Planet
Member since 2008 • 21064 Posts

The handheld market is over saturated with android devices.

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TrevorZyla

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#6 TrevorZyla
Member since 2015 • 76 Posts

The market is moving towards cellphones (some say it already has), and Sony's past two attempts have not been terribly successful for them. It'd be a smarter move for them to just stick with home consoles; which it seems like they are doing already (with their more or less abandonment of the Vita).

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TheTenth10

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#7  Edited By TheTenth10
Member since 2006 • 3087 Posts

if the DS / Nintendo suddenly disappeared it could be profitable, thus no

I don't assimilate the Android/iOS market to portable console, those are cell phones with the addition of 95% limited games being around 50/100 MB size (the 5% remaining can be very impressive, but most always is pay to win games).

A portable console will allow extremely more complicated games, and even more full games that won't require you to spend lots of money to play as long as you like with good playability.

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ProtossX

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#8 ProtossX
Member since 2005 • 2880 Posts

Android = Google Chrome / VLC Player / Insane technology its got everyhting i need

Sony = has nothing i want nothing

Microsoft = Bing / Internet Explorer again nothing i want

GOOGLE is the smartest in the entire universe bar none

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boneyMfan

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#9 boneyMfan
Member since 2015 • 26 Posts

No, too many different devices on the market, noone needs new PSP

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Articuno76

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#10 Articuno76
Member since 2004 • 19799 Posts

I doubt it. They aren't making a concerted effort to keep the Vita afloat, and TBH never really did. So I can't see them putting another machine out there when they aren't earnestly pushing the one they've already put out.

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Megavideogamer

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#11  Edited By Megavideogamer
Member since 2004 • 6554 Posts

No Sony will not make another Portable console. The era of handheld game consoles is over in North America. People are content with dumb games like candy crush, angry birds, flappy bird and iOS throw away pay to win. Clash of Empires type games for Smartphones. These are not "true" videogames. Sony has even closed down Sony Mobile Studio's which made Smartphone games. PlayStation Mobile died a slow death.

Sony PSvita is the best Handheld gaming device ever made. But the Market is not there anymore in North America. Nintendo has even noticed this since they have only released the New 3DS XL in North America. Everywhere else in the World has both versions. Nintendo decided to cut there losses and just offer 1 version of the "New" 3DS.

The PSvita has only sold 10.2 million worldwide since its Dec 17th 2011 introduction. Which is dismal. So no more handheld game consoles from Sony.

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Jaysonguy

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#12 Jaysonguy
Member since 2006 • 39454 Posts

There's talk of a new updated Vita to be shown at E3 and a new handheld in development, so yeah I think there's a fair chance.

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fize4ever

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#14  Edited By fize4ever
Member since 2009 • 1652 Posts

They should merge the PSP/Vita platform with the Xperia, like they did with the Xperia PLAY (that was their best Ericsson installment and its success led to the Z series).

I had fun playing games on my SEX PLAY.

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Flubbbs

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#15 Flubbbs
Member since 2010 • 4968 Posts

i think Sony would be crazy enough to do another handheld

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Planeforger

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#16 Planeforger
Member since 2004 • 19570 Posts

Their last two attempts to seize the handheld market failed, and competition is only getting tougher thanks to the rise in mobile gaming.

The only way I see them succeeding is with a handheld that caters to a niche audience (JRPG fans who demand stronger graphics than Nintendo's offerings)...and that market might be too small to bother chasing after.

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Samslayer

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#17 Samslayer
Member since 2005 • 1852 Posts

I don't know, but I hope so. I enjoy my Vita for what it is worth. I never had the expectation of it being a AAA crushing machine. I like it for fun little games that do not take much dedication.

The problem I see is the dedicated aspect. I am not sure if a machine that is solely dedicated to playing portable games is very viable these days. So, many people are walking around with a gaming device in their pocket all the time.

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Sokol4ever

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#18 Sokol4ever
Member since 2007 • 6717 Posts

I not entirely sure they would make another one simple because the the support isn't there for the current Vita.

Unless, based on the recent Playstation gaming division doing extremely well in earnings revenue I could potentially see Sony supporting a new hardcover handheld.

The idea will be should they use that time and resources for a possible hit or miss handheld or focus in currently outstanding PS4 sales and continue the momentum with more quality first party titles.

Personally, I would focus on the console itself and leave the handheld market but you never know.

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JimClirad

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#19 JimClirad
Member since 2014 • 267 Posts

@Megavideogamer: your opinion, because the Turbo Express still has a better screen than any handheld made- once all capacitors are updated thanks to early 90's ones becoming doa. Plus, before analog was shut off (and in some small towns that are allowed to still broadcast in analog), it's a freaking television!! Turbo buttons on it, plays the same games as the TG-16, it's BY FAR the best ever made!! There's a reason it's been called the Rolls Royce of handhelds, and it deserves it!!

To answer the Vita question. It's a dead machine here. Japan it still sells, but not in America, and that's where Sony's profit primarily lies thanks to the huge trade difference in the dollar to Yen. Who cares that 90% of its sales are in Japan, if it doesn't sell well in America it's pretty much a dead system!

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deactivated-5e90a3763ea91

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#20  Edited By deactivated-5e90a3763ea91
Member since 2008 • 9437 Posts

I know this thread is a little old, but I still think this is a pretty valid topic to discuss. (At any rate I've decided to respond, so good work bringing this back up.)

So my thoughts on another Sony handheld....

Well, just because they struck out, doesn't mean they haven't learned from it.

To be perfectly frank, I think the Vita was a fine piece of hardware. You could play lots of great games on it, the screen was amazing, the OS was bearable, and the main glaring downside was the high cost of good memory sticks.

I had access to lots of great games - I spent lots of time playing FF7 and Disgaea 3. The problem is that these were ports of older games. I loved Gravity Rush and Escape Plan. They were too short and not engaging enough though.

And then the system had tons of indie games, which could be hit-or-miss... And the main problem with that was, Sony just kind of abandoned the whole concept of releasing big console-like games for the system, which was what the Vita was originally touted for.

At the end of the day Sony supported the Vita, but could only do so much without greater third-party support. And then they kind of gave up after a while and never truly embraced making the best Vita games possible.

The confusing decision to place the Vita as a companion device to the PS3 and PS4, and to bring PS Mobile games to the PS Vita, further reiterated the idea that the Vita itself was no longer its own focus, but rather it was positioned as a separate medium for existing content.

I'm not going to say Sony couldn't come back from this and knock the socks off of Nintendo with an amazing idea for a follow-up handheld. But Sony's current tactics with the Vita would probably not work the second time around.

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The_Last_Ride

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#21 The_Last_Ride
Member since 2004 • 76371 Posts

i hope we get to see one

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coasterguy65

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#22 coasterguy65
Member since 2005 • 7133 Posts

Personally I think they need to just focus on the PS4. It's Sony though and they are pretty greedy. So I expect a Vita 2 at some point in the future.

If they do make another portable, they need to add micro SD support instead of trying to sell their own over priced memory. Probably one of the biggest reasons the Vita didn't sell as well as it should have. 32 GB Vita card for $70 versus 32 GB Ultra micro SD at $12.

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deactivated-58bd60b980002

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#23 deactivated-58bd60b980002
Member since 2004 • 2016 Posts

The Vita got his last nail in the coffin when Borderlands 2 came out and it was a flop.

Sony doesn't know how to market portable consol.