Rumor: Sony working on a handheld that could run PS4 games

https://wccftech.com/new-playstation-portable-ps4-games/

Sony may be gearing up to return to the handheld market with a new PlayStation Portable that will be capable of running PlayStation 4 games, according to rumors circulating online.

As reported on the ResetERA forums, Russian journalist Anton Logvinov, who was among the first ones to confirm PlayStation exclusives would be coming to PC years back before the official confirmation, revealed on Telegram that the Japanese company is working on a new PSP capable of playing PlayStation 4 games. Unfortunately, the launch lineup is only comprised of games that are also available on PC, and thus on the Steam Deck, so there's a good chance the system hides some surprises, also considering how retailers are apparently skeptical about this portable system.

This isn't the first time we have heard about Sony working on a new PlayStation Portable system. In February, Moore's Law is Dead talked about a new system powered by a custom AMD APU designed to maintain compatibility with PS4 and PS5 games. While there's a chance it is the same system Anton Logvinov talked about, the Russian journalist did not talk about PS5 games, so compatibility with current-generation titles has either been kept secret or may be implemented at a later time if this system is indeed in the works.

With the immense popularity of the Nintendo Switch and other portable gaming systems like the aforementioned Steam Deck, it is not impossible for Sony to decide to get back into the handheld market, especially after releasing the surprisingly successful PlayStation Portal. Still, we have to take the existence of a new PlayStation Portable with a grain of salt until an official announcement is made.

With the massive success of the Switch, and other companies doing portables, it makes sense that Sony would try another one. Do you think we'll see a dedicate portable from Sony again, SW?

Not good. If you release a handheld, it must run all PS5 games, the actual current system, not some relic from 2013.

They will abandon it like the PSVR2

Nintendo showed everyone there is still a market for dedicated gaming handhelds, so I'd call this rumor plausible.

@hardwenzen: Let that dream go dude. There is no way to make that happen at a reasonable cost, size, and battery life.

@judaspete: With what dedicated handheld?

i feel like PlayStation (and Xbox) should go all-in on a handheld hybrid that plays their current titles (ala SteamDeck)..

i mean, why limit it to the PS4 generation?..

sure, price and hardware specs but, again, the SteamDeck seems to run most of the current stuff (if i'm not mistaken)..

Whatchu mean? If the system was to come out by the end of next year, sold for $600 (lets not fool ourselves to think that a quality handheld that is better than the steam deck won't sell at $600 when it can play everything from the ps5), it certainly can be a thing. It will sell out like crazy, especially in countries like Japan and possibly China/Taiwan. Guaranteed success IF and only IF it supports everything the ps5 supports. You don't do that and it'll be a vita 2.0. Or the vr 2.0. Or that tablet they released for remote play.

@Antwan3K: How the hell is MS going to make a Series X powerful handheld when they can't even keep studios open?

The Series S specification makes this more viable.

Excellent question. Lets wait on his answer.

you ever heard of the Series S?..

and, to clarify, i was speaking in reference to next-gen hardware development.. there is already a rumored Xbox handheld in R&D.. i just hope it's a hybrid solution that can play the entire library of games..

@Antwan3K: Oh so you want games that are gimped and have less features than the Series X, wow great thinking.

And there's a rumour, so let's just leave it at that because most rumours turn out to be just that, rumours.

Let's face it, the only hanheld doing good numbers is the Switch, and mainly because it's gimmicky and it's from Nintendo.

Look at the Steamdeck ol Gaben is hiding the sales figures because it flopped. So making a handheld by anyone other than Nintendo is just going to fail.

If it gives me portable Bloodborne I'll get it.

Ps5 games are mostly ps4 games so that's cool I guess.... Why not just say porting current Gen at lower performance. I'm fine with that.

That is absolutly the track record... But goodness I loved my vita in the end. Handheld market is weird.

@Chutebox: Okay, okay. Nintendo showed us handhelds are still viable. I shouldn't have said "dedicated".

Mobile devices require compromises. It comes with the territory. Even casuals know this.🤷🏽‍♂️

you're in a thread talking about a rumor yet you're saying "let's not talk about rumors".. 🙄

portable hardware will be less powerful than beefier traditional hardware.. duh.. but the "gimmick" the Switch has is mobility.. so a hybrid mobile device could be a success for PlayStation and/or Xbox if it has access to the full gaming library just like the Switch..

particularly if it's optional and Sony and Microsoft also have traditional hardware as well planned (according to rumors)..

Interested in seeing what kind of system they do in a portable. Would be concerned about the kind of support they’d give it considering their track record.

Can't say care, just no interesting games to be excited about.

Better off just getting a Steam Deck, really.

@judaspete: 😁

@Antwan3K: Well this thread is about a Sony rumoured handheld. You brought Xbox into this.

As for next gen, well Phil said they're actively working on a next gen console, so it's not a rumour.

And yes of course a handheld is going to be less powerful, that's why you don't make one if you want current and especially next gen games to run on it when they will be gimped and cause problems like the S has for the X.

The only way to do it is do what Nintendo did and use it as your main gaming device and allow it to be docked to a TV too. Making it a side bitch (for the lack of a better term) will just end in failure.

So they you go I've talked about the rumour which I believe will be all for nought because I don't believe MS is making one.

@last_lap: You'd be surprised what a Steam Deck can handle.

@uninspiredcup: There are still games that have been released on Steam that don't work on the Steamdeck I believe.

Maybe Gaben should get that sorted first don't you think?

Can you imagine if MS released a handheld and all the Xbox games didn't work, they would get eaten alive, yet you schmucks defend Gaben, that's fanboyism at its finest 🤦‍♂️

Sony is realizing the inevitable. The console gaming market isn't growing. Sony is trying to tap into that mobile audience who wants to game on the go. Though will it work for Sony? Who knows? Though it'll be funny to see the people who trash talked the Switch, miraculously become interested in portable gaming when Sony releases their handheld.

Gamers who are focused on power or bragged about power solely because of allegiance would be in a pickle.😂

That is not the say the Switch hardware is not garbo. 🙃Hopefully Nintendo can make it more capable to maintain stable framerates.

Some folks aren't handling steam decks popularity well...🤷

The Switch hardware is fine to me. I'm not expecting a beefed up PC, because it's a cheap portable device. You sacrifice power for portability and flexibility.

That is correct. This is why I am hoping with the advancement in tech that their next system would be more consistent with framerates.

Movie games (and Sony makes nothing but) on a handheld is an asinine concept.

@TheEroica: Notice how you avoid how not every game runs on the Steamdeck even if that game was bought on Steam, and fanboy the handheld itself by making unsubstantiated claims?

But, but, it's popular, buy can't prove it with factual numbers sold. Why would Gaben hide the numbers if it was popular?

Now watch how you avoid the question and go off on some fanciful tangent.

PlayStation shouldn’t be allowed to release new hardware until they support the hardware they’ve already released. I feel like the FTC should get involved here. (Joking. Kinda)

Excellent track record.

Dude, what?.. I responded to this thread specifically speaking about Playstation and added (in parenthesis) that Xbox should do the same.. You then responded by speaking only about Xbox..

Secondly, a hybrid handheld is dockable.. I also mentioned that it would be best if it was optional and in addition to traditional hardware..

Ultimately, you just seem like you want to complain in this thread and in general.. I hope things get better for you..

The bold is correct.

@Antwan3K: Trying to throw shade at me, that's not surprising at all, but at least you got your twin sticking up for you 🤣

Sony will wait to see what Nintendo does and then copy them like they always do.

Sony stuck in last generation.

PC gaming really brings out the best in some.😂

In fairness any issues with framerates on the switch (or any console) are a developer issue. The spec is fixed. It's a known quantity. Console games really should not be having framerate problems.

As for the rumour: if true, it will be interesting to see what it offers over other systems to tempt people to choose it.

I think it will definitely be a case of the system running existing games and upcoming PS5 games in the works. Maybe it will be a case that existing games will need patching for the new system (like older PS4 games for the PS4 pro). I don't see sony making a system that is so different that it needs it's own games basically. They can't support 2 systems at the same time.

So, other than the PS brand and seamless integration into the existing PS ecosystem (which will have value for some), what will it offer to set itself apart from other handhelds on the market I wonder?

Games that are being ported to the system are typically designed with much lower constraints. Console games has had framerate problems all the way back to the 80s. Known specs doesn't alleviate the potential for performance issues.

How well the Switch2 do with just being an upgrade?🤷🏽‍♂️

The things you are fixated on tickle me.... It's very obvious who the people are who have actually experienced steam deck and those who have opinions and no real world experience. God speed on your mission brother... My steam deck library of playable games is larger than this entire generation of games put together, but by all means keep fixating on the few games that don't.

For the bit highlighted in bold: It should though.

Console games have indeed had performance issues. Those are usually examples of poorly made console games (i was playing the old TNMT nes game recently and....yikes konami :S).

But if a game is being made for a console then the developer really should be tuning it so it hits the devs target framerate at all times. Of course that can mean that some effects are paired back or some other compromise is made. If that's what needs to be done then so be it.

Just like there are plenty of badly performing console games, there are also many examples of console games running at their target framerate just fine, no matter how weak the console is.

Same with ports. If a port is performing poorly on it's target hardware then it's a poor port. It's not the consoles fault. Either the port house screwed up or (more likely) the publisher just wanted a quick and cheap port.

A more powerful Switch will, make existing ports run better (assuming Nintendo don't have some weird "Switch Mode" where the Switch 2 basically becomes a switch 1 for switch 1 games). But then poor ports targeting the Switch 2 will still have inconsistent framerates. Hardware won't solve that problem.

Going back to the BG3 debacle around Co-Op on the XSS. Everyone blamed the console for it's specs. But it's not the console: the fault there lies with Larian. They knew they were bringing the game to Xbox. They knew it was a requirement that all Xbox games be able to run on the XSS and XSX. They also knew that feature parity was a requirement. But, for whatever reason, they only found out late in development that the Co-Op feature wouldn't work on the XSS. Not the consoles fault. Not MSs fault. Larian made a mistake.

More interested in an Xbox handheld personally. (Free cloud saves + much better backwards compatibility)

But .... if Sony ported some older (Ps3 and PS2) games to their newer hardware I could get on board. (There are rumors about ps2 emulation could mean this isn't just wishful thinking shrug)

Super Mario Brothers has performance issues when too many enemies were onscreen. Would you say that is a poorly made game?😏

There is a lot of wrong in your comment. You are grossly (I cannot stress more) understating the difficulty in developing and optimizing games. Some optimizations as low hanging fruit. Others are more complex and the worse is inconsistent performance issues which is frustratingly hard to resolve due to it not being predictable. And then there are other constraints, financial, deadline, resources etc. The more gameplay focus a game is, the greater the chances of performance issues. By your own definition, games like Tears of the Kingdom are poorly made because it has framerate issues.😮

Better hardware improves the chances of games being better performing as a whole.

"This is why I am hoping with the advancement in tech that their next system would be more consistent with framerates."

If a developer designs a game with specific constraints, porting the game to a system with different constraints, especially performance is going to be a hurdle. That is like blaming the designer for their original design for a specific client not working as well with another client.

I don't know the development process or hurdles Larian faced, so I am reserving judgement until I have sufficient information.

That's not going to do well against a rival Switch 2. Sony has a declining first party output and third parties are growing increasingly weary about making exclusivity arrangements. Pit that against Nintendo's hardware which has a large draw to it for its signature first party line-up along with increased third party support and it's already looking like a one sided fight.

It's also worth wondering if Sony is going all-in to support a handheld. If this is just a secondary consideration to market alongside a dedicated console then I feel it won't get the support it needs for longterm viability. The only way I feel this has any potential whatsoever is if they fully commit to one.

Why would they release a handheld that could only run PS4 games though? There are plenty of handheld options these days that can run just about anything... that wouldn't make much sense at all.