With reports that PlayStation is working on a new handheld device, it’s got me thinking about the PlayStation Portal.
In case you missed it, a recent Bloomberg report revealed that a new PlayStation handheld is in the early stages of development. By all reports, it’s not coming anytime soon, but portable consoles seem to be back in vogue. With Xbox also in the race, the Nintendo Switch successor due in the coming months, and the rise of handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck, the competition is hot.
Earlier this year, Sony launched the PlayStation Portal, a remote gaming device that lets you stream games from your console. Adding a string to its bow, the latest hardware update enabled cloud streaming, but not here in Australia. Despite the omission, I still love the Portal.
Nearly every night for the past couple of weeks, I’ve curled up in bed playing Dragon Age: The Veilguard streamed directly from a PS5 Pro. Even in an action-heavy, timing-based game like Veilguard, my decent Wi-Fi network means I benefit from a smooth experience more often than not.
But it’s no replacement for a dedicated portable platform. What do I do when a network outage strikes? Or crappy hotel Wi-Fi means streaming isn’t an option? Read a book, you say? Perish the thought!
Bring back the PlayStation handheld consoles
Sony knows how to make a good handheld platform, albeit hamstrung by odd design choices. Even though the PlayStation Portable used those weird UMDs, it still sold strongly.
Unfortunately, its successor, the PlayStation Vita, fared far worse. Estimates put the Vita at selling fewer than 15 million units, according to GamesHub. I could speculate wildly about its struggles, expensive proprietary memory cards chief among the main reasons.
Regardless, the Vita was home to countless brilliant games perfectly suited to the platform. Until recently, it was the only way you could play Persona 4 Golden, the improved version of the PS2 JRPG classic.
More important than anything, the Vita worked as a standalone device without needing an internet connection. I love the PlayStation Portal for how well it works within the closed ecosystem of my home, but there are no such guarantees the second I step out the door.
Will a new handheld PlayStation console actually see the light of day? Nothing is 100% confirmed, but I sincerely hope to see another portable device unburdened by the whims of Wi-Fi woes.
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