The PlayStation 5 Portable Might Be A Handheld For No One

Sony is reportedly working on a handheld device that will run PlayStation 5 games. No, not the PlayStation Portal, the recent handheld that lets you stream games from your PS5. This time, rumors point to a true handheld PS5, one that can play games natively without the need for a console or an internet connection. Getting to play PS5 games anywhere is certainly a compelling idea, but that may not be enough to justify an entirely new piece of hardware.

The rumored device would be an attempt by Sony to elbow in on Nintendo’s dominance in the handheld space and compete with a potential portable turn by Microsoft, according to a report from Bloomberg. However, Sony’s handheld is said to be years away and there’s still a chance the company will never actually finish and release it.

That iffy timeline alone is enough to temper excitement about the new PlayStation portable (that name hasn’t been taken yet, right?). Even supposing it came out faster than expected and arrived within two years, that would still mean the Nintendo Switch 2 would be in players’ hands, Microsoft would have plenty of time to steal the momentum by announcing its own portable console, and the market for handheld PCs like the Steam Deck would be even more crowded.

The real problem, though, isn’t timing as much as function. Imagine you’re in the market for a new handheld console and you’re not sure which one to choose. Assuming Microsoft doesn’t announce a portable Xbox, your options are a Switch 2, Sony’s new handheld, or a Steam Deck (or another portable PC, but we’ll just focus on the Steam Deck for simplicity’s sake). What would possibly make you go with a portable PS5 over your other options?

For just about anyone who’s only going to buy one handheld, the Switch 2 is the obvious choice here. Since it’s backward compatible, getting the Switch 2 also gives you access to the library of the original Switch. That means you get all of Nintendo’s first-party exclusives, which are a real draw. Even for fans of PlayStation, it would be hard to argue that Sony’s exclusives even come close to matching Nintendo’s, especially as many of the best are now making their way to PC. By the time the PlayStation handheld hits shelves, the PS5 itself will be on the verge of being replaced by the PS6, if it hasn’t been already. Buying the new handheld could mean missing out on the biggest new PlayStation games from the very beginning of its life.

In some ways, the Steam Deck may be a closer comparison to the portable PS5. Both are devices made to offer access to an existing library of games that’s now made portable. The difference here again comes down to which catalog you’d like to subscribe to. With the handheld PS5, you get everything released on the PS5 and presumably the PS4 titles the console can run natively along with the PlayStation Plus catalog. That’s pretty sizable, and the retro titles on PS Plus make it a way more attractive deal. But it’s still competing with the entirety of Steam’s library, not to mention that a little fiddling with third-party programs will also give you access to all of your purchases from indie storefront Itch.io, retro console emulators, and even PlayStation Remote Play.

But more than either of its competitors, Sony itself could be the biggest roadblock to the success of the handheld PS5. Remember that this won’t be the first attempt at making PS5 games portable. The PlayStation Portal already lets players stream games from a PS5 console to the handheld over wi-fi, and a recent update enabled streaming directly from the cloud, meaning Portal owners don’t need a PS5 at all anymore. Playing them still requires an internet connection, and only a small portion of PS Plus games are available to start, but that’s likely to be improved by the time the portable PS5 comes around and it’s already enough to cut into its appeal. Sony has been aiming high with its prices this generation as well, and if that trend continues, the PS5 portable could end up as a much more expensive version of the PlayStation Portal that’s only slightly more functional.

As hard as it is to imagine the handheld PS5 being cheap, it’s equally unlikely that it will be small enough to be meaningfully portable. The Nintendo Switch is just on the cusp of being too big to carry comfortably, a line which the Steam Deck crosses for many people. To pack in the hardware required to play any PS5 games means that the handheld version is likely to push the bounds of what can truly be called portable. Add to that the likely weak battery life and loudly whirring fans — features Steam Deck owners are already well accustomed to — and the portable PS5 might keep you stuck to the same couch you’d use to play the current version of the console anyway.

Rather than a true competitor to other handhelds, the portable PS5 might be better understood as a device for people who skipped Sony’s console this generation. If, within a year or so of the PS6 releasing, you could pick up a comparatively affordable, portable version of Sony’s previous console, that could be enough to win some people over. It stands no chance against the Switch 2 and would be a tough sell for anyone who has a PS5 already, but there could be a market for a cheaper, low-power version of the existing console, if that’s what the handheld turns out to be.