Sony reportedly prepping PlayStation 5 portable, plans to battle Nintendo’s handheld dominance

Sony is developing a portable version of the PlayStation 5, according to a new report.

Bloomberg states that Sony’s portable PS5 project is still in the “early stages” and might not ultimately reach the market.

However, Sony is reportedly keen to re-enter the handheld gaming market and compete with Nintendo Switch. In reality, that means with Nintendo’s still-under-wraps Switch 2, which is expected to launch next year.

Sony already has a portable device capable of playing PS5 games – the PlayStation Portal – although this is limited to playing streamed games only (initially from your own PS5 console, though now also via the cloud).

Intriguingly, Bloomberg states that Sony’s initial plans for the PlayStation Portal were for it to function as a standalone device, akin to the Steam Deck.

Such a device would also help Sony bridge the gap between PS5 Pro, its recent mid-gen console refresh, and the inevitable PS6, which isn’t expected until nearer the end of the decade.

PlayStation is, of course, no stranger to handheld gaming. The PSP constituted the only serious competition Nintendo ever had in the portable console market, and sold more than 76m units. But its successor, the PlayStation Vita, fared less well – and reportedly sold around 16m units.

Microsoft also has plans to launch an Xbox handheld. Speaking this month, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said his company’s device was also several years away, however.