Bloomberg: Sony is working on a standalone handheld game machine to attract more gamers to its PlayStation community, rival Switch.

[Quentin67]

Sony Group Corp. is in the early stages of developing a portable console that would play its PlayStation 5 games on the move.

The product is aimed at expanding Sony’s reach and contending with Nintendo Co. for the portable gaming market, according to people familiar with its development. It would also counter any potential mobile hardware from Xbox maker Microsoft Corp., which is working on prototypes in the category as well. Sony’s portable device is likely years away from launch and the company could still decide against bringing it to market, the people said, asking not to be named discussing private plans.

[Thomas Moore]

I wonder if this is an extension of the rumor that was going around a few months ago or something new entirely either way I’m not surprised this is continuing.

It seems like everyone wants to make a handheld these days, it’s just a matter of how they do it.

[Fringe Try]

This would be pretty amazing but I doubt anyone can dethrone Nintendo especially with the Switch 2 launching in 2025.

Though I would love to see Sony launch a service on their new portable which includes games, anime and movies.

[Stanryder]

The goal is not to dethrone, the goal is to get back into the JP market that Sony keeps losing.

[Gillystar]

If Sony can pull off something like the Steam Deck where I can download and play PS5 games on the go I’d definitely pick it up.

[Daniel Reddington]

On one hand, the PS5 / Series X are more powerful than the Steam Deck, so that sounds impractical. But then, what other option is there when splitting your devs between PS5 / a new handheld seems extremely expensive and demanding in 2024? It's not as easy as it could've been back in 2005, when the PSP launched.

[Harley90]

The handheld wars have begun

[Carlmase]

Honestly given how we've basically reached diminishing returns for home consoles and desktops. Then, with the huge success of the Switch and what mobile phones are capable of these days, it makes complete the future of console wars would transition to handheld.

I'm curious to see, though, how far are Sony and Microsoft are gonna take their respective handhelds. Will they throw all the support to them or treat them like the classic handhelds were by being a seperate eco-system?