Sony’s Secret PlayStation Handheld Leak: Launching Side-by-Side with PS6 in 2027?

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Summary

  • Sony’s rumored PlayStation handheld may be released around the same time as the PS6.
  • The PS6 is expected to hit the market between late 2027 and late 2028.

It’s been suggested that the upcoming PlayStation portable device might debut around the same period as the PS6, based on a recent rumor. Should this timing prove correct, Sony would forgo releasing a separate handheld console throughout the entirety of two successive PlayStation generations.

In August 2023, Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation Portal, which had previously been known as Project Q Lite. This announcement sparked talk once more about the possibility of a fully-fledged PlayStation portable console in the works. The strongest hint pointing towards this was a report from Bloomberg in November 2024, suggesting that Sony was already developing a new handheld device at an early stage back then.

The rumor is spreading that the suspected gadget might be introduced around the same time as the launch of PlayStation 6, according to a user named HeisenbergFX4 on NeoGAF. This individual claims the device could be a portable PS system, but their sources remain unidentified. HeisenbergFX4 has previously provided some accurate information about Activision Blizzard before it was bought by Microsoft in late 2023, though they are not considered an expert on Sony’s internal operations. Nevertheless, their latest statement seems feasible given the context.

Next PlayStation Handheld Was Never Likely to Launch During the PS5 Generation

Given that Bloomberg’s earlier reports indicated the next PlayStation handheld was not expected until years beyond 2024, it was unlikely the speculated device would hit stores during the PS5 generation. With Sony stating the PS5 is in its later stages since early 2024, indicating a successor might appear by 2028 at the latest, launching a standalone handheld while still marketing the PS Portal—introduced in November 2023—could create complications like consumer confusion and market oversaturation. This could potentially lead to one device outcompeting the other.

The PS6 Generation May Arrive as Early as 2027

As a gamer, if the buzz about the upcoming handheld being essentially a portable version of the PS5 holds true, it might just eat into Sony’s current PS5 sales, making a launch before the PS6 seem improbable. On another note, an inside scoop points to Sony aiming for a late 2025 fabrication end (tapeout) for its next-gen console’s system-on-chip. Given this and past patterns, it seems like we might be seeing the PS6 as early as late 2027.

So far, Sony has introduced two standalone portable gaming systems: the PSP (PlayStation Portable) and PS Vita. The PSP managed to sell an impressive 82.5 million units, while the PS Vita struggled with sales, reaching about 15 million. Interestingly, the PS Vita was largely ignored by Sony after its release in 2015, as they stopped developing new first-party games for it just four years later.

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2025-05-15 02:44