It is looking likely that both Sony and Microsoft will try and court handheld gamers with their next systems the PlayStation 6 and Project Helix in an effort to try and reduce Nintendo’s dominance. Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden has commented on the long-rumoured PlayStation 6 handheld. One model of the PS6 appears to be a dedicated home console and the other a handheld. Layden says that Sony’s history of supporting multiple products has not been good as they naturally only have so much marketing money and the least popular one eventually gets neglected. Here’s what he said:
Sony has always struggled in marketing two platforms at the same time. PS3 was a struggle, but PSP was very successful. Then Vita came out and that was doing well, but then PS3 got itself into a better place. You only have so many marketing dollars and so you’re trying to put them against different products.”
Layden suggests that “if Sony does get in the handheld business again, you might almost set up a different company to do it. That would be their only focus instead of having one marketing budget trying to put it against a handheld and a console and software. It loses its focus.”
I find it really hard to imagine what Sony or Microsoft can offer in this space that isn’t already solved by Switch 2 or PC handhelds.
We got the PlayStation Portal, which was a decent product at a very strange price. I believe it’s either 250-300$ now. But Sony does make decent handhelds, I mean the vita is great, the psp is very cool. But this will likely be a 1000$ gaming pc handheld locked to your ps5/6 library. I don’t know man, it could be good, but I don’t have high expectations for it, at least in terms of having a distinct feeling.