Rumor: Sony paying close attention to portable console market after surprise success of PS Portal

Sony is who would have kept a close eye on the portable console market, following the surprise success of the PS Portal. Although it was criticized before its release in opinion polls on sites like Push squareThe Remote Play accessory has become a sensation, surpassing the platform holder’s pre-release sales estimates – and topping revenue charts worldwide. Obviously, its $200 MSRP plays a role in the latter, but it’s worth noting that it’s competing with similarly priced accessories like the DualSense Edgewho are not performing at all at the same level.

Well-connected tipster Tom Henderson wrote on X (Or Twitter) that the Japanese giant is paying “special attention to the portable console market” following the success of the PS Portal. There has been a resurgence of interest in portable consoles following the launch of the Steam Deck and a variety of other portable consoles on PC, such as the ROG Ally. Despite the growing interest from enthusiasts, it is worth remembering that the Steam Deck has sold less than 10 million units, less than the PS Vita.

There were unsubstantiated rumors earlier this year, originating from a random Russian individual, that Sony was preparing a laptop that only playing PS4 titles, but this has never been corroborated by a reliable source despite numerous media reports.

While we’ve always appreciated PlayStation’s efforts with portable consoles, we’re not convinced there’s a large enough audience for a standalone device. It’s unlikely the platform holder would develop games specifically for the handheld, as that was one of the PS Vita’s biggest flaws. That would mean sharing a library with the PS5, which would result in a large, heavy, and expensive product. We can’t imagine the company limiting a hypothetical handheld console to just The PS4 software as stated above as it slowly tries to break away from this generation.