While the PlayStation Portable was a successful handheld game console, giving Sony a strong push into the handheld game market, its younger brother, the PS Vita, failed. With high prices and a lack of great games, Sony stopped producing games it made for the Vita in the early stages of the machine’s life. Instead, they focused on making games for the PlayStation 4.
According to news from Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO John Kodera, PlayStation may launch a handheld system at some point in the future. Kodera thinks that Sony is thinking about “a lot of options” when it comes to handheld games, and it needs to know what customers need from these devices.
Kodera’s comment doesn’t necessarily suggest that a new Sony handheld is in development, but it could be. Previously, Sony had patented the design for a system similar to the Nintendo Switch, and thought like Nintendo’s latest device, it was a handheld/console hybrid. Maybe when Sony launches PlayStation 5, they will also introduce a mobile version for PS4 to confront the Switch.
Sony may one day return to handheld gaming, even with a Switch-like device, but for now the market is waning. Just last week, Sony announced that it would be discontinuing Vita game consoles this year, and that general support for the PlayStaion Vita would end in just a few years.
Overall, Sony has announced plans to end support for the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection for the PS Vita in March of next year. This could be a sign that Vita’s other online services are ending soon, which could mean killing the device.
Once Vita stops being supported, it will be interesting to see if Sony prepares a successor to it. For now, fans of Sony’s handheld games shouldn’t get too excited, but everyone should rest easy knowing that PlayStation could make a return to this market.
Source: Game Informer
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