Sony is reportedly in the early stages of development on a new PlayStation handheld to rival the Nintendo Switch

PlayStation Portal with cloud streaming library on screen — (Image credit: Future / Phil Hayton)

Sony is reportedly working on a brand new portable console to build on the idea of its PlayStation Portal and compete with Nintendo in the handheld space, according to a report from Bloomberg.

It's claimed that the console is in the early stages of development, and is most likely still years away from being released, if it even happens at all – Bloomberg mentions that the company could decide not to launch it. However, as it stands, the goal is apparently to be able to play PS5 games on the go, and considering Bloomberg's sources claim that the original plan for the PS Portal was for it to act more like a Steam Deck and be a standalone device, it sounds like it could be a lot more like a 'traditional' handheld console.

When it launched, the PS Portal required users to own a PS5 in order to use it, but just last week, Sony rolled out a fantastic new feature that gets rid of that requirement. The new cloud streaming beta allows PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers to stream select games (over 120 of them) via the cloud, with absolutely no need for a PS5. This is huge, since up to this point, it's been impossible to take it out on the go like you can a Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch. Of course, you still need a stable internet connection in order to use it, so it's still not quite as portable as either of the aforementioned competitors, but it's still a massive upgrade. If this new handheld is real, hopefully it can improve on this further.

It's quite a time for fans of handheld consoles, as we know that we'll be getting news on the Nintendo Switch's successor (unofficially known as the Switch 2) sometime before April 2025, and Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer recently confirmed that Xbox is working on prototypes for its own handheld, although he expects that's still many years away from release. With all that in mind, it wouldn't be surprising at all if Sony truly is wanting to join in in a bigger way, too, but it sounds like it could be a while before we know for sure one way or another.

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I'm GamesRadar+'s Deputy News Editor, working alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.