PlayStation handheld in the works amid Nintendo’s plans for Switch 2

Sony is reportedly working on a PlayStation handheld to compete against popular gaming consoles such as the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck.

According to Bloomberg, the company is working to develop a handheld gaming console that would run PlayStation 5 games natively.

The upcoming gaming console will be Sony’s third go at the handheld devices, having developed PSP in 2005 and the PlayStation Vita in 2011.

However, the publication, while quoting sources, reported that the company will not be able to release the gaming console in the near future.

As per Bloomberg, Sony has not officially announced the PlayStation handheld, which could be seen as its attempt to rival the Nintendo Switch 2.

The company might entirely leave the project without releasing an end product, according to the publication.

The development came days after Xbox CEO Phil Spencer confirmed developments on a handheld gaming console.

Spencer said that Xbox is currently experimenting with handheld prototypes, however, he said that the company has no plans to launch a gaming console in the near future.

Reports about the company’s development of a handheld gaming console had been making rounds since early 2023 while several insiders claimed that prototypes were in the works since March 2024.

Meanwhile, Nintendo is currently working on Switch 2, a successor to its original Switch.

While the company has not made an official announcement about the gaming console, its President Shuntaro Furukawa has confirmed that development on a successor was underway.

Earlier this month, Furukawa revealed that the Kyoto-based company was following its original plan to announce the upcoming gaming console.

While Shuntaro Furukawa said there was no change to the company’s plan to announce a successor to its Switch, he did not go into specifics or provide an exact date for the announcement of Switch 2.