Thursday, November 28th 2024
Sony Handheld Gaming Console Reportedly Coming for Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch Market Share
It looks like Sony is joining Xbox in the development of a standalone handheld gaming console to compete with the likes of the Nintendo Switch and Valve Steam Deck. According to a Bloomberg's insider sources, a Sony gaming handheld is already in development, and would be designed with Sony PlayStation 5 games in mind. Unlike the PlayStation Portal, the future gaming console wouldn't be dependent on game streaming and would, instead, run games locally, meaning it would likely need significantly more powerful hardware than the Portal has. This would be Sony's first true foray into the portable gaming console market since the likes of the PS Vita, which is largely considered to be a commercial disappointment.
Sony isn't the first of the console giants looking into creating its own gaming handheld after Nintendo's Switch. Obviously, Valve, traditionally more of a software company, already has the immensely popular Steam Deck, but we also recently reported that Microsoft is in the early stages of developing its own handheld gaming console. Details on the future Sony gaming handheld are scant, and there has been no official word from Sony about the console. That said, it wouldn't be surprising to see it equipped with an AMD APU, similar to the likes of the Steam Deck and the PS5, since Sony already has history and a commercial relationship with AMD hardware.
The rise of the gaming handheld has had some unexpected side effects, like the rapid growth of the indie gaming space and an increased interest in games that can be run on less powerful hardware. It also seems like controller support has also taken more of a prominent role in the PC gaming landscape. Gaming-adjacent software, like the Xbox Game Bar on Windows have also received drastic redesigns and optimizations for touch screens as a result of the increased adoption of smaller-screen gaming hardware.
It will be interesting to see what comes out of Microsoft and Sony's mobile gaming efforts. Since both gaming giants are also game developers or have development subsidiaries, we might see a shift to more efficient or more configurable AAA console games, which would generally be good news for PC ports, which have a bit of a reputation for poor optimization.
Source:
Bloomberg
Sony isn't the first of the console giants looking into creating its own gaming handheld after Nintendo's Switch. Obviously, Valve, traditionally more of a software company, already has the immensely popular Steam Deck, but we also recently reported that Microsoft is in the early stages of developing its own handheld gaming console. Details on the future Sony gaming handheld are scant, and there has been no official word from Sony about the console. That said, it wouldn't be surprising to see it equipped with an AMD APU, similar to the likes of the Steam Deck and the PS5, since Sony already has history and a commercial relationship with AMD hardware.
It will be interesting to see what comes out of Microsoft and Sony's mobile gaming efforts. Since both gaming giants are also game developers or have development subsidiaries, we might see a shift to more efficient or more configurable AAA console games, which would generally be good news for PC ports, which have a bit of a reputation for poor optimization.
8 Comments on Sony Handheld Gaming Console Reportedly Coming for Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch Market Share
Also, any consumer overlap means the products share the same market from both an investors and developers viewpoint. A kid can want BOTH a Deck and a Switch and it’s not universally one or the other. Most parents won’t buy both.
So the content of this article has implications for the entire handheld market where Nvidia has the Switch and most other handhelds are AMD. As a gamer and investor, I am interested in this new gaming form factor and would welcome other’s thoughts who use any handheld including the Switch and whether or not you enjoy it.
The games aren't the same and I'd say they target different audiences.
The SD is more for the tinkering type. The Switch is for people who want something that just works.
They both legally have different games. The switch is to play with friends; the SD is to play alone.
In past generations Sony did well with series like Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Crash Bandicoot, Gran Turismo, Ratchet and Clank, SOCOM, Metal Gear...etc. but those are all some combination of no longer exclusive and/or not what they used to be.
If everyone else, including Nintendo, can use cheap SD cards, then so can Sony.
On a separate note but handheld wise, this is amazeballs