Rumored Sony PlayStation Handheld Will Feature Support for Native PS5 Games
PlayStation has a history with handheld devices, but it has been years since it released one that plays games natively. There are now rumors suggesting that Sony is developing a new handheld that will support PS5 games locally.
This follows the release of the PlayStation Portal, which many fans had hoped would be the next generation of handheld gaming. However, the Portal serves primarily as a Remote Play device for the PS5.
The new handheld is said to be in development alongside the anticipated PlayStation 6 but may come with less performance power than the PS5. The challenge lies in how this less powerful device will play PS5 games effectively.
According to a report from Techspot, the solution may lie in a “low-power mode” that the new handheld will feature. This low-power mode could allow the device to run PS5 games natively, even though it is expected to be significantly weaker than the PS5.
Comments from known leaker KeplerL2 on Neogaf support this idea, and there are suggestions that Sony may introduce memory enhancements. Furthermore, developers might be encouraged to release “handheld performance” patches for their games to optimize them for the new system.
The reported power draw for the upcoming device stands at 15W, which reinforces the need for these enhancements. Initially discussed by Moore’s Law Is Dead on YouTube, the low-power mode is being tested on the PS5 and PS5 Pro to evaluate its effectiveness on a less powerful handheld.
Sony could also implement PSSR or other AI-powered upscaling technologies to mitigate performance loss, helping to improve frame rates and visuals despite the lower specifications of the new handheld.
