Rumours of a new PlayStation handheld are swirling - again
And everyone's sceptical
Update: Fresh PlayStation Vita 2 rumors are now making the rounds, thanks to leaked information about the handheld's potential custom AMD APU.
For some reason, rumors of a new PlayStation handheld device are doing the rounds.
Over on the haven of legitimate info that is the Gaming Leaks and Rumors subreddit, one subreddit post claimed knowledge of a PlayStation handheld device in the works. Or rather, the post author claims to know an ASUS employee, who themselves knows that Sony is working on a new handheld gaming device.
"Interesting. I don't believe in the price and Playstation handheld though," writes one subreddit user. Plenty of other comments are debating why the PS Vita died, and there's a hell of a lot of opinions, from a lack of exclusive games, to the handheld device's pricing.
It's a dubious claim at best, and it's been met with the appropriate amount of scepticism elsewhere online. For one, Giant Bomb host Jeff Grubb believes we should dramatically reduce our expectations of a PlayStation handheld device, pivoting far away from what some undoubtedly imagine as a PS Vita successor.
I am traveling to Super Nintendo World, but I see the reports about a potential Vita 2, and I would definitely scope down those expectations. I've only ever heard about a cloud-streaming handheld.April 4, 2023
There's also some serious doubt among other Twitter users that Sony would want to compete in the handheld gaming space with both Nintendo and Valve, especially with the latter's Steam Deck picking up the vast majority of Steam user's libraries to play on the go.
For whatever it's worth, Insider Gaming is claiming that a Sony handheld device is in fact in the works, but utilizes Remote Play technology. This supposed handheld device, allegedly codenamed "Q Lite," is slated to release before the PS5 Pro, itself another wildly rumored Sony project apparently in the works.
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This is hardly the first time a PS Vita successor rumor has done the rounds, hence why it's once again been met with the appropriate scepticism. Sony could be working on a dedicated handheld gaming device, or simply a gaming streaming device, or neither of the aforementioned.
Head over to our best PS Vita games guide to see if you missed out on any hidden gems in the handheld's library.
Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.