It has been a tumultous decade for handheld gaming. Especially so for Sony, with a lackluster response to its PS Vita 2000 series back in 2014 and 2023’s PlayStation Portal. And yet, the Nintendo Switch was arguably responsible for reversing the company’s fortunes over the years following its release.

It is an interesting contrast, to be sure. It highlights many differences the two companies took in their approach to portable gaming devices and could shed light on why many PlayStation fans seem apathetic – if not disdainful – of the latest rumors surrounding a handheld version of the PlayStation 6 that Sony and AMD are apparently collaborating on.

Portable Problems

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The PS Vita simply never gained any traction, did it?

Perhaps Sony could have seen it coming. The PS Vita was essentially hamstrung by the advent of smartphones – and their ability to provide a gaming experience that rivalled its own portable devices.

The Vita faced tough competition over the course of its approximately 5-year lifespan and several iterations ever since its 2011 release, a problem only exacerbated by Sony’s baffling release of the XPeria Play, a smartphone that could do exactly what the Vita could, while also being quite the capable phone in its own right!

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The Xperia Play was a PS Vita, just better.

Sony simply could not recreate the magic of their gaaming consoles in the handheld market – a trend that continues with the PlayStation Portal’s inability to run games locally in lieu of streaming them via Remote Play.

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Flipping A Switch

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The Nintendo Switch simply redefined the idea of a protable gaming experience.

Bolstered by its ability to function as a console plugged to a TV as well as a handheld console, a revolutionary new controller and Nintendo’s astute approach to third-party titles, the Nintendo Switch was – and arguably remains – the definitive portable gaming experience that one could get their hands on today.

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So much so that even fans of the PlayStation are simply not impressed by news of a handheld PlayStation 6, touted to be a portable version of the PS6 console.

The idea of a handheld PS6 has not garnered the response that Sony may look for, however.

Some fans are going so far as to wish that Sony would reconsider their decision!

Other fans even took a stab at the PS5, despite its success as a home gaming console.

It is definitely interesting that despite Sony’s presence as a titan in the gaming industry, and the Nintendo Switch’s proof that a gaming console could work as a handheld device, the rumored PS6 simply does not seem to have PlayStation fans excited.

While time will tell if Sony can salvage their reputation in the handheld gaming space, learning from the Nintendo Switch’s success could potentially bring its disgruntled fans firmly back into the fold and change gaming as we know it once again.

But for now, it seems that the Nintendo Switch is the portable console to pack on that long commute.

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