PS5 Portable suddenly seems possible — here's why

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An old PlayStation prediction just became more credible

PS5 Portable
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The PS5 is set to make a big splash when it launches this holiday — but it might not be the only console Sony has up its sleeves for the next few years. According to a 2017 prediction that is currently making the rounds again, a "PlayStation 5 Portable" could arrive by 2023 as a handheld complement to Sony's next-gen console.

A 2017 tweet from Bloomberg's Takashi Mochizuki citing a Goldman Sachs report started resurfacing this week (via Laptop Mag), now that it contains predictions that have at least partially come true. The report suggested that the PlayStation 5 will arrive by 2020 (which it will, barring any last-minute delays), while also predicting a PlayStation 5 Portable for 2023 and a PlayStation 6 by 2027.

The mention of a PS5 Portable is a bit curious, and worth taking with a grain of salt. Since this prediction was initially published, Sony has gone on the record to say that it's no longer making handheld consoles in late 2019. However, with the continued success of the Nintendo Switch and newer Nintendo Switch Lite, it's possible that Sony could change its mind to tap into the still-lucrative portable console market.

The Switch has sold more than 55 million units worldwide as of May 2020 (via Nintendo Life), and has become a particularly hot ticket item in recent months as more people look for entertainment while stuck at home. And given Sony's experience making handheld consoles, a PS5 Portable or PlayStation Vita 2 could be a nice complement to the PS5 itself — especially if you can stream titles such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales or Horizon: Forbidden West to it while on the go.

Sony's last handheld release was the PlayStation Vita, which launched in 2012 and developed somewhat of a cult following thanks to titles such as Persona 4 Golden, Gravity Rush and Uncharted: Golden Abyss as well as its access to older PlayStation classics. Sony's recent comments make us think that it's done with portables, but given that the company is getting set to ship out as many as 10 million PS5s this year, the overall demand for PlayStation hardware could lead to a change of heart.

Michael Andronico
Michael Andronico

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored. He was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide, where he wrote extensively on gaming, as well as running the show on the news front. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.