PlayStation could be releasing a brand new portable console

THE PlayStation Portal did far better than Sony ever expected, and it could have caused PS to rethink its strategy.

Although PlayStation seemed to abandon handheld gaming after the financial failure of the PS Vita, this recent success seems like it could be the start of a change.

The Vita is PlayStation's last portable console.Credit: Aleks Dorohovich via Unsplash

Some reliable leaks have claimed that Sony is teaming up with chip maker AMD to create a new Sony handheld system.

Unlike the PS Portal, this would be a standalone console, much like the PlayStation Vita, which launched in 2012.

There are a number of rumors floating around about what the console will look like, but Sony's partnership with AMD seems to be the only credible one.

There are suggestions that the upcoming Sony handheld will be digital-only, as many storefronts are moving to an all-digital market.

Handhelds usually play games using cartridges rather than discs, and these are typically more expensive to produce.

Some research suggests that up to 95% of gaming purchases are now digital.

With big games like Alan Wake 2 and Hellblade 2 going digital-only, it's easy to see games moving more and more away from physical media.

There's no evidence from Sony to suggest the upcoming console will be digital-only, but market trends predict it will.

One of the reasons for the Vita's financial failure in the West is that Sony priced the console above the market average.

There were also special memory cards for the Vita that could cost as much as Nintendo's 3DS console.

Hopefully Sony has learned from these mistakes and will price an upcoming console more competitively, such as the PS Portal.

There is also speculation that Xbox is also considering a portable console, which would fit in well with the number of games Microsoft has on PC.

If you want to read more on PlayStation, check out the games for free with PS Plus Essential in February.

Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.

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