We know what you're thinking, and yes, rumors of a new PlayStation handheld seem to have been swirling since… well, probably since the launch of the Vita. But now we have a somewhat more credible report from Bloomberg (Thanks, VGC), claiming that Sony may be developing a new 'PSP' to compete more directly with Nintendo.
According to Bloomberg, development of the new handheld is in its early stages and, much like Microsoft's planned portable device, likely won't launch for several years. As such, the company may still choose not to market it, although given the extraordinary success of the Switch and the hype surrounding its successor, we honestly wouldn't be surprised to see Sony dive even further into the world of handheld gaming.
As for what the 'PSP' will be capable of, Bloomberg states that it will build on the foundation of the PlayStation Portal, but instead of requiring the cloud to stream PS5 games, the device will play them natively. In other words, don't expect much (if any) custom hand games like Split off or Uncharted: Golden Abyss.
Having direct competition from both Sony and Microsoft within the handheld space would undoubtedly make the 'Switch 2' little a more demanding proposition for some consumers. That said, if rumors about both companies are to be believed, it's likely that the Switch's successor will have the handheld console market to itself for at least two or three years. Combine that with the stellar first-party software Nintendo is known for, and we'd say the company has nothing to worry about. At least for now.
