Rumor: Sony new hardware in the works (suggested to be a cloud handheld)

[the-pi-guy]

Started with Tom Henderson rumor on YouTube

"wonders what the competition will think of it"

For those asking, the new Sony hardware I alluded to in yesterday's stream hasn't been reported on yet.

— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) April 2, 2023

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.

— Grubb (@JeffGrubb) April 4, 2023

[nnodley]

I'd be in for a new PlayStation handheld 100%

[Legend]

Yeah that could make sense actually. Cloud isn't ideal but it'd require essentially no software commitment from Sony. Just an officially branded PS Now controller+screen.

[the-pi-guy]

EXCLUSIVE - Sony's Next PlayStation Handheldhttps://t.co/1EjiC0CHby

— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) April 5, 2023

Insider Gaming understands that the Q Lite is not a cloud-streaming device, but instead uses Remote Play with the PlayStation 5 – A feature the console giant has been pushing these past couple of weeks.

As for the console's physical features, early prototypes show the console will look a lot like a PlayStation 5 controller, but with a massive 8-inch LCD touchscreen in the center. The device sports adaptive triggers for haptic feedback and will include what you would come to expect from a handheld – Volume buttons, speakers, an audio input jack, etc.

[BananaKing]

it should be backwards compatible with PS4 games and have all PS5 games moving forward.

[kitler53]

...and RetroArch. 

[SWORDF1SH]

Would of preferred a full blown handheld. This is just a PS5 accessory to something we can already do, so not hyped at all.
A Cloud gaming handheld wouldn't work outside of WiFi areas either unless you have a 4g/5g network contract which will suck.
But if they could find a solution of a game-anywhere cloud gaming handheld for under $100, that shame would sell

[the-pi-guy]

Sony Wii U Gamepad coming in!

[kitler53]

Would of preferred a full blown handheld. This is just a PS5 accessory to something we can already do, so not hyped at all.
A Cloud gaming handheld wouldn't work outside of WiFi areas either unless you have a 4g/5g network contract which will suck.
But if they could find a solution of a game-anywhere cloud gaming handheld for under $100, that shame would sell

i mean,.. let's wait for this to actually be announced before hating on it.

vita also did remote play with ps4 and it was a fantastic feature that no one seemed to know or care about.   this could be a full blown vita 2 that just has a bigger marketing focus on it's ability to remote play with ps5.  i think where that will help sony is:
- a game can choose to play natively on the handheld hardware but is not mandated to like xbox does with series S.
- every game no matter how AAA can be remote played for the games that just can't scale down well.

i'd want that.   i mean,.. that's all i ever wanted in a vita 2.  

i think it's stupid that everyone will bash the crud out of a sony handheld for not having exclusives and not supporting 100% of their psn library while praising to high hell the steam deck which:
1. doesn't have any exclusives
2. has a laughably low % of the steam library that works on the device and half the ones that do is a pretty terrible experience.   

[Legend]

i mean,.. let's wait for this to actually be announced before hating on it.

vita also did remote play with ps4 and it was a fantastic feature that no one seemed to know or care about.   this could be a full blown vita 2 that just has a bigger marketing focus on it's ability to remote play with ps5.  i think where that will help sony is:
- a game can choose to play natively on the handheld hardware but is not mandated to like xbox does with series S.
- every game no matter how AAA can be remote played for the games that just can't scale down well.

i'd want that.   i mean,.. that's all i ever wanted in a vita 2.  

i think it's stupid that everyone will bash the crud out of a sony handheld for not having exclusives and not supporting 100% of their psn library while praising to high hell the steam deck which:
1. doesn't have any exclusives
2. has a laughably low % of the steam library that works on the device and half the ones that do is a pretty terrible experience.  

I just wouldn't expect it to have that much support. How many devs would invest in a local version when it'd be a visual downgrade from the cloud version?

Unless this thing costs $1,000 of course, but then it's doa.

[kitler53]

I just wouldn't expect it to have that much support. How many devs would invest in a local version when it'd be a visual downgrade from the cloud version?

Unless this thing costs $1,000 of course, but then it's doa.

i mean, i'm ignorant of what dev cost mean here but....

...games are built to be scalable these days right?  ps4/5 xbox one/S/X switch PC and i guess steam deck. 

unless this device is literally a controller with a screen and wifi people are going to prefer a local version to a streamed version:
- no lag
- can take it on the go where internet is not availible.

why would be putting games on a device be any different for this device than it would be for any other sku?   i'd be willing to bet that any handheld sony makes will at least outclass a ps4 and since there are basically 0 games exclusive to ps5/xboxSX why would be supporting this be any different to the continued support of ps4?  

[the-pi-guy]

Games are scalable in a lot of ways.
Like you can turn up and down a lot of visual settings.

There are plenty of other things that can't. You can't turn down AI without making it a very different experience.

There is also the issue of having to support another platform in general. Some engines will handle a lot of that, but not all of them.

[kitler53]

Games are scalable in a lot of ways.
Like you can turn up and down a lot of visual settings.

There are plenty of other things that can't. You can't turn down AI without making it a very different experience.

There is also the issue of having to support another platform in general. Some engines will handle a lot of that, but not all of them.

and i wouldn't expect 100% of games on psn to support "vita 2".   but like vita i would expect a hell of a lot of games to easily support it because sony goes out of their way to make it easy.  in a handheld i really prefer those lighter experiences anyways which are no doubt not utilizing ps5 to its fullest.   

[Legend]

like vita

That's why I'm skeptical. Vita had the full force of Sony and the only way to get on the system was with a port, and it still had horrendous support.

Why would most AAA devs even attempt a port if doing absolutely nothing already gets them on the platform? Good local versions are better than streamed versions but for a lot of people the streamed versions are fine. Plus for lots of games a good local version could be incredibly expensive. Take something with trash performance like Ark. No way would a local port run better than a streamed version.

[kitler53]

That's why I'm skeptical. Vita had the full force of Sony and the only way to get on the system was with a port, and it still had horrendous support.

Why would most AAA devs even attempt a port if doing absolutely nothing already gets them on the platform? Good local versions are better than streamed versions but for a lot of people the streamed versions are fine. Plus for lots of games a good local version could be incredibly expensive. Take something with trash performance like Ark. No way would a local port run better than a streamed version.

well first off,.. because sony has flexible release requirements that allow developers to choose if the "vita" copy is free, requires an upgrade fee, or is an entirely different sku.   so unlike on xbox developers can ask for more $$ if they want to.

secondly,.. huge AAA games are the ones least likely to make it to the system.   just like huge AAA games skip switch huge AAA games would skip a sony handheld too except via streaming (just like on switch).   I get that people love huge AAA games but that's like 5% of the games on psn.   the better fit for handhelds on the go would be found here:

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/category/625ea47b-a9b2-4269-8267-56514df043e9/1

tunic.  cult of  lamb.  sifu.  inscryption.  cursed golf.  ect.  switch is the king of "indies" right now but it used to be vita.   indies supported the crud out of vita and was the reason the system was soo awesome.   and these days tech is a lot more easy to cross port than it was on ps3/vita.   



but like i said,.. steam deck has a laughably shame % of their games that can run on steam deck and people love the system.   you are just confirming right here right now the double standard sony will be held to when it comes to vita...