PlayStation CEO John Kodera revealed in an interview that Sony is still interested in the idea of portable gaming.
“In my opinion, rather than separating portable gaming from consoles, it’s necessary to continue thinking of it as one method to deliver more gaming experiences and exploring what our customers want from portable,” said Kodera in an interview with Bloomberg. “We want to think about many options.”
While Kodera also said that now isn’t the right time to “discuss specific hardware plans,” his views on the matter seem to suggest that Sony is still interested in exploring the idea of treating portable devices as a delivery method for console gaming experiences. He stops short of committing to that philosophy, but the nature of his quote hints that Sony is exploring that idea as a possibility.
What’s interesting about that is that Sony has a portable device on the market that is designed to replicate console-like experiences. It’s called the PlayStation Vita, and the reason that you forgot it existed has something to do with the fact that Sony has struggled to find a way to grow and market the device. The Vita’s struggles have been so great that Sony is reportedly considering abandoning the device entirely later this year.
Of course, Kodera’s statement has some people thinking of the Switch. Nintendo’s latest console proves that people are still interested in more advanced portable gaming experiences…as long as the device itself doubles as an actual console. Is it possible that Sony is considering developing a similar piece of technology as it prepares for the end of the PlayStation 4’s lifecycle and the beginning of the PlayStation 5’s era?
Former PlayStation CEO Andrew House denied that the company had any interest in developing a Switch-like device, but now that there’s a new boss in charge, that could change. With any luck, Sony will shed a little more light on their plans at E3 2018.
