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Possible new PlayStation Portal model pays homage to the Vita's OLED

While much of the focus on PlayStation's next steps is the PS6 and PS6 Portable , the two-year old PlayStation Portal could be getting a revamp according to those pesky internet rumours.  Update : Hints at pricing are around £/$250-299 for the new model, but everything remains deeply in rumours territory. Presumably the goal is to hit the 10% (currently 7%-ish) adoption rate among PS5 owners, something that would make it a bone fide hit gadget.   The recent February  PlayStation State of Play  saw no announcement. But, PlayStation needs to make Portal more a core member of the PS5 family, rather than the distant cousin that most of its appearances suggest.  As the improvement in connectivity and streaming tech, proven by many gamers enjoying their PS5 or PlayStation Plus streamed content from around the world, an updated Portal Pro could be on the cards.  Possibly featuring a 120Hz display and an OLED screen in honour of the mighty Vita, that'd be coo...

Sony's PS4 launch needs one word, "integration"

Sony is teasing a launch event for the PS4 later this month (unless its a new Tron movie) with a new video (UPDATE: All true, apparently - WSJ)

 

However, Sony can't just unveil a new console on February 20, it needs to cement the relationship between the new console, the PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Gaikai, Android devices and other services you might already own. It has to demonstrate its commitment to the modern user and all our gadgets, it can do that through thorough integration between all these devices and services.

This isn't 1994 or 2001, Sony can't just sit behind its walled garden. The Vita for one needs to be integral to the PS4's wow-factor, a universe of PS3 and earlier games needs to be available from day one. The Vita can be used either as an advanced controller as the leaked hardware specs have hinted at and be able to play all your PS4 games and other content around the house, as Nvidia's SHIELD can with your PC games and Nintendos Wii U GamePad can with (some) of its titles.

Anything less and the Vita will likely rapidly be reduced to a gaming backwater as the PSP was following the PS3's launch in the west. While the PS4 will be hamstrung by a lack of quality content. Really hope Sony's got its shit together on this one for a combined assault. And the PS4 will die for lack of oxygen due to the massive development needs if it doesn't have a massive roster of other stuff to enjoy.

 One final point, the knives came out for the 3DS, Vita and now Wii U soon after launch, as their launch sales dived. Get used to it folks, this is the new normal, we are not living in the walled-gardens of 1994 or 2001. The expensive new PS4 and XboxNext will take years to muster decent sales, anyone getting uppity after a few weeks deserves a good kicking - if you see news or forums posts like that feel welcome to apply full metal toecap.

Currently playing on my Vita/PS3/PS4/PS5


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