First up, apologies for the terrible AI renders throughout this piece, but I am not a designer and I like the quirks that the big-brain machines keep coughing up!
November update:
Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch 2 will be backward compatible, getting rid of any notion that the next-gen model would be anything other than a modest spec bump. In a brief post, they say, "This is Furukawa. At today's Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well. Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date."
And now Microsoft has finally confirmed that it is working on an Xbox Handheld. In a paywalled article for Bloomberg, big boss Phil Spencer mentions they are working a device for launch in a couple of years' time. After years of crap sales, big job losses and poor game sales, I'd question the need, given the Xbox ecosystem is widely portable, but its good to hear they are still trying.
Whatever the reality behind these moves, the big gaming brands had better get a move on, with the latest models from Ayaneo (the Ayaneo 3 just revealed) ramping up the specs and quality, with many more models streaming out of Chinese factories.
September update:
With today's PlayStation technical presentation revealing the PlayStation 5 Pro, this clears the decks for Sony's next-gen hardware gossip to hit overdrive.
The latest insider gossip for the PSP2 is that the next PlayStation Portable will feature an AMD-powered core more powerful than a PlayStation 4 enabling it to play the entire PS4 library natively and stream PS5/6 games.
Sony's current handheld PlayStation Portal continues to sell well, so there's no rush for a PSP2, and no clear path for any original software (unless Sony pays developers to revisit their PS4 titles/engines). With the hit status of Astro Bot, a PSP2 might also encourage more platformer/genre experimentation without eating into PS5/6 developer studios budgets.
Otherwise, watch this space for further news, and likely a late 2025/early 2026 launch to fill the gap around the slower pace of AAA developement, and until the PlayStation 6 arrives.
Original article: Perhaps it's the silly season in gaming news, ignoring Xbox's self-inflicted recent strategic wounds, but we've got "sources" talking, gossipers going full-bore and all sorts of potential new hardware being talked about lurking in the labs and off the edge of corporate roadmaps.
Whether none, one (okay, Switch 2 is happening) or all of them are true, it looks like the hardware makers have realised the high-risk strategy of pushing ever-greater specs in decreasing life cycles, and may try broadening the entertainment experience for gamers.
Do I really want an 8K PlayStation 6 burning a hole in my entertainment centre, running off a roof of solar panels and leaking coolant over my Uncharted map rug? (Yes, but it'll be way down the list!)
PlayStation Going Portable Again?
I've already chatted about the potential for a Vita/PSP2 beyond the PlayStation Portable and what it could deliver. I'd be pleasantly surprised if it happens, but a changing market could force Sony to revisit a proper portable, and that would be a delight.
Update: New piece on potential PSP2 pricing!
One sad part of that idea, there's no going back to the days of PSP/Vita indie developers, and niche off-shoots of big-name titles, the budget just isn't there as proven by the massive ongoing industry jobs massacre. Instead, it'll play games from current/past PlayStation eras, perhaps with innovative integrations with the mother ship console.
Will Nintendo Switch Up or Smaller?
More likely to happen, Nintendo needs to create some more leg room in a Switch 2 for future titles. And it has to do that while retaining backward compatibility for the hugely successful hybrid, and its monster collection of carts and indie downloads. All that seems so obvious, that it has to be true.
Update (May 2024) Nintendo has confirmed an announcement this year, and the tech sites are going into overdrive with silicon ideas, mostly way more RAM to eliminate bottlenecks. However, Nintendo is all about the games and with Sony focusing on ludicrously big experiences and Xbox cratering, I'd like see the big-N (and partners) revive Ridge Racer, WipEout, Out Run, Rayman and perhaps some Fable remasters to broaden the appeal along the first-party big hitters.
But there's still room for innovation! Given I still hate the size and unwieldy nature of the Switch, how about a Switch 2 mini, riffing nostalgically back at the other Nintendo handheld variants? And I get the feeling that Nintendo will bow to the pressure of users wanting entertainment apps, a better social environment and other tweaks to make it an all-rounder device.
An early 2025 launch, as the chatterers opine, would allow Nintendo to clear the current supply chain and stock of existing systems, with a strong sales effort to goose the 2024 holiday season. Then it can head into the second half of the decade with a more powerful Switch offering to drive NG Mario, Zelda et al (and fix the JoyCons!).
Xbox Wants to Play Big
Which leaves Xbox struggling on where to head next with low hardware sales but a monster roster of developers across PC and other hardware. There's a modest chance of them coming out with a dedicated portable, even if its really just a rebranded Steam Deck with Surface stylings.
One that gives them more ways to sell Game Pass subscriptions. That makes sense, given Microsoft's strong foray into powerful Surface devices, and they could go all-in on some future all-screen or (apologies again for this terrible AI render but I do love the militaryian look!)
Update: At the latest (June 2024) Xbox event, Phil Spencer all but confirmed the existence of an Xbox portable. Likely a funked-up Steam Deck, it can help refocus the Xbox market in light of the brand's continued struggles to generate positive news and interest.
In summary, Christmas 2024 and beyond could easily see a revival in portable gaming, as the big three try to position their console offering for maximum effect to attract new developers and broaden their base.
- Sony has the least to win as long as it dominates big-screen console sales, but won't want to be caught out by where Nintendo goes with Switch 2.
- Nintendo is likely to stay in its happy mushroom-bordered lanes while broadening the appeal of any future device and expanding the platform roster ala 3DS/XL/2DS/minis/STB.
- And Microsoft has the budget and the developer power to do something expressive to shake up the market, if it has the aggressive will to outflank the corporate bean counters.
All of this in a landscape packed with portable PC and Android gaming devices. Whatever happens, once we get past the gossip phase, it is going to fun, so stick around for the ride! Until then, I'm waiting for the PlayStation Portal to get back in stock and for MS and Nintendo to shock us with something amazing!
