A Sony may be planning return to the portable console market with a new PlayStation Portable that plays PS4 games, according to rumors. While many wait for the announcement of the PS5 Pro, Sony seems to want to expand its console lineup even further.
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Rumors about a new PSP
On the ResetERA forums, Russian journalist Anton Logvinovknown for having anticipated PlayStation games on PC, said on Telegram that Sony is working on a new PSP capable of running titles developed for the PS4.
According to the rumor, the launch games are the same as those available on PC and Steam Deck. In other words, at least at the beginning, the collection of games available will be quite small. This suggests that the new system may have surprises, especially since stores seem to be skeptical of this handheld.
We’ve heard about a new PlayStation Portable before. In February, the canal Moore’s Law is Dead mentioned a system with APU AMD customized for PS4 and PS5 games. While it could be the same device that Logvinov mentioned, he didn’t talk about PS5 games. So, compatibility with these titles could be a secret or something to add later, if the system is really in development.
With the success of Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck e ROG Ally da ASUS, it wouldn’t be strange for Sony to want to enter this market again. Even Microsoft seems interested. Anyway, it’s a bit strange to think of a device just for PS4 games, when there is already the PlayStation Portalwhich streams PS5 games.
New generation of Xbox in 2026
In contrast, the Microsoft you can launch your next generation of Xbox consoles sooner than previously thought. The informant TheGhostofHope says that reliable sources indicate a launch for 2026, earlier than predicted by analysts. An interesting detail is that the company can use the buy from Activision Blizzard to boost sales of the new console, bringing Call of Duty as one of the games at launch.
It’s not the first time that rumors point to the launch of the new Xbox in 2026. In December, YouTuber RedGamingTech mentioned that Microsoft would choose the AMD Ryzen Zen 5 CPU because Zen 6 would not be ready. He also said that the company would abandon the strategy of two different models of this generation and would use just one.
Microsoft wants to repeat the success of Xbox 360. Released a year before the PlayStation 3, it took advantage of the lack of competition and sold very well. By 2024, the Xbox 360 had sold 84 million units, while the first Xbox had 24 million. The latest Xbox One number was 58 million. The current Xbox Series X|S are around 27 million.
Launching a product like this before Sony is risky, but it could help Microsoft gain more users and have competitive prices. Xbox president Sarah Bond recently said that the company wants to make the biggest leap between console generations in its history.
Microsoft probably won’t release an “updated” version of the console mid-generation, while Sony is expected to announce the PlayStation 5 Pro this year. This allows Xbox to focus on its next big release, while the PlayStation 6 is not expected to arrive until 2027. So, is this a good strategy for Microsoft to try to turn the game around?
Sources: Wccftech 1 e Wccftech 2
Source: https://www.hardware.com.br/noticias/2024-05/rumores-novo-psp-novo-xbox.html