New PlayStation handheld rumor states console can run PS4 games

Sony may be preparing for the release of a new handheld capable of playing PlayStation 4 games, according to a new rumor.

It’s only been a few months since Sony last released a portable PlayStation handheld. However, the PlayStation Portal and its barebones remote-play features left much to be desired compared to the capabilities of other handhelds on the market, like the Steam Deck, Miyoo Mini Plus, and a slew of Ayaneo devices.

The PS Vita was Sony’s last handheld capable of natively playing its own game library. However, that was released 13 years ago, with official support ending in 2019. Now, brand new rumors have revealed that Sony may be cooking up another PlayStation handheld, capable of much more than its current PS Portal offerings.

A recent post on the messenger app Telegram has revealed that Sony could be working on a new PlayStation Portable capable of playing PS4 games. The news was posted by Russian journalist Anton Logvinov, and translated by users on the ResetEra message boards.

Dexerto

Logvinov states, “By the way, I can confirm that Sony is preparing a new PSP for release, but damn – they are only PS4 games in the launch lineup, which are generally available on PC, and therefore on Steam Deck. Retail chains, by the way, are quite skeptical. Either Sony is doing something completely, or they are still keeping secrets from their partners.”

With no official announcement from Sony, this news, originally discovered by ResetEra member Iroshino, remains a rumor and should be taken with a generous grain of salt. However, the same Russian journalist has been known for reputable leaks in the past, surrounding the port of previously PlayStation-exclusive games on PC.

There is also more longevity in this new rumor, as in February this year, known leaker Moore’s Law in Dead stated that a new PlayStation handheld was in development. The leaker claimed in a video on their YouTube Channel that the upcoming handheld is currently being worked on by AMD and could be backward compatible with both PS4 and PS5 games.

It’s more than likely both Moore’s Law is Dead and journalist Anton Logvinov are referring to the same device. However, it’s worth noting that there was no mention of PS5 compatibility with this latest rumor. Instead, Logvinov states there are “only PS4 games” in the rumored lineup for this proposed PlayStation handheld.