Key Highlights:
- Sony has a new PlayStation Portal planned for 2026.
- The display receives a major upgrade, but other parts are unchanged.
- A new PlayStation Portable might also be in the works
It’s been a while since Sony released a new PlayStation handheld, and even longer if you don’t count the PlayStation Portal and iterative versions of the PSP and PS Vita. Things might be changing soon though, but there’s a disappointing twist.
There’s still more hope on the horizon though, as Sony has long been rumored to be making a PlayStation 6 companion handheld that can run games natively.
Sony Is Bringing a Major Refresh to the PlayStation Portal
As per multiple conversations on the NeoGAF forums, it would appear that Sony is preparing for the release of a successor to the surprisingly popular PlayStation Portal. To reiterate, this is the 2023 hardware release we’re talking about, and not the PlayStation Vita.
As you might already be aware, the PlayStation Portal was a streaming solution to the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, offering to stream games locally (and later over the internet) instead of running them natively.
This was met with severe criticism online, and these claims do have some valid points. The PlayStation Portal is a glorified streaming machine, and was also severely restricted in its functionality (despite being a custom UI over what was essentially an Android device), with Sony blocking installs of third party software.
Also Read: Free Games from Steam (January 30, 2026) That You Should Try Out
In other words, this means that the Portal cannot run games without an internet connection, making it unreliable for a trip outside. Even then, streaming is a whole other can of worms, and there can be severe latency depending on the nature of your internet connection and how far you are from the servers.
The Portal has been surprisingly popular though. So much so, that user KeplerL2 has mentioned the same, and hinted that Sony might finally be bringing an OLED version of the handheld in 2026.
The lack of an OLED display was one of the most concerning omissions from Sony’s newest PlayStation handheld. While the current IPS display for the Portal is perfectly fine and serviceable, nothing beats the vibrancy and punchiness of an OLED panel, which should be a standard for the price.
There don’t seem to be any other upgrades to look out for though, such as Wi-Fi 7 and better Bluetooth connectivity which seem almost logical given the nature of the Portal as a streaming device.
A True Successor To The PSP Might Be Out Soon
Multiple leaks online have pointed to the presence of a new handheld in production from Sony/PlayStation. Codenamed ‘Canis’, this is essentially a companion device for the upcoming PlayStation 6 console; although we really don’t know whether it will be available alongside it or later on.
Canis will run a proprietary operating system instead of Windows or SteamOS, and will be fully backwards compatible with most PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games. In fact, we’ve already seen experimental support for the mode in the PS5’s ‘Low Power Mode’, which supposedly simulates handheld specifications.
In other words, it’s quite a capable machine, and one that can take on the ROG Xbox Ally X head on. That being said, pricing is still a major factor, and it remains to be seen how open the market is to yet another (presumably) premium/expensive handheld.
