According to recent leaks, Sony may be working on some new PlayStation hardware. Information is limited, but the new PlayStation product will likely be announced before the PlayStation 5 Pro, which is expected to launch soon.
Sony launched the PlayStation 5 globally on November 12, 2020, two days after Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S consoles. Despite supply shortages due to a global semiconductor shortage, the PS5 has been the most successful launch of any console. As of February 2023, the console has sold 30 million units, about 11.5 million more than the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S combined. Many expect the upcoming PS5 Pro console to launch this year or next, and a recent report suggests that Sony may have something to show off in the coming months.
About 14 minutes and 50 seconds into the live stream on April 1, game journalist and industry insider Tom Henderson also revealed that Sony was working on a new piece of hardware. He could not elaborate, but confirmed that the product in question is not the PlayStation 5 Pro and will be released before it. Henderson also said that the unannounced product will be a surprise, saying: “When this new hardware is released, it will be very interesting to see what the competition thinks of it.” Outside of the hardware, he couldn’t provide more information.
It’s hard to guess what this new PlayStation hardware might be, though some speculate it could be a PlayStation Vita 2 or similar handheld system. Rumors of a new Sony handheld crop up every now and then. The most recent rumor comes from a post on the GamingLeaksAndRumors subreddit claiming that employees at electronics maker Asus knew Sony was working on a new handheld game console. If these rumors are true, Sony may want to compete with the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch. However, people should be careful not to put too much stock into Reddit rumors.
The internet has also been flooded with rumors of a possible PlayStation 5 Slim of late, but those rumors were quickly debunked, with Henderson’s statement suggesting the new product wasn’t what people expected. The recent announcement of the PlayStation VR2 also seems to rule out anything related to virtual reality, though that’s not out of the question. Sony may also be working on a new controller or other peripheral. Ultimately, however, there isn’t enough information to make any reasonable predictions.