Video: Why Sony Will Never Make the PS Vita 2

Cant see it happening and wouldn't trust sony to properly support it either. Devices like the steam deck are all you really need as it pretty much plays everything anyway...

They don’t need to make a VITA 2 as we all have phones. Just release mobile games (that connect to PSN so we get trophy campaigns), and ensure they aren’t MTX ridden cash grabs of course. If they are good then everyone into the PS franchises will get it as a side story type game.

If they made a PS4 portable, I would totally buy it

Despite making some superlative handhelds, they have not been able to sustain any momentum against the hand held juggernaut that is Nintendo.
They have obviously looked at this market segment, looked at prior performance in it, and concluded it doesn't make any sense to try again.

Those of us who want good PS5 titles should be pleased. Sony have a finite number of good teams and I want to see all of them crafting PS5 content, not trying to support a doomed new project.

But I look at the photo of the Vita and I just..want one 🥹

But given how the first party Vita games ended up, and now the PS VR2 "support"...I can't trust them even if they did make PS Vita 2.

I’m almost first, and we’re getting much fewer games made than we did in the vita days, even vr1 was getting more games than vr2, so if Sony ever did it’ll be almost completely reliant on third party games, which is way too much of a risk, so please don’t make one, my money is being used too fast anyways.

Many won’t like it but mobile phones are the future. They have capabilities, now they need software.

Excellent video! I’m not asking for a dedicated handheld but if Sony could somehow implement the ability for me to play a game on the portal while someone streams Netflix or whatever on the tv (via PS5), I’d buy one right now. Until then, I just can’t justify the purchase. Looks like a beautiful piece of tech though.

Would love a vita2 they should have done that instead of ps portal...which I think will tank, especially the asking price its basically just a second screen, also without the ability of Bluetooth for wireless headset (what??!)
And with mobile phones getting fairly powerful a handheld console doesn't seem to make sense

@Dman10 The Steam Deck kinda is, most PS4 era games (including Sonys first party games) are on Steam and run really well

Downside is ofc that you would need to buy those games again

Same with the first VITA, everyone is all talk and won’t buy it.

Best handheld of all time.

I still play my Vita, but even if they make another handheld, I don't trust Sony to not put some proprietary nonsense requirement into it. They for some reason can never just release a system and let the consumer use a micro SD card, or their own wireless earbuds.

@Uromastryx
Agree about mobile phone gaming, but the portal is a great device. I’ve already played a few extra hours of FFXVI than I otherwise would have while lying in bed; and Bluetooth creates too much interference and introduces lag, not a big deal to use a wired headset (but then I’m 40, kids these days probably see it as archaic already! lol).

It's not fair to start the article on the premise that the Portal is a handheld device in the same vein as a VITA. It's not, it's never been promoted as such, Sony didn't create it as console. If people are thinking of it as a 'half-measure' it's because the water is being muddied when the Portal is being reported on.

Sony already made one of the best handheld consoles of all time, the VITA, and it didn't sell well enough to warrant investment of a next generation, so why would anyone expect them to do it again? We didn't buy it the first time around and Sony have listened.

That's good because I wouldn't want any 1st party studios effort stretched across other platforms especially since game dev is so long now.

@thefourfoldroot1 nah I'm with ya on the Bluetooth man, it's not a problem for myself particularly,.but it is something that will bother alot I think, I plan on getting a portal just might wait for a 2nd coming, as they did with vita, upgraded screen and some QoL additions

I owned a Vita for a very short period of time. I beat a few games on it and it started collecting dust so I sold it. Kinda wish I still had that little bugger, it was a cool device. Still have my PSP though lol.

(personal sob story warning lol)

The only PlayStation portable I ever had was the original PSP. Got stolen out of my locker at work along with installed 128MB Memory Stick and game progress.

Even though not Sony’s fault, left a void (especially the irreplaceable game progress) that I could never overcome by simply buying a new unit….And as a side note, those UMDs took painfully for-ever to load.

———————-

more on topic

As for the ‘Portal’, I can see crashing and burning. Entirely dependent on a stable Wi-Fi connection (which can be reliable as the weather).

Maybe not a fair comparison, but I had tried likewise mirroring my PS5 on iPhone 13 Pro. Even with 80 megabit down internet in same house as console, connection would always lag and eventually quit.

The sudden demand I would say has much to do with PS cult following. A similar first party Xbox mirror would not be flying off the shelves.

Solid argument. The portal seems like the best solution for Sony right now. I wish that it were a little better (e.g., OLED screen, no frame-rate issues, better sound), but it’s better than nothing. Definitely no Vita 2 coming.

I think the portal should have been a Vita Rerelease.... be able to play PS1, PSP and Vita games nativeley but with better remote play capabilities than the original vita

I.dont want Sony to waste resources on another handheld. They didn't support the last one after the initial year, and they now have VR that is a secondary device to concentrate on and spreading the games thin. Also as much as I liked the vita and I am assuming this is the same for the psp, the vita was bloody uncomfortable to hold and play without getting hand cramps. I invested in controller grips but the stupid back touch pad was just ridiculous and awkward to use, and you realise how much you rely on L3 and R3 when they are not there. The Portal feels awesome. It feels natural, it plays brilliantly and the screen shows a lot of detail I didn't even see on my 4k TV. As internet gets better, this will be the natural progression for consoles.

It’s not possible for Sony to have a PS Vita 2 they don't have the resources to develop games native for a handheld console. They wouldn't be able to support 2 different consoles. The same for third party developers. They would also have to divide their resources to support a Sony handheld. For Nintendo it works since they have a hybrid console. A hybrid console would not be feasible for Sony and a setback in console performance.

@Uromastryx
Don’t see what more they could do with a second iteration to be honest. Screen is fine (no motion blur and good colours); controls have parity with dualsense, so fantastic; Sony already said there is nothing stopping them streaming, they are mainly just waiting to see what type of infrastructure impact it would have; it already has a web browser, they just need to open it up so we can connect to more public wifi spots rather than our phones. These last two don’t need a hardware refresh, it’s software side… it’s never going to be a native device so…🤷‍♂️ maybe wifi 6?

@Titntin "not trying to support a doomed new project."

If is doomed it will be their own doing just as they doomed the Vita with stupid decisions and minimal support. They already had a very successful portable in the PSP so it's not impossible if they go all in

@sd7232 remote play is dependant on WiFi, true, so that's an issue that's simple to resolve at your end. I wouldn't class that as a negative.

Personally I don't need a Portal because remote play is already good on my tablet.

@riceNpea To be fair, my fiber optic equipment (for lack of formal term) installed outside of house is from around 2012. While my wireless router is same age and definitely predates Wi-Fi 6. Guessing has to do with inferior connection.

If they make a Vita 2, it needs to play PS4 games (digitally) natively. Having separate games does not make sense. Make a handheld PS4, Sony. Problem solved.

I haver never owned a PSP or Vita but I do find the photo here of the Vita interesting where it shows features like YouTube, Facebook, and Skype. I never knew Skype was ever available on a Sony hand held. Even when the PS3 was billed as 'it only does everything' it never had Skype.

@DualWielding I‘m optimistic that SIE will add more capabilities over time via firmware updates both for the PS5 and the Portal. PS Plus Premium cloud gaming is almost a given, improvements for the streaming itself (picture quality and especially latency) could likely follow. But I don’t believe in PS1, PS2 and PSP games running natively on the Portal. Not because it wouldn’t be possible, but because it would make the product too complex; people would be disappointed that not PS3/4/5/Vita games would run at it. And putting emulators and an ISO management system onto the Portal with complete PSN integration would require an enormous amount of software development, while you could also easily stream them like all the other games. So no, no native software.

People say they want Vita 2 but didnt support Vita 1. Complain about Memory cards, complained about $40 Digital games, complained about Sony's dev being split between Vita/PS4 games. But i guess enough time has passed for people to forget all that. 🤷🏾‍♂️

Nintendo hybrids will always be pushed by their compelling and mainstream suite of ultra-popular IPs that appeal to all ages.

Handheld PCs like the Steam Deck and others offer a higher-end experience with access to a vast array of games. And, increasingly, many of these are going to be published by Sony themselves.

Meanwhile, for a Sony hybrid to succeed, it would need full support from the company, but Sony seems to be struggling even to support the PS5 with first-party games atm, let alone two platforms.

And for whatever reason, the built-in audience that snatches up Sony's home consoles almost automatically doesn't seem to be there for the handheld devices.

It doesn't make sense, and would be a financial disaster.

Naw, Sony’s too busy milking the goodwill they gained during the PS4 era. They’d rather sell 50$ plastic panels, overpriced “premium” controllers, a half arsed controller with a screen on it and an unsupported VR headset to people who would buy anything with a Sony logo on it than do anything halfway interesting. The hardware equivalent of a GaaS skin shop.

No need.

Sony is putting their games on PC. Steamdeck, Legion GO, Alley more than meets the need.

They should support them fully and release a Remote Play app that recognizes the internal controllers.

Because when the Switch exists as well as Steam Deck its pointless.

disagree with the thoughts in the article.

technology has advanced far enough along where a handheld (such as steamdeck) can run most AAA pc releases without requiring an official port. there is no reason to believe a playstation deck of sorts would be unable to do the same with some compromises to performancance, resolution and fidelity (most of which is mitigated by the smaller screen anyways). that means sony would not have to develop games for the "vita 2" specifically and instead can focus on ps5 development. literally nothing would need to change with ps studios and its structure. make the games for ps5 first and foremost and then patch the games to run on the vita 2 with said compromises as we see with with the steamdeck.

for those saying that it is pointless to do so... why is that? not everyone has a deep library on steam or nintendo platforms and would prefer to use their psn purchases instead (including ps classics). also, sony is usually good with its hardware design and could possibly come up with something that is better than the switch and steamdeck, egonomically and stylistically. the only thing stopping this from happening is sony's lack of will and foresight.

This may be removed for being “un constructive” but I’m going to post it anyway: Top 3 best voices in my lifetime:
1) Sir David Attenborough (I would call him a national treasure, but I’m American…he’s a world wide treasure.)
2) Morgan Freeman. A national treasure.
3) Aaron Bayne.
I could listen to all 3 of you read a phone book and be pleasantly soothed.

@Juanalf if only it were that simple. For one thing, psp came out before smartphones took off.

Don't need a Vita 2 - we need a PSP 3. Vita was a terrible name and so many people didn't know what it was.

The proprietary memory cards were one of the many failures of Sony in the console's support (PSP had proprietary cards but at least Lexar and Sandisk joined in on the production of the Memory Stick Duo)
Ultimately, Sony pulling first party support was the knife in the back that killed it. Why would 3rd parties continue supporting a platform that had been abandoned by its owner?

I think Jack Tretton did an interview a little while back and he says that, looking back, they should have produced more games and supported it more so it could gain traction.

Still got my Vita 2000 series and I've also got a PSP-3000 Slim & Lite.

@Deljo People want a lot of stuff but I see so much talk about wanting stuff and in the end we don't buy it. The Switch is a good example of this people didn't buy the hybrid instead of the fully handheld version for no reason.

It's teams more than anything and engines. If it fails it's less the case with PSVR/Playlink/Cameras they know their niches. The PS Portal is no issue, but engagement is the funniest thing.

PS1 or PSP/PSP Minis on the Portal would be nice.

I didn't lose out on the Vita with less western third party teen/adult IPs. I didn't going oh so like Saturn/Dreamcast/Wii U we got few games, years that had less excitement but were still enjoyable then 'woo great years all the way through' people probably seek. Never felt that at all. The Dreamcast may have been around from 1999-2001 in most eyes but it went until 2007. PS3 had Persona 5 in 2017, let alone sports games. Things keep having with certain audiences around the world.

Same with eshops or online or whatever for Wii U/3DS/Vita/PS3/360 going year by year, game by game. People just move on so much but being around for those systems shut downs has been exciting even if sad. It makes it fun to predict when the PS4/Xbox One have their moments of 10+ years ending. By PS6/next Xbox? Or 2 years into them?

By 6 years you do wonder about a successor or not. Pocket PCs kept going with GPD/others likely even if Samsung, Sony and more dropped off them due to the iPhone/Android coming later, Nokia's Symbian OS dropping off (whatever other OSs/phones used by other makers). The GPD/Aya Neo/Steam Deck are just signs of Pocket PCs again just more well known because of Valve then those that don't care for tech and do gaming/bigger brands make something more clear than those that already noticed the companies making the others.

The PS1 2005, PS2 2013, PSP 2014/2015 I think? of game support not just console production support, whatever the case of online game support for PS2/PSP either I don't know.

The Ngage/Xperia Play were something. The Tapwave Zodiac/Gizmondo were Pocket PC or PDAs with gaming as hybrids. I look at these handhelds and go 'wow' because they did cool things even if get ignored. Like Vita had some of those elements besides even some games like DS having the oh it's sideways (or DS having screen flips or dual video, a certain uniqueness of features about them).

Mobile is more available/suitable I guess of quick experiences/everyone has to have one and the notifications/otherwise doesn't bother them because caring one is more important their social device can play games in-between even though a Switch you can't even fit in your pocket and that's ok now? Depends where people are going/what they are doing I guess.

That and like Vita/Stadia with Pixel, 1 device to use it I guess limited things? Or just advertising.

Switch pushed the family aspect then a solo device (account wise to launch games, Vita even besides memory cards it was awkward to even remove an account on the PS Vita TV at all like come on, worked it out but still what a pain, memory card or not, let alone it moving around and oh the memory card didn't load redefault the storage size grr WHY! Sony!) it's more 'social'/lifestyle appealing I guess? With it's ads/multiplayer games and more. Whatever casuals care about with their advertising/use cases of a device.

What IPs would get the focus that's the thing. They would still separate their PS3/4 IPs and focus I think anyway while the PS2 HD ports I think made sense like PS3 to be on Vita that and also it was the last of their support in a way besides the Muppets and other family/Indie support as it is.

But if we had 40FPS games like on Steam Deck, fair battery, fair hardware, fair game support, then sure it could work. But that's the thing, 'support'. Casuals are one thing but hardcore fans. How many hardcore fans cared for Indies/Japanese third parties? How many Unit 13/Tearaway or games with less recognisable names? or IP relevance/approach to the cinematic model we have nowadays of Order 1886, Ratchet 2007+ somewhat to even deeper with the 2016 movie game, Last of Us, Uncharted, to 2016+ IPs many of them that way (besides the devs and well RIP Studio Liverpool, Zipper, Bend survived from Golden Abyss to Days Gone somehow?).

I don't care for 'consoles' as good enough parts PCs had/custom parts to be good for graphics. I want fun gameplay/controller experiences but only certain people care for that then whatever graphics/story telling/epic experiences of gaming they are after. Scripted even if they have to be.

I love my Vita. Bought one in 2017 the 2000 model, had a PS Vita TV prior and didn't think much of it, well most didn't but after getting a Vita I did more. 1000 model in 2022. I discovered I don't like OLED, the light difference I don't like of it/don't care for the pixelation of the 2000 model it doesn't bother me/enjoy more battery life. OLED has changed I know over time but still nah don't care for it at all. But I don't care if I didn't get constant western third party IPs on it. I don't care I didn't get more first party IPs releasing on it. If we got PS4 IPs on it I don't think I'd buy them anyway. I bought a Wii U in 2018/3DS 2020/Switch 2021 you can tell I was pulling away from PS4 and not interested in their first party right? right?

I have bought up Order 1886 (is very Last of Us/Uncharted leaning but Ready At Dawn tried as the Daxter/God of War PSP and more studio but there is a reason Lone Echo was good then them following in another's footsteps instead), Infamous Second Son but even still. 2016+ IPs from Sony nah not for me personally.

Let alone if they would even downscale them or like PSVR make something unique for them of Blood & Truth/Astro or a Horizon Call of the Mountain like experience for the Vita I doubt it even if they did. A Golden Abyss sequel? Another Uncharted like game on Vita I doubt it even PSP got like 1-2 of an IP like 1 Killzone, 1 Resistance, 2 WipEout, 2 God of War, etc. other examples so what's the issues other than third party games of the teen/adult the audience it's intended for didn't get supported but family/Indie/Japanese game fans did more.

The bigger audience/western fans abandoned it, the dedicated kept it/the fans of JRPGs/visual novels/quirky Japanese games kept it. Which seeing as I like quirky Japanese games and the old Sony IPs and wanted something after the PSP/never knew about it that much but well got one way late into it's life you bet I love the Vita and it's limits and it's strengths I don't hate it at all. The PS Vita TV is awkward on account systems (Vita probably as well) but other than that it's fine. I liked the touchpad because I 'understand' it and don't care if it had no triggers. Touching the back to sprint in Borderlands 2 is no different then toggling it. I saw no issue doing that.

Would people buy a handheld with good audio means of 3D audio in the way Sony doesn't without people having such hifi systems probably. Cinematic games on the go then their TVs. Probably yeah. Not my focus but is for some people probably out there of game support.

But western third parties went mobile even some 3DS/Vita releases had too much mobile influence and sucked like some Lego games even besides the mobile to Vita ports of common phone games of the early 2010s many people will know and are probably good ports just as much as PS Minis are fun in their own way by mobile/flash devs on PSP/PS3.

They try with remote play and know how many people use it. The marketing was similar to PSP/Vita so what's different?

People still didn't get it, those that never used it before only us more in the know of it.

They just don't want to bother and that's financially fair to do so. Casuals had what 3 sports games, we had 3 years of WRC games. 1 COD, no GTA and whatever else of 3DS/Wii U had family games. Vita had it's fan service games/Japanese AAA/mostly AA support. 3DS had more support of the Japanese as well and still family games from the west.

First party sure but not much and even then would I care for sequels of major third parties no, would I of first party of those IPs yes but I wouldn't be that disappointed/am not, not getting the PS4 era IPs on Vita like we did PS2/PS3 ones on PSP.

Make a handheld that has no features, no dev input. Want dual screen nah can't. Well you've made Indies have less need for them to care about the Portal it the ones that supported the Vita heavily.

I mean Switch/PC are great Indie spaces for cheap. The Xbox/PS may be in some cases but for 4K gaming or the type of consoles they are I doubt it. Vita/3DS were good non-HD gaming for some companies, cheap to develop for in a way I assume and scale games to and even ignore the gimmicks on them.

A storefront to make is a big effort. Digital/physical games probably digital.

What hardware, what gimmicks. Maybe like Steam Deck, maybe something different. Not dual screen Sony barely did it with Vita/Playlink let alone more in PSVR then Playroom or Playroom VR and well split-screen for PSVR2 isn't happening the 'graphics' have to look good enough even besides the rendering technique or scaling the tracks in GT7 more nope can't do that even though 60FPS/Hifi on GT1 sure Special Stage Route 11 with less building/no opponents years ago.

PS Now worked on Vita though briefly. They had PS Mobile then closed it down, now have WipEout Rush as a thing.

I get why Sony won't but their IPs changing means I won't even buy it anyway if they did make one. Unless third parties are good I don't care about Sony first party besides the small handful of creatively different ones left then the PSP/Vita or PS1-3 variety they used to offer and I'm still picking up when I see the IPs I missed out on.

Making a hand held device, that can only stream/play the old PlayStation titles, (PS1 to PS3) would be sweet! Call it "Playstation Retro Deck" or something! 😂 Let that device have it's own, Playstation Plus Category, I'm sure subs, would flood in too!

What I would like to see next gen:

1. A PS6 with full backwards compatibility with PS1-5 & PSP/Vita.
2. A portable PS that plays PS4 & Vita titles.

I do not want one, no.
PS Vita was great and Sony did it dirty. It was the opposite of the PS3. They dropped it like it was nobodies business after the first year and put resources into the even worse selling PSVR.
I will never buy another Sony portable after that.

After putting things on pc they definitely wouldn't do it now and competing with switch is not happening 😒

I think that the question is better put this way. Can the PS Portal connect and play games from Sony servers and not only from PS5 (PS5 is a server for Portal). And if so, and if they will implement this function later, then will we still need the Vita?

Vita 2 would even still make sense if Sony put all of its Gen 6-8 exclusives from Ico, Folklore and MotorStorm to Tearaway, Gravity Rush and Concrete Genie on Steam for Deck to play. Maybe admittedly less so if they put all the aforesaid straight on Switch or "Switch 2". And since neither appears to be within the realm of remote probability... we can only sigh because neither does a Vita 2. Sony needs to focus on living room boxes for teens and lucky-scheduled adults.

@Majk_SVK mobile phones deliberately evolved themselves into a dead end of gaming hardware evolution. They'll need proper physical buttons and flexible storage management back before they need software, and, being GSM-equipped palmtop PCs in all but name, their specs will always have to be shared between games and a ton of other purposes, with all of it for the same battery to shoulder as well.

Forget multiplat software, this generation has seen a whole bunch of native mobile games migrate to Switch, often even adopting the retail model for the cause.

@nicugoalkeper cloud gaming, especially portable one, still has a damn distance to go before we wouldn't. Sleep mode alone has been among the definitive perks of portability since Gen 7, and it's still cryptonite for many server-based games (except ironically in mobile freemiums although I reckon theirs was a sink-or-swim case in particular), let alone fully streamed titles.

"We all want one, but does it really make sense?"
Do we? Do we all want one? Because going by sales numbers of the Vita, no. We don't all want one.

I think the obvious answer would be a portable ps4 as that is the baseline for the PSN moving forward. yes some, that being ps5 exclusives, wouldn't be available but that's the case for the steam deck too if I'm not mistaken

Sony shouldn’t do another Vita Native portable, but with this Portal which does Remote Play well, they should create a handheld for their PS Premium Cloud Game tho, they should definitely invest in that and even contract together with Nvidia GeForce Now

Let's put it this way, I'd be much more interested in a PS handheld that was powerful enough to run all digital PS4 games than a 'Portal' that is essentially a $200/£200 remote play device. From what I've seen & read, it acts no differently than a phone with the app, ie connects via router, not the PS5 directly like say a WiiU did.

A handheld that could play PS4 games would have access to 10yrs worth of high quality titles, not just be a mediocre way to remote play PS5 games.
Would also get around the Vita problem, where it was an entirely different platform, so when it was obvious the sales weren't there, Sony dropped first party support and left it to the indie scene to support it. A game could be developed for a PS handheld, but still sold to PS5 (& PS4) users if it was essentially a PS4 game and higher quality assets could be enabled or downloaded for that version.

All unlikely of course, especially if Portal sales will be used internally at Sony to backup the "people don't want handhelds" narrative. Just ignore the past 7 years in the games industry I guess.

If valve can make portable device ($550 steam deck oled) that play all ps4 titles and nearly all ps5 titles, why sony can't?

The PSP and Vita were wonderful devices, but people need to accept that dedicated handheld consoles can't really exist like that anymore. The Switch is successful, but it's also Nintendo's sole hardware line, acting as both their home and portable systems. They were struggling to support both Wii U and 3DS, it'll only be worse with PS5 quality console titles and PS4 quality handheld titles. There's no way Sony will make the PS6 a hybrid device like the Switch either, the larger audience would be outraged at the compromises necessary for that to be achievable.

Handheld PC devices like the Steam Deck, and streaming devices like the PS Portal are the only viable options in the current market.

I skipped the PSP and Vita and feel like I didn't miss anything important. I don't buy Playstation products for weaker versions of existing properties.

How about...

A combination of the Xbox Series S, Steam Deck and Switch?

A Portable PlayStation that's a new SKU that sits alongside the mainline PS (let's say PlayStation 6) so that all games developed need two builds, one for portable and one for the dedicated console. Build similar to the Steam Deck, price to match.

Make it dockable with the mainline console like a Switch?

Either way, there's a market for a good Sony handheld that plays games. The Vita was great, albeit a bit underpowered for the day it was released. Most Vitas can comfortably overclock with custom firmware, with battery draw being the limiting factor.

Now there's the Steam Deck and Switch showing that there's a portable form factor emerging and it's working well. Something, imho, both the PSP and PS Vita suffered with. The PSP was a bit small in the hands and had only one joystick. The PS Vita had two but they were really small and it was hard to hold for long sessions.

Sony have figured out that just slapping a display in the middle of a controller actually works really well. Now imagine it had a bit more cooling and some better hardware, bigger battery, some storage options, HDR display, nice speakers. Make them digital only, no need to ship cartridges, however nice they are.

the portal should be the vita 2

Great video/write-up.

Personally I don't want SONY's attention diverted away from console- and VR development. So, not VITA 2, thanks. However, I would like to see the Portal come out with an iterative update including the option to download and play-without-streaming smaller, less graphically demanding games.

In my opinion, the streaming app is amazing. I open the app on my work laptop and attach a cabled controller and can get a very good experience via wifi outside of home (and also home, obviously). I set it up at a family dinner recently and had my nephews lose it with awe. They thought it was playing natively. They sat and played for hours.

So, for everyone except the ones willing to pay big bucks for the best possible solutions, I highly recommend the app.

I loved my Vita.
Lovely bit of kit.

@nhSnork I agree with physical buttons. That’s why I think launching something like Backbone controller (or connecting dualsense) should be necessary for “Playstation mobile games”.

This could be accompanied by PS app, from where you launch those games, track trophies, buy games, add ons etc. App would be available only on higher end phones.

Ignoring some other legal/technical hiccups, this scenario would be really interesting - many people including myself don’t want to own several different devices.

After how they treated the first one, I’m done.