A PlayStation handheld console capable of running PS4 games natively would be very hard to achieve, mostly due to power draw and memory bandwidth, among other reasons.
Replying to a fan question regarding the rumored handheld, which is said to be in the works, the tech experts at Digital Foundry highlighted how a portable console capable of running PlayStation 4 games natively would be very hard to achieve due to power draw and the massive memory bandwidth of the system, 176 GB/s. In addition, such a portable system would require the use of a Jaguar CPU for compatibility, and there's nothing in the mobile space capable of providing these specs to run PS4 games natively.
A PlayStation handheld based on modern AMD architectures, however, could definitely run PS4 games, but they would have to be ported, which would significantly make the game library smaller. Such a system, however, would have no trouble running scaled-back PlayStation 5 games, taking a page from the Steam Deck and another modern handheld system that can run current AAA games by dropping settings and resolution. Still, Digital Foundry found the idea of a new handheld system from Sony to be a very good one, considering how well the remote play-focused PlayStation Portal sold worldwide.
As already mentioned, a PlayStation handheld is said to be in early development by Sony. Powered by a custom AMD APU, this handheld is currently in the High Level Design Phase, meaning it is at least two years from release and has yet to be greenlit. Specs have yet to be finalized a swell, but it is said the system will use 18 CUs, and its GPU will likely run at 1.8 GHz or slower due to the PlayStation 5's variable clock speeds.
Following the PlayStation Vita, which could have been much more successful with better support thanks to its great hardware at the time, Sony left the handheld market, only to return to it somewhat with the aforementioned PlayStation Portal. You can learn more about the system in our review.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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