By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Sony Discussion - Should Sony make a PS4 portable? And would you buy it?

KBG29 on 14 May 2017
RJ_Sizzle said:
NightDragon83 said:
Why would Sony do that? They'd be cannibalizing their own market. The reason Switch works is because Nintendo doesn't have a dedicated home console competing with it at the moment, and the 3DS (or 2DS) is only going to be around for another year or two before Nintendo decides to go all-in on the Switch.

What market would they be cannibalizing? This device would still be a PS4, just in handheld form. It would play everything in the PS4 library. It would just be another iteration of the console, if they could be able to do it. It would be an idea that could extend the life of the console for some time if they acted on it within the next couple of years.

I totally get what you are saying. I have been trying to get this across for a while. Adding additional form factors to the PS4 family of products only opens it up to more markets, and more potential buyers. Using the same chips as the standard PS4 models, it is at almost no additional cost to Sony. As you mentioned, making a Portable/Phone version of PS4 could greatly extend its life, if thy can do it in the next 2 - 3 years.

RJ_Sizzle said:
Soundwave said:

What you're describing is impossible. 

You cannot get a PS4 with the same literal architecture down into a portable form factor with anything resembling acceptable battery life. 

Sony could have a PS4-tier mobile 3 or 4 years from now but it would have to be built from scratch using mobile components and as such would be incompatible with the existing PS4 library. 

Good luck with mobile memory bandwidth of 140GB/sec anytime soon either. 

Moores law exists for a reason. It wouldn't have to be literal. There could be conponents that emulate what functions are supposed to do to get the games running. Architecture changes. No one thought they'd be playing a PS2 on something the size of a PS2 slim either. That's not any kind of barrier to play the games, its just, would they want to and how much is it worth to them to do so.

This is another area, that is just impossible to get people to understand. When this topic is made, it is as if it has to mean right now, this instant, even if you say in the next few years in the OP. Then you get people saying that there is no way they could ever get the PS4 chipset to proper power levels. I know, and I think you know, if Sony wants to make a mobile PS4 device in 2019 based on the PS4 hardware, it will happen.  

Just looking at the power draw from the 1000 to the 1100, to the 1200, and finally the 2000, we already see how much power draw has dropped. I have no doubt they will release a 2100 model this year that brings the power draw down even further, with most things in the ~35 Watt range, and crazy loads spiking in the ~50's. It is not even remotely crazy to think if Sony wants to make a mobile PS4, based on the PS4 tech, with full PS4 compatability, in 2019 that it can happen. If they work with AMD focusing on making extream power draw cuts to the 7nm version of the APU, then they will easily bring this thing down to the power draw requirements they need. I fully expect Sony to release a digital only PS4 similar to the PSTV around the same time, with Switch level or less power draw for $149.99. Again, making the move into the other form factors a very low risk proposition.

RJ_Sizzle said:
Uabit said:
They shouldn't and no one would buy it despite what you may read on forums. They have now a bad image because of how they abandoned Vita and they don't have portable killer apps like Pokemon.

Did the Vita have the PS4 library? This isn't about Sony making another handheld. That's a bad idea. AWFUL even. This is about Sony taking the PS4 to an eventual mobile form.

Like I said, for some reason, no matter how you phrase it, people can not seem to wrap their head around the idea of a mobile device that plays the entire PS4 catalog. I completely agree, it would be a terrible idea for Sony to make an ARM based device, and compete in the mobile market starting from scratch. The only way it makes since is if the make an X86 based, mobile that has full compatability with PS4 or PS4 & PS5. ARM is only an option if they are going to go with nvidia next gen, and they port the entire PS4 library to that tech, because their is absolutely no way they survive, if they don't have BC on PS5. 

I think at the end of the day we just have to hope that Mr. Hirai will do the right thing, and try to continue to build the division that is carrying the company to record profits. Let Sony perform their magic, and then sit back and feel great that we saw it coming all along.



Stop hate, let others live the life they were given. Everyone has their problems, and no one should have to feel ashamed for the way they were born. Be proud of who you are, encourage others to be proud of themselves. Learn, research, absorb everything around you. Nothing is meaningless, a purpose is placed on everything no matter how you perceive it. Discover how to love, and share that love with everything that you encounter. Help make existence a beautiful thing.

Kevyn B Grams
10/03/2010 

KBG29 on PSN&XBL

Around the Network
Yerm on 14 May 2017
taikamya said:
Yerm said:
the Switch's power falls somewhere between a Wii U and a PS4...

No, it does not. The Switch is a lower clocked nVidia Shield from 2015. The Switch is not even close to a PS4. The Switch uses the same exact chip as the 2015 Shield model, with HALF, yes, you heard me, HALF the clock speed.

That being said, an iPad AIR 2 kills it dead. A freaking 2017 Shield model is superior, although just by a small margin because of firmware upgrades and 4k support.

Do not start with fanboyism saying that the Switch is even close to half the PS4. The Switch is maybe, just maybe, 50% stronger than the Wii U, which surpassed the PS3 for a short amount of power.

So, yeah, It's totally possible for Sony to do a Portable PS4, specially because the new Imagination announced recently Imagination(click) its new GPU which is supposed to be 60% stronger than the 7 generation, which, is more than 400% stronger than the old PSVita(or 40% stronger than the iPad Pro, which already is more than 100% stronger than the original iPad Air), meaning it falls a little short of what a Xb1 can do and its due this year.

Plus, it's the same technology Sony used with the PSVita, meaning it would be amazingly easy to port titles and, of course, develop for.

So, ok, a project with a recently announced GPU may be a little much to push for, however, the point here is, Switch is a lot closer to the Wii U, than it is to the PS4, by a huge margin. It's not close, period. Second point is, it is plausible and possible to make a PS4-on-the-go even TODAY, let alone in the next 2 to 3 years. In 3 years, mobile phones will have the Ps4 graphics, trust me. By 2020, the top model smartphone will rival a PS4 in graphics, a little better or worse, but will rival.

The questions here are: how much would they charge for it? A PSVita price or even a Switch price for a PS4 portable, seems great, and I'd definitely buy one; and how "portable" would it be, with such a big battery? How heavy, enough to make it an issue? How big the screen and how hot would it make at high brightness, enough to warm up your hand badly? These are things the architects better think about, or it (if this ever happens) will surely fail.

ahem.. ahem... "the Switch's power falls somewhere between a Wii U and a PS4"

"somewhere between" implies anywhere between point A and point B. you read way too far into that and interpreted some stuff that wasnt actually said, and you also contradicted youself quite a bit. so let me clarify some things. 

1. I am not a fanboy. currently i own neither a PS4 or a Switch. I do own a Wii U and am well aware of how un-powerful it is. thats one of the reasons Nintendo pulled off the Switch so nicely. it was an upgrade from their previous hardware but was still cheap enough to make portable. also "50% stronger than the Wii U" still falls within the realm of "between a Wii U and PS4"

2. smart phone technology is advancing yes, and it is possible for a 2020 model of a smartphone to rival a PS4, but in 2020 we will probably have the PS5 and that just loops around to what i said about how it would need to be underpowered so it could be affordable, but then being underpowered would drive away devs.




Green098 on 14 May 2017
taikamya said:
Yerm said:
the Switch's power falls somewhere between a Wii U and a PS4...

No, it does not. The Switch is a lower clocked nVidia Shield from 2015. The Switch is not even close to a PS4. The Switch uses the same exact chip as the 2015 Shield model, with HALF, yes, you heard me, HALF the clock speed.

That being said, an iPad AIR 2 kills it dead. A freaking 2017 Shield model is superior, although just by a small margin because of firmware upgrades and 4k support.

Do not start with fanboyism saying that the Switch is even close to half the PS4. The Switch is maybe, just maybe, 50% stronger than the Wii U, which surpassed the PS3 for a short amount of power.

So, yeah, It's totally possible for Sony to do a Portable PS4, specially because the new Imagination announced recently Imagination(click) its new GPU which is supposed to be 60% stronger than the 7 generation, which, is more than 400% stronger than the old PSVita(or 40% stronger than the iPad Pro, which already is more than 100% stronger than the original iPad Air), meaning it falls a little short of what a Xb1 can do and its due this year.

Plus, it's the same technology Sony used with the PSVita, meaning it would be amazingly easy to port titles and, of course, develop for.

So, ok, a project with a recently announced GPU may be a little much to push for, however, the point here is, Switch is a lot closer to the Wii U, than it is to the PS4, by a huge margin. It's not close, period. Second point is, it is plausible and possible to make a PS4-on-the-go even TODAY, let alone in the next 2 to 3 years. In 3 years, mobile phones will have the Ps4 graphics, trust me. By 2020, the top model smartphone will rival a PS4 in graphics, a little better or worse, but will rival.

The questions here are: how much would they charge for it? A PSVita price or even a Switch price for a PS4 portable, seems great, and I'd definitely buy one; and how "portable" would it be, with such a big battery? How heavy, enough to make it an issue? How big the screen and how hot would it make at high brightness, enough to warm up your hand badly? These are things the architects better think about, or it (if this ever happens) will surely fail.

Holy moly clam down, nowhere did they say it was as powerful as a PS4, all they said was that it was more powerful than the Wii U but less powerful than the PS4, which is the truth.



OdinHades on 14 May 2017

Dozens have tried to bring x86 tablets. They all failed miserably. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my Vaio Tap 11. But it was slow as fuck even when it released and the battery doesn't last longer than 4 hours - in idle mode. Plus it cost me a whopping 700 €, no one would pay that much for a console. It's ok for me as I'm only working on it and my work consists of writing 90 % of the time. But it's just nothing for the mass market. Especially gaming. A portable PS4 with acceptable battery life won't be possible for a price the market would accept before the PS5 has arrived.

The idea is nice in theory but I just don't see it happening due to technical limitations. Even notebooks with 1.8 TF aren't available for less than 600 € right now and those things have a whole bunch of more room for cooling as well as giant ass batteries and they still don't last longer than 2 hours while gaming. Sony would need a miracle to pull this off.



Official member of VGC's Nintendo family, approved by the one and only RolStoppable. I feel honored.

p0isonparadise on 14 May 2017

I think it would do wonders for Sony.



Around the Network
Robert_Downey_Jr. on 14 May 2017

Honestly I wouldn't. I can't see the appeal. I like my gaming in one room and dedicated time wise. I don't want to be cramming it in while on the toilet or "watching" a movie or TV show. Then I'm only half paying attention to both.



I am Iron Man

Soundwave on 14 May 2017

Even at 7nm, I think the PS4 would consume like 30+ watts. 

Waaaaaay too hot for a portable device.

It's too easy for Nintendo to undercut this too with a fully mobile chipset from Nvidia too. 



KLAMarine on 14 May 2017
Miguel_Zorro said:

No.  They need to leave some segment of the market to Nintendo.

Oh?



AlfredoTurkey on 14 May 2017

Nope. They got their ass kicked both times. Valiant effort... but it's over.



estebxx on 14 May 2017

No, i dont care about portability.