Sony's PSP 2 will be able to run PS4 games, claims insider

A new rumor about the PSP 2 has emerged that gives us an indication of the handheld's power

• 🤔 Another Sony PSP 2 rumor is circulating online

• 👏 The handheld will reportedly be able to play PS4 games

• 👍 Sony will want to ensure its handheld stands out from the competition

• 🆚 The rumor comes amid talks of an Xbox handheld

A new PSP 2 rumor has emerged that gives us a better idea about the power of Sony’s next PlayStation Portable.

A report on Resetera by Russian journalist Anton Logvinov, who was one of the first to reveal that PlayStation exclusives would be coming to PC years before it was officially confirmed, said that Sony’s PSP 2 will be able to run PS4 games.

“By the way, I can confirm that Sony is preparing a new PSP for release, but damn - there are only PS4 games in the launch lineup, which are generally available on PC, and therefore Steam Deck,” said Logvinov. “Retail chains, by the way, are quite skeptical. Either Sony is doing something completely, or they are still keeping secrets from their partners.”

The fact you can play many of the best PS5 games on PC, and therefore Valve’s Steam Deck, could make a PlayStation Portable 2 a hard sell for some. But the vast majority of console gamers will simply see the PlayStation logo and choose Sony’s device over a handheld gaming PC.

If Sony can open up the entire library of PS4 games to players, that could also give the handheld hundreds of games at launch.

Either way, Sony will also want to make sure it’s handheld stands out from the competition. It could offer perks such as cloud saves, allowing you to take your progress with you when you’re finished playing on PS5, or Remote streaming, similar to the PlayStation Portal. Whatever it’s planning, though, it will want to get these six things right with the next PlayStation Portable.

There’s clearly a demand for a new PSP that can play games natively. Sony’s first foray into the handheld market was a success, selling over 80 million units. However, it struggled to find an audience with the PS Vita, which only managed to sell around 10 to 15 million units.

After the runaway success of the Nintendo Switch, handhelds are back in a big way. Microsoft has been testing the waters to see whether consumers would like an Xbox handheld, and the Nintendo Switch 2 is due out next year. Sony will want to ensure it doesn’t miss the boat if handhelds continue to take off in the next few years.

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.