NeoGAF user ponpo spotted Sony filing a new patent for a handheld console that will kick off the Nintendo Switch. The said patent filed in 2015 is described to have a central screen unit and pronged controller grips either side which resembles a smartphone or tablet and a handheld. In short, this shows that the patent might be Nintendo's motivation in making the upcoming Switch.
Sony's PlayStation Answer To The Nintendo Switch
According to TechRadar, back in 2015, Sony has filed a patent showing a new portable handheld system, and its design looks like the Nintendo Switch. It absolutely doesn’t look as elegant as the existing PS Vita, but it does trade a smooth design for a greater appropriate feel. What it looks like is some sort of a phablet device with a mounted controller.
Actually, critics said it looks most likely the Gamepad Controller for the Razer Edge Pro Gaming Tablet. This patent is said to be a major surprise to all the Sony handheld fans. Especially after Shuhei Yoshida, the head of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, confirmed last year that with the arrival of mobile phones, the climate for dedicated handheld consoles was not healthy. With this new patent, could this be the return to the handheld space for Sony?
The PlayStation Vita
The PlayStation Vita is Sony Interactive Entertainment's handheld game console. It is considered as the successor to the PlayStation Portable and part of the PlayStation series. It was released on December 17, 2011, in Japan with releases in other areas such as North America and Europe starting on February 22, 2012. The PS Vita main competes with the Nintendo 3DS as a component of the 8th-generation of video gaming system.
According to Digital Trends, PS Vita has sold worldwide for a total of 15.25 million units while the Nintendo 3DS sold a total of 63.82 million units. If Sony were to release this new patent in a handheld gaming system, it would also always be compared to Nintendo Switch, a handheld hybrid game console. Amidst so much positive noise and excitement around the Ninendo Switch, it may be difficult for Sony to carve out a slice of a highly competitive mobile market diagram.
