While it didn't sell nearly as much as its competition, Sony still found a great deal of success with its first handheld gaming console, the PlayStation Portable. Sony supported the PSP for a decade and managed to sell over 80 million units over the course of its lifespan. Now it looks like PlayStation gamers may have reason to dig their old PSP out of the closet, as a new Sony patent suggests that it could be compatible with the company's upcoming PS5 console.
The Sony patent, filed February 6, 2020 and published August 20, includes an image that appears to show various accessories and peripherals that may be compatible with the PlayStation 5 console. This includes the PlayStation VR headset, PlayStation Camera, PlayStation Move, a DualShock 4 controller, mouse and keyboard, remote, bluetooth headset, and the PlayStation Portable. The text of the patent also mentions the PlayStation Vita, so it seems the handheld may have a role to play with the PS5 as well.
As for what the PS5 may use the PSP or PS Vita for, one possibility is remote play capabilities. Some fans may not even be aware of this, but it's actually possible to play many PS4 games in handheld mode if one has a PlayStation Vita, in a manner not unlike the Wii U.
But since Sony discontinued the Vita in 2019, it would be a bit strange for it to include remote play for PS5 games. And in fact, Sony has said that the new DualSense controller is required to play PS5 games anyway, so remote play wouldn't be possible with new titles. However, it's worth pointing out that the PS5 is backward compatible with PS4, and so maybe remote play would be possible for those games.
Then again, it seems like a feature that would not get a ton of use, especially considering how poorly the Vita sold and the fact that the device was discontinued last year. Not all PlayStation 4 games will even be backward compatible with PS5 on launch day, and so spending time on something like remote play functionality seems like it could be a waste of resources.
Whatever the case may be, fans should find out more in the months ahead. There are still many unanswered questions about the PlayStation 5 beyond its compatibility (or lack thereof) with legacy handhelds. Sony still has yet to even announce the PS5 price or release date, and it's unclear exactly when such an announcement will take place.