Out of all the major console manufacturers in gaming history,Microsoftis the only one that has yet to release a handheld. Nintendo, Sony, Sega, and even Atari have made portable systems over the years, but Xbox has never launched a handheld of its own. This may not be the case for long, however. In the last 12 or so months, several trustworthy insiders have alleged thatMicrosoftis developing a portable Xbox console of some kind. While some had a hard time believing these rumors, they were effectively confirmed by none other than Xbox CEO Phil Spencer himself last November. In an interview with Bloomberg, Spencer revealed that Microsoft was indeed creating prototypes for a handheld gaming device, one that’s apparently still years away from being released.
It seems like Xbox isn’t alone in its desire to make a handheld console, as it turns out Sony is reportedly making one, as well. Recent reports from both Bloomberg andTom Henderson have claimedthat the Japanese conglomerate is “in the early stages of developing” a native, portable PlayStation device. Unlike Sony’s previous efforts in the handheld field, like the PS Vita and the PSP, this new system is apparently going to be a portable version of the PS5 rather than an entirely standalone console with its own separate library of games.This PlayStation handheld, if it ever comes out, will have to compete directly with the upcoming Xbox handheld and the Nintendo Switch 2. This increase in competition will likely be great for both consumers and developers, and it will especially benefit one long-running franchise:Grand Theft Auto.
Grand Theft Auto Would Benefit Greatly From the PlayStation and Xbox Handhelds
Sony and Microsoft’s Rumored Handhelds Would Give Players a Way to Play GTA 6 On the Go
AlthoughGrand Theft Autohas had a presence on handheld devicesin the past, almost all of the mainline 3D entries in the series have been released exclusively on home consoles upon their initial launches. The franchise’s next numbered installment, the highly-anticipatedGrand Theft Auto 6, seems to continue this trend.GTA 6, as many may know by now, has currently only been announced for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. In other words, it is not coming to PC (and, in turn, PC handhelds like the Steam Deck) day one, nor is it launching on the Nintendo Switch. Because of this, it will be impossible to playGTA 6natively on the go when it is released.
This is where Sony and Microsoft come in. Ifthe rumored PlayStation and Xbox handheldsare released beforeGrand Theft Auto 6comes to PC, then they will give players the chance to experience the upcoming game on a portable device for the first time. The prospect of playingGTA 6on the go would likely be enough to convince many people to buy these systems. There is, however, one issue with this matter. Sony and Microsoft’s portable consoles are apparently very early in development, so if they do come out, they will probably be launched several years afterGTA 6’s release, at which point the game will likely be on Steam.
The Best Place to Play GTA 6 Portably May Be On Consoles
Even if these handhelds are still far away from being released, they may still provide the best place to playGTA 6natively, at least when it comes to portable devices. In fact, the previous entry in the series,GTA 5, is somewhat compromised on PC handhelds like the Steam Deck. In September 2024,GTA 5lost its Steam Deck verificationdue to a new anti-cheat software that was introduced to the game’s multiplayer component,GTA Online. While the single-player campaign forGTA 5is still playable on the Steam Deck, its live service counterpart is sadly unsupported on the system.
Rockstar Games,the developer of theGTAseries, tends to prioritize consoles over PCs with most of its games. Therefore, it’s possible that whenGTA 6eventually comes to PC, it may not be supported on the Steam Deck and other PC handhelds, just likeGTA 5. Microsoft and Sony’s handhelds, in comparison, may provide a more reliable experience with the game since they’ll presumably be single-skew consoles.
Grand Theft Auto 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.
