Will PS6 Be Like a Nintendo Switch? Sony Says Its Next-Gen Console Will Enable 'A Seamless Experience That Can Be Enjoyed Naturally Beyond the Living Room'

Sony has suggested its next-gen console — widely assumed to be the PlayStation 6 — could work like the Nintendo Switch by enabling “a seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally beyond the living room.”

The comments come from a recent Q&A with Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO, Hideaki Nishino, published in English by Sony itself. In it, the executive was asked how Sony plans to reingage with users PlayStation lost to PC gaming during Covid lockdowns, and how it will make significant changes with the next-generation platform.

Nishino replied to point to how Sony is trying to change the perception that “PlayStation equals the living room” with the release of PlayStation monitors and speakers people would typically use as part of a PC setup.

“PlayStation has long been strongly associated with the idea of playing in the living room,” Nishino began. “However, in recent years, more users globally have been using personal monitors. In response, we are selling peripherals such as monitors and speakers to break away from the fixed perception that ‘PlayStation equals the living room’ and to broaden usage scenarios.”

At this point, Nishino discussed Sony’s next-generation platform, without naming it or offering any concrete details.

“For the next-generation platform, rather than simply serving as an alternative to PCs, we aim to deliver value that is unique to PlayStation,” he said. “This includes not only technological advancements but also an expansion of usage styles, enabling a seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally beyond the living room.”

It’s that last part that has people wondering if Sony plans to release a PlayStation hybrid console like the Nintendo Switch. A console that offers a “seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally beyond the living room” sure does sound like something that could be taken on the go, like the Switch. But what could that look like?

There are a number of options. Sony is heavily rumored to be working on a dedicated PS6 handheld . Could this double as a PS6 console / controller hybrid that could be docked, as Switch is? Or perhaps Sony is working on a PS6 that’s little more than a next-gen PlayStation Portal, which Nishino said had seen strong sales.