Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
As we mark 25 years of PlayStation this week, Sony’s grip on the home console market has rarely been stronger. The PS4 recently outsold the original PlayStation to become the second bestselling version yet behind the PS2, which will likely never be matched. It augurs well for the upcoming launch of the PS5. One part of the PlayStation story that is often overlooked, however, is Sony’s efforts with handhelds. You probably know the broad strokes: the PSP was overshadowed by the hugely popular Nintendo DS, while the PS Vita never took off at all. And now we have the Switch.
But it would be unfair to write off Sony’s travails in the portable gaming industry. The PSP and Vita were not only innovative devices in their own right, but the most…