In an interview with the Trophy Room podcast, the former president of SIE Worldwide Studios recalled his own experience working during the PSP and PS Vita eras. In his view, developing home and handheld platforms simultaneously is extremely difficult. To successfully support both formats, Sony would effectively have to create two separate companies.
Layden explained that a home console typically brings in more money and attracts the core audience. As a result, almost the entire marketing budget is directed toward it, leaving the handheld device without proper attention.
As an example, the former PlayStation executive cited an incident from the past when he faced criticism from Sony’s chief financial officer. At the time, the PS3 was selling poorly, despite the massive commercial success of the PSP.
Layden believes Sony has a good chance of succeeding if the next generation is represented exclusively by a handheld console. However, simultaneously launching a home PS6 and a portable device, in his opinion, will end in failure. He is convinced that no company is capable of successfully supporting both platforms at the same time.