PlayStation games could be coming to Android and iOS

At least five new games based on PlayStation titles are set to launch, starting in 2018

Nintendo isn't the only console manufacturer looking to expand its reach in mobile gaming - Sony is getting back into the field.

After pulling the plug on its PlayStation Mobile division in March 2015, Japanese news agency Nikkei reports Sony is planning to release five "or more" new mobile games, starting from March 2018.

Read more: Sony bets on mobile gaming with new studio, ForwardWorks

Similar to rival Nintendo's mobile plans - which so far comprise the already-launched Miitomo, upcoming Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem games, as well as Super Mario Run for iPhone - Sony plans to leverage its existing portfolio of titles, with games based on "popular PlayStation series".

ForwardWorks, the new mobile-focused studio Sony established in March 2016, will "handle distribution" of the new games. When revealed, the purpose of the Tokyo-based team was said to be to "leverage the intellectual property of the numerous PlayStation dedicated software titles", and this appears to be the first set of games to reach fruition.

Excitingly, Sony's mobile plans could also mean the return of older titles that are no longer playable on current consoles due to the lack of backwards compatibility on PS4. Sony offers some classics - such as Dark Cloud and Rogue Galaxy - in digital form on the PlayStation Store, upgraded slightly for modern screens and given trophy support, but there's no easy way to play most PS1, PS2, or PS3 games in their original forms. Re-releasing on mobile - as publisher Square Enix has done with some of the earlier Final Fantasy games - could be a good alternative.

Read more: PlayStation VR review: can it compete against HTC Vive and Oculus?

More likely than straight ports though is the revival of older properties in new forms. Nikkei says games could be linked to console titles, which raises the prospect of tighter links between home and mobile than Nintendo's bespoke offerings. This is deliberate - Nikkei says it is Sony Interactive Entertainment's plan to "lure more of the vast pool of mobile players to its consoles".

Exactly what games are in development remains a mystery, though titles are expected to be announced by year end. FutureWorks was previously said to be developing for both Android and iOS platforms.

This article was originally published by WIRED UK