A handheld device for streaming PS5 games

PlayStation Project Q. © Sony.

Looks like the Nintendo Switch and Valve Steam Deck’s resounding success gave Sony some ideas for a new handheld device. At the PlayStation Showcase, the company confirmed an upcoming handheld console dubbed Project Q for the time being. It consists of an 8-inch LCD screen equipped with side controllers, very similar to DualSense. Rather than run games natively, it streams any non-VR game from a PS5 at 1080p and 60fps. This means you’ll need to install the games on the PS5 and have good Wi-Fi connectivity. Though this has not yet been confirmed, you will probably be able to use Sony’s Remote Play technology to access your PS5 games on-the-go.

Last year, Logitech launched something like it with the G Cloud Gaming Handheld built on a Snapdragon processor and an Android system, but its 350 USD price tag, in line with the Nintendo Switch OLED and the Steam Deck, put it out of reach of many. The showcase was also an opportunity to reveal the Bluetooth earbuds that “will bring next-generation audio immersion to PS5 and PC.”

⇨ YouTube, “PlayStation Showcase 2023 - Accessories Sneak Peek”

⇨ Ars Technica, Samuel Axon, “Sony confirms ‘PlayStation Q,’ a handheld device for streaming PS5 games.”

⇨ The Verge, Tom Warren, “Sony’s PlayStation handheld reportedly arriving in November.”

2023-05-24