Ever since the PS Vita’s rather inglorious demise in 2019, fans of handheld gaming have been waiting for a worthy successor. With a new console, Sony plans to revive the form factor – albeit in a very limited way.
At the PlayStation Showcase in May 2023, Sony also showed completely new hardware in addition to a whole series of trailers. In a short clip of its own, the company announced a handheld console. TECHBOOK has the details.
Sony “Project Q” requires PS5
The announcement confirms the leaks, which speculated weeks in advance about a new handheld console. Only the name wasn’t quite right – Sony is developing the device as “Project Q” and not as “Q Lite” as initially suspected. According to him, this is not – as many Sony fans had hoped – an independent console with its own games library. Instead, Sony is positioning Project Q as an accessory for the PlayStation 5.
In contrast to consoles such as Logitech’s G Cloud, which enables gaming on the go via cloud streaming, Sony’s handheld should only support remote play. This is a feature that the 2012 PS Vita already had. It allows a device to wirelessly stream games from the PlayStation directly. This means that a constant WiFi connection is required to use the console.
In the announcement video, Sony’s Project Q can be seen from all sides. The handheld looks like a PlayStation 5 controller, but with a large 8-inch LCD touchscreen in the middle. The display has a resolution of 1080p and supports up to 60 frames per second (FPS). Similar to the PS5’s DualSense controller, the console is said to have adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.
In addition to Project Q, several Sony launches are imminent
As TECHBOOK reported, the launch of a new PlayStation 5 variant with a removable disc drive is expected as early as the end of 2023. The more powerful PlayStation 5 Pro should follow by the end of 2024. The launch of the Sony Project Q could fall somewhere in between. It is unclear whether the presentation will take place in 2023 or in the course of 2024. Because the handheld console is just one part of a whole range of new PS5 accessories, including wireless in-ear headphones, which Sony also presented at the showcase.
Sony’s last handheld console didn’t catch on
Despite its technical superiority, the PS Vita was unable to assert itself against the rapidly growing mobile gaming market at the time. Its launch in 2012 coincided with a boom in games for smartphones, causing the loss of many potential customers. Also, Sony launched the PlayStation 4 just a year later, and both its own studios and third-party developers are focusing on the next-gen console. As a result, the PS Vita was not able to impress with the same strong selection of games that had helped its predecessor, the PS Portable, to succeed.
TECHBOOK meint
While it’s gratifying that Sony is returning to the handheld market, the implementation seems more than questionable. While the PS Vita didn’t have a strong gaming offering, it could at least play its own games on the go without an internet connection. Nevertheless, it also supported remote play. Project Q, on the other hand, relies on the PlayStation 5 connection. So it’s just sort of an accessory for those who can afford the expensive console.
The biggest issue Sony might have with the Q Lite is the price point. A DualSense controller already costs around 70 euros. Combined with a good 1080p display, usable speakers and good haptics, you quickly get to several hundred euros. But that would put the console perilously close to other handheld consoles like the Nintendo Switch ($400) and Valve Steam Deck ($500), which both have their own games and support game streaming.
However, Sony’s Project Q needs to deliver a good gaming experience and be high quality. Because remote play is also possible on a smartphone, tablet or PC with a DualSense controller. So why invest the extra cash in a handheld console that doesn’t offer any additional features or benefits? How Sony intends to convince us of this remains to be seen.