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Sony has a checkered past when it comes to its forays into the handheld gaming market. Although it saw success with the 2004 release of the PSP (PlayStation Portable), it hasn’t matched it in the years since. In 2011, Sony released the PS Vita but quickly began distancing itself from the device with lack of support, upsetting fans of the system.
So when rumors began circulating in Spring of 2023 that Sony was gearing up to announce a new handheld device, many were skeptical that they can pull it off. On Thursday, the company hosted a live PlayStation Showcase and finally gave audiences a tiny glimpse of what to expect. And it’s…uh…something.
Project Q
The device is currently called Project Q, a working title, and we’re told it will be available later this year. Reportedly, it enables user to stream their PlayStation 5 games over Remote Play via WiFi. Visually and functionally, it’s a standard DualSense controller split right down the middle with an eight-inch screen. Aesthetically, it’s basic but passable – no frills, but I see what they’re going for.
So what it seems to boil down to is a streamlined way of using the existing Remote Play feature, admittedly a pretty snazzy one. The optimist inside me me hopes that Sony’s modest approach results in a lower price point, since all the tech theoretically needed to build one is that of a PS5 controller and of a small but serviceable tablet. But the realist inside me knows it will likely be priced as a luxury item – because in all fairness, that’s what it is.
The reaction
Based on social media response, many fans would have preferred a new dedicated handheld PlayStation console. But the handheld market is one area that Nintendo has maintained a tight grip on for decades, especially with the Switch, which effortlessly marries handheld and docked television gaming. And now that the Steam Deck has scooped up a large share of the non-Nintendo handheld gamers, Sony’s new device honestly leaves us with a bit of that too-little-too-late feeling.
Additionally, unless there’s some sort of improvement for the inherent lag introduced with streaming over long distances, Project Q’s experience will be severely limited. Online multiplayer is virtually unplayable over current Remote Play, and even quick or moderately paced single-player games can be bothersome due to slow response time between the control input and on-screen action.
Will it succeed?
Our prediction is that large-scale adoption of the device will ultimately hinge on its price point. For $200, heck I might try it out. Any more than that, and I’ll stick with my Switch. What do you think about Project Q? Does it pique your interest, or does it look unnecessary?
