SONY HAS A NEW HANDHELD, currently known internally as Project Q. It looks, essentially, like an 8-inch LCD 1080p tablet with half of a PS5 DualSense controller attached to either side. It enables you to play games streamed from your PlayStation 5 via Wi-Fi, so you have access to your full library whenever you’re in range of your Wi-Fi. You’ll need a strong signal, as there’s data to shift, plus at least 5Mbps of bandwidth, although 15Mbps is recommended for a “better play experience”.
The game needs to be installed on your PS5. Project Q may stream, but there’s not a cloud in sight. It is not a traditional gaming handheld either, as there are no games stored on it. There are other remote play devices, but they can be awkward to set up. Keeping it in the Sony family should make this a painless proposition.
We have no hints of a price. A controller is about $70, and the high-end DualSense Edge is $199. Given the lack of cloud hardware needed or OLED screen, it should be competitive, and it’ll need to be, as this is essentially an accessory. Sony spent $380 million buying the Gaikai streaming platform in 2012, then did little with it.
Gaming is shifting towards the cloud, but Sony so far seems reluctant to follow. The success of the Nintendo Switch proved that people do love their handheld gaming though, and Project Q puts all the power of your PS5 into your hand. It may not be cutting-edge technology, but it does look like good fun. The launch is expected in time for the holiday season.