Sony is dipping its toes into the world of portable gaming once again, but not quite in the way you might have expected. No, there isn’t a PSP-Ultra or a PS Vita 2 on the horizon, but eager PlayStation gamers will be able to play all of their favorite PlayStation games from the comfort of anywhere with a strong Wi-Fi connection sometime later this year, hopefully.

Sony Announces the Release of a New Portable Gaming Device, Project Q

Rumors were floating around the depths of the internet regarding Sony working on a new handheld gaming device for quite some time, but those rumors were confirmed during the May 24 2023 PlayStation Showcase (Playstation.Blog).

Among the many incredible upcoming game releases announced during the showcase, Jim Ryan was able to confirm that there is indeed a new PlayStation portable gaming system in the works known internally as Project Q.

While there wasn’t a plethora of information shared about Sony’s new project in the showcase, and it is yet to be seen if it is destined to join the ranks of the best handheld gaming devices, there was still a decent amount to gather about how the device works.

How Will Sony’s Project Q Work?

Sony’s Project Q is a handheld portable gaming device featuring an 8” HD screen. The device looks more or less like a DualSense controller that has been split in half and attached to either side of a screen, which means gamers can experience all the joys that come with the DualSense controller while they are gaming portably.

One of the main characteristics to note about Sony’s Project Q is that it doesn’t play games physically. Instead, Project Q streams games from your PS5 via Remote Play. Remote Play is an app that lets you access and play your PS5 games on your mobile device using Wi-Fi, so Project Q seems to be a physical device created with the intention to make this process easier.

The fact that Project Q only streams games players already have installed on their PS5 via Remote Play means that they must have a strong and stable internet connection as well as a PS5 to operate the device.

How Will Project Q Compare to Other Handheld Devices on the Market?

The 8” HD screen that Project Q boasts is about an inch larger than the other leading handheld consoles on the market, most notably the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck. And while an inch doesn’t necessarily sound like it would make a huge difference, it is certainly an improvement.

The fact that the device operates solely on Remote Play, however, is the biggest potential concern when it comes to Project Q. Cloud streaming services for video games have been on the rise in recent years, but it undoubtedly provides a weaker connection and a poorer gaming experience than one that is native to the system.

Remote Play is also already available via mobile on a free app, so gamers would be able to get an idea of how the Project Q device will work by setting up and using Remote Play on their mobile devices. The price of Project Q has not been announced yet, but since Remote Play is already so easily accessible for free on portable mobile devices, it does raise the question of whether purchasing an entirely new device is worth it when you could just play your PS5 on your mobile with a DualSense controller.

Project Q Could Be the Beginning of a New Portable Gaming Era for Sony

Although there is no set release date or price announced for Project Q just yet, the concept of playing Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and your entire PS5 library from the comfort of your bed is an attractive one.

And since PlayStation has had great success in the portable gaming market before, there is a chance that Project Q could lead to even bigger and better things for Sony in terms of portable gaming in the future.