At Sony’s State of Play on May 25th, 2023, Jim Ryan announced “Project Q”, Sony’s answer to a handheld gaming device. Although most details have not been provided at this time, we do know that it’s meant to stream (yes, you need internet) your PlayStation 5 (yes, you need a PS 5) games via Remote Play. There has been a steady stream of handhelds since the Nintendo Switch, and I was left scratching my head on this one. Is Sony’s Project Q even a contender in the handheld gaming market?

The Nintendo Switch is already a given when it comes to success. A hybrid home console and handheld, its sales over the last six years has surpassed the Game Boy and PlayStation 4 and is currently sitting as the third best selling console of all time. It’s not a powerhouse by any means, but Nintendo’s innovation and library of games is what keeps this device a must-have in the house.

Then, we have the Steam Deck. By no means is this a direct competitor for the Nintendo Switch, but this hefty boy now allows people to play games from their Steam library on the go. As long as the game is installed, you can play it offline unless the game itself requires internet connection. It also boost great performance and graphics.

Those are the two major players; however, there is also the Logitech G Cloud. As you can guess from the name, you need to have access to the internet and a Cloud gaming subscription such as Xbox Game Pass or NVIDIA GeForce Now. At this point, some may simply consider purchasing a Backbone to attach to their phone and play that way (There is a PlayStation edition…).

This ties into Project Q. It looks like the DualSense controller was cut in half to accommodate an 8-inch LCD screen in the middle. Despite the fact that it touts the ability to run at 1080p and 60fps over Wi-Fi, we all know the challenges many people face–we don’t all have great internet! As a streaming device, how can you play on the go unless you put in lots of time and planning to somehow ensure a constant connection? Why even bother with this when they already partnered with Backbone? Lastly, unless we get further clarification, you would need to already own a PlayStation 5 to even utilize this!

I hoped for a handheld PlayStation device. The PlayStation is my second most used gaming platform as I thoroughly enjoy their IP; however, I do not think Project Q can rely solely on their IP to attract sales. Unless Sony gives us a very fair price (doubt it), I can’t see it being a serious contender in the handheld market. But hey, I could be wrong. I hope that I am.

Project Q is set to release later this year.

What do you think of Project Q? What are some questions you have for Sony? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.

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Featured Image Source: Sony PlayStation

Sources: The Verge (1), The Verge (2)