Sony had its 2023 PlayStation Showcase yesterday on May 24th, and while many long-awaited (the Spider-Man 2 gameplay reveal was awesome) and pleasantly surprising (the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake; what a thrill) announcements made headlines, there was a clear popular kid among them. PlayStation’s Project Q was teased only for about thirty seconds in an accessories highlight, but we got a lot of important information during that time. After months of murmurs, it’s now confirmed that the handheld will be a dedicated PS Remote Play device, which means instead of discs or cartridges, it will stream games installed on your PS5 to the handheld system through WiFi. We also know the 8-inch screen, capable of 1080p and 60fps, will sit between the familiar Dual Sense controller (which was split in half). The one question on everyone’s mind, however, is if this thing will work if you’re not at home.
The decision to make this exclusively (as it stands currently) a Remote Play device is leaving some fans scratching their heads. After all, the PSP was quite ahead of its time and only appreciated after we saw the power and possibility of the Nintendo Switch. And the PS5 is an incredible console that we’re only scratching the surface of. So it’s surprising that the specs available so far for Project Q are slightly underwhelming. If users are tethered to their PS5s, this means the benefits of a handheld console are minimized. With all this, expectations are being tempered among PlayStation fans, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a solid device.
Also making an appearance during the accessory segment was a new pair of immersive wireless earbuds, with lossless audio and compatible with PS5, PC, and smartphones.
The PlayStation Project Q (working title) will be released later this year, with price and other details still pending.
