Sony Drops Bombshell with New PlayStation Handheld Announcement

Sony has officially announced the development of a new handheld PlayStation device during the PlayStation Showcase livestream, but it may not be what gamers were anticipating. The latest Showcase featured a combination of blockbuster and indie titles, with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and the remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater being the main topics of discussion.

Given the current PlayStation game lineup, the revelation of Sony's newest handheld console may have come as a surprise to many. First leaked in April, the device, tentatively named Q Lite, was rumored to be a PlayStation Remote Play device designed for game streaming, rather than a direct competitor to portable gaming platforms like the Steam Deck and other similar devices.

Towards the end of the PlayStation Showcase 2023 event, the new PlayStation handheld device was finally unveiled, with Jim Ryan himself introducing "Project Q" as the working title. Ryan confirmed that Project Q will only support game streaming from a connected PlayStation 5 via Remote Play, and any games being played on the device must first be installed on the PS5. However, Project Q will feature all of the buttons on the PS5's DualSense controller and an 8-inch HD display screen.

During the PlayStation Showcase livestream, Sony not only introduced the Project Q but also revealed their official PlayStation-branded gaming earbuds. These earbuds can connect to a PS5 console, PC, or smartphone via Bluetooth. According to Jim Ryan, the earbuds are capable of delivering high-quality sound during gameplay with low latency and lossless audio.

While Sony's PlayStation Portable and Vita devices are still remembered fondly by gamers of the late 2000s, they didn't achieve the commercial success of Nintendo's handheld offerings. However, fans hoping for a similar standalone gaming system with the newly-announced Project Q may be disappointed. Jim Ryan confirmed that it will only be a supporting device for the PlayStation 5 rather than a standalone gaming system. Sony has promised to release more details about Project Q in the upcoming months.