It was a rumor, it came true. Sony has a handheld console in its drawers to go along with the PlayStation 5. Dubbed Project Q, the product was unveiled at the end of the PlayStation Showcase stream on Wednesday night, also giving a glimpse of future games to brighten up the console. , including Spider-Man 2 and many house exclusives to come.
And they will all be playable on this new device that should serve as a replacement for the console. But unlike a Steam Deck, an Asus ROG Ally, or even a Logitech G Cloud, this portable console will be limited to the only games contained on the PS5 and will only be used over WiFi.
As the rumor suggested, the PS5 console will be used mainly to use the PS Remote Play service, this application for smartphones, tablets and PCs that allows you to enjoy the games on your mirror console and with a controller connected by Bluetooth. It revisits the fairly classic design of a small-format tablet with an 8-inch screen surrounded by handles “with all the buttons and features of the DualSense controller,” announced Jim Ryan, the head of PlayStation.
A portable console only on WiFi
Unlike other handheld consoles, however, Project Q has a black spot: the PS5 must be turned on at home to access it. This is already the case with the Remote Play function, it will necessarily be the same for the portable console. However, we don’t know if it will allow you to play games contained on services like PlayStation Plus, particularly titles that are streamed and not actually downloaded to the PS5. And it will take a good connection on both sides to play in good conditions from a distance.
Project Q does not seem to replace the PS Vita stopped a few years ago by Sony and which sold cartridge games. We better understand why Sony has not reached an agreement with the manufacturers of portable consoles, none of which models support PS Remote Play, while smartphones, tablets and PCs can take full advantage of it, while offering other activities, services , compatibility. This is not the case with the Sony console.
Therefore, the Japanese manufacturer still has a few months before the launch of the product to differentiate it from the competition and justify its purchase, which does not seem obvious at first glance. Even offering it with the new matching wireless headphones that will continue to offer lossless sound on PS5 and PC to go beyond simple gaming.
Source: BFM TV
