Sony is, in fact, developing a new PlayStation handheld that will succeed the Vita, its most recent handheld that was discontinued in 2019, according to sources with Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson. The new handheld, which is said to feature a design inspired by the PS5 and an 8-inch LCD touchscreen, isn’t a cloud streaming device, and will reportedly be released before the PS5 Pro (holiday 2024) but after the PS5 with detachable disc drive.
Sony PlayStation Q Lite Details and Features
- Not a cloud streaming device
- Uses Remote Play with the PlayStation 5
- Supports adaptive streaming up to 1080p and 60 FPS
- Requires constant connectivity to the internet
- Will look like the PlayStation 5
- 8-inch LCD touchscreen
- Adaptive Triggers for haptic feedback
- Volume buttons, speakers, audio input jack
From an Insider Gaming report:
Codenamed the Q Lite, the next PlayStation handheld is the next piece of Sony hardware that aims to be yet another piece of hardware that requires the PlayStation 5. Insider Gaming understands that the Q Lite is not a cloud-streaming device, but instead uses Remote Play with the PlayStation 5 – A feature the console giant has been pushing these past couple of weeks.
As for the console’s physical features, early prototypes show the console will look a lot like a PlayStation 5 controller, but with a massive 8-inch LCD touchscreen in the center. The device sports adaptive triggers for haptic feedback and will include what you would come to expect from a handheld – Volume buttons, speakers, an audio input jack, etc.
As previously mentioned by industry insider Jeff Grubb, Sony is planning to announce its “second phase of the PS5”, which was in reference to its future game slate. Ironically though, this “second phase” is very much true for Sony’s hardware offerings, with the new detachable disc drive PlayStation 5, Project Nomad (wireless earphones), Project Voyager (wireless headset), and Q Lite (handheld) all scheduled to release within a very short period. It’s understood that the PlayStation 5 Pro is aiming for a holiday 2024 release.
Discussion (19 replies)
Join Discussion →This is dead on arrival. With cloud streaming devices that exist, phones that can remote play, and especially the steam deck. Why get such a limited remote play device. It can only remote play to the PS5? what's the point.
It's not mentioned that it's remote play only, the vita also did remote play with the PS4 while still supporting it's own games. but still, for a kid who want's to play and does not have acces to the family tv or someting this could be usefull.
I'm more interested in this then the Steam deck
I agree. Can go out and get that Logitech thing that just does remote play and have the same thing. Remote play is neat, but hardly a universal solution - cell signal isn't always 5 bars 5G, don't always have access to WiFi, etc - and all the usual issues with cloud gaming as well. An always-connected console that only supports cloud gaming is not a smart idea.
You're more interested in this than a more versitile device? I'm curious as to your reasoning.
Take this on a plane... no game. Take this on the road away from Cell, (ok harder and harder to do every day) No game. anywhere you don't have a hot spot or available wifi... no game.
I'm curious on his reasoning also. I see no point at all in getting this over a Steam Deck that can do so much more.
The article says it's NOT a cloud streaming device. So why does it require always online connectivity?
I'm thinking the game doesn't stream the interface but streams the data of the game itself... if that makes sense. That would put some very real constraints on the size of files and latency though and a HUGE weight on the bandwidth and data use... like titanic potentially.
It would probably make more sense that it just downloads the game files to the device and plays it directly. While the online requirement feature makes it so you can't play those games offline. So you can't necessarily purchase a game on the PS Store and play it on both your PS5 and the handheld simultaneously.
Is comparison to Steam deck viable? I mean those things are like a grand right? This doesn't have a price tag yet but no way it costs more than 300 or it won't sell.
I had a Vita and I'm still a little chafed they killed it the way Sony did. But I did sell it and get most of my $ back.
$400-$600ish
https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck
$400 to $650 depending on the model.
well maybe it can do more but it can't do what it's main thing is as it should to start with, imho the steam deck is atm a beta test, it can't even run all of steam games on it, is not very powerfull, has a low rez screen and battery life is well low and moreso I don't know why everyone loves them, I do not even have a use for it.
At least console games are designed to be played with a controller.
Now I'm still assuming that the new portable Sony thing will still be able to play it's own games and not just stream PS5 games, I will wait for more details from Sony before.
More interested also does not mean I will buy either.
It can run 7000 Steam games. The Playstatation 5, even being backwards compatible with the PS4 game library only has around 550 games total.
Neither are consoles and this handheld from Sony wont be any exception. Handhelds are never really all that powerful.
I use my Steam Deck to play 1000+ emulator games including Atari, NES, SNES, Genesis, Dreamcast, N64, Playstation 1 & 2 and others I can't think of off the top of my head. Unless someone roots/hacks the Playstation portable, it wont be able to do this and when they do, my Steam Deck is still under warranty. ;)
The screen is small at 7". ~720P looks extremely good on it (when I play newer games on mine) The Playstation portable allegedly has an 8" screen and even if it's 1080P, the screen is still relatively small. You wont notice.
Almost all portable devices have low battery life. The battery life on my Steam deck when playing old school emulators can last a really, really long time. Not so much when I play a newer title.
The fact is the Steam Deck has more uses than the closed eco system that the Playstation Portable will have. You can use the Steam Deck as a laptop and even connect it to external displays, use mouse/keyboard, controllers, the list goes on and on with the possibilities of what you can do on a Steam Deck.
Nearly all games these days are console ports anyway. So controller support on newer games isn't much of an issue. The only issue are the older titles that need controller mapping to work with a controller. Still a larger library of available games to play than the Playstation Portable.
I really don't think the Playstation portable will have it's own exclusive games. The system will require an always online connection to use it which leads me to believe it'll just be PS5/4 games that are able to run on it. Nothing more.
Kind of hard to knock on hardware you've never used.
Not taking up for the Steam Deck per se, or claiming its the end all, be all to portable gaming (I own a switch also) but the uses I get out of the Steam Deck has almost replaced my laptop.
For funsies I checked some of the games I own that I could forseeable see me play on the deck, one had the green check, one wont work at all and the rest only in some form (ie yellow !) so not that impressed. I also heard that even though some games should work according to valve, they don't.
I can knock it on it's specs and whatever I can learn online from reviews and users talking about their expereinces with it.
I'm not going to buy another console that I might use 3 times a year like my switch just to be able to diss it.
I know that due to some dissability I'm far from the regular user for the device and maybe if I had a daily commute or something it might be more usefull to me but as is like I said I have no use for it.
Well the playstation portable would probably be even less of use for you.
This argument was choosing a Playstation Portable over the Steam Deck.
If the Steam Deck doesn't work for you in some shape or way then the Playstation Portable, with even less features, will be even less useful.