Is the new PlayStation handheld cloud gaming only? Project Q release date, specs, and more

During the PlayStation Showcase, a handheld device called Project Q was announced. It looks like a Nintendo Switch but instead of Joycons, you have the two sides of the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller. Could this new PlayStation handheld be a Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck competitor?

What is Sony’s Project Q?

Project Q is a new handheld PlayStation device. “Project Q” is just an internal name which means we will learn the true name of this PlayStation handheld device at a later date.

Project Q has an 8-inch HD screen that has all the features of the DualSense controller — haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and all.

Will Project Q be Remote Play only?

Project Q was announced as a handheld device that “enables you to stream any game from your PS5 console using Remote Play over WiFi.” However, from the text I saw during the Project Q reveal, I notices that it says “games must be installed on PS5 console and excludes VR games.”

With all this information in mind, I can confidently say that Project Q is a Remote Play-only device. The only form of cloud gaming for PlayStation 5 is Remote Play, but from the small text, it says that the PS5 games you want to play need to be downloaded onto your console before you can play them on Project Q. So, Project Q is basically a remote screen with a DualSense to play your PlayStation 5 on.

When will Project Q release?

When Jim Ryan announced Project Q, he said “later this year.” With that in mind, we can expect to have this PlayStation handheld device in our hands in late 2023.

In my opinion, that seems awfully ambitious given there hasn’t been much marketing around Project Q. Ryan also said that we would hear more about Project Q in the “near future,” so keep your eyes and ears peeled for more information.