Sony has finally announced the long-rumoured Project Q, a handheld gaming device for the PlayStation. However, unlike Sony’s previous outing in the handheld gaming space with the PS Vita, this one is a streaming-only device.
Fans of the PS Vita will surely be disappointed, but the lack of interest on Sony’s part to compete in that market segment, and especially take on Nintendo Switch, this move is unsurprising, to say the least.
Project Q (official name is yet to be revealed) is a handheld device that can stream games from a PlayStation 5 over Wi-Fi. It is scheduled to release sometime later this year.
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Project Q UAE Pricing and availability
Not much is known about Project Q as of yet, and hence there is no clarity on the pricing of the device as of yet. The handheld is much similar to a Backbone device, but since it comes with a screen and DualSense controller features, we expect premium pricing in its category.
Project Q Specifications
| Screen Size: | 8″ |
| Resolution: | 1080p |
Design
Project Q is an odd-looking device, to say the least, which looks like someone broke the DualSense controller into two pieces and stuck a screen in the middle.
Again, we don’t know much about the device, and all we have seen are CGI renders, so it’s hard to judge how comfortable it will be to play games.
Features and performance
Details on the hardware side of things are scarce – all we know is that the device will feature an 8″ 1080p/60fps display. Since this is a streaming-only device, we do not expect it to feature high-end mobile-grade hardware – which actually would be great as it could bring the cost down a little bit.
One thing we do know, based on what PlayStation has said, is that the controllers will feature all the bells and whistles of the standard DualSense controller. So, you can expect the innovative adaptive triggers and haptic feedback to make their way on this device, too.
Software and Gaming
Project Q is designed to stream PlayStation 5 games, and we can safely bet that the device will run a version of Android on it (unless Sony decides to go the Linux or Windows route, which is highly unlikely). However, whether or not it will allow other apps to be downloaded from the Google PlayStore remains to be seen.
But, considering that the device will cost a pretty penny, we would like it to be able to run other cloud streaming services. It would be great if we could play Xbox Cloud games on Project Q – that would be pretty odd and hilarious, and we are here for it.
Battery & Charging
Again, we don’t have much information on Project Q. But assuming it’s your standard mobile-grade hardware; we expect it to have USB-C charging and at least 6-8 hours of battery life. To give a bit of perspective, the Logitech G Cloud – a streaming-only device like the Project Q – has a claimed battery life of around 12 hours.
Alternative to Project Q – How does it stack up against the competition
Project Q is inherently no different to streaming PS5 games on your mobile device using the Remote Play app available on Google PlayStore, Apple Store, and Windows Store. However, its biggest USP is the DualSense-like controllers, which are said to feature adaptive triggers and haptic feedback – something no other device can match since it’s a proprietary technology of Sony.
However, some great handheld devices that can stream PS5 games and do much more are already available in the market.
The pricey Logitech G Cloud is a direct competitor to Project Q. Since it’s platform neutral, it might be more useful than Sony’s device as they could potentially lock it to their ecosystem. The Logitech G Cloud features a 7″ 1080/60fps display and supports all cloud and remote play services, including Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Remote Play, Steam Link, and even PlayStation’s remote play. It weighs around 463g and sports a 12 hours+ battery life.
Steam Deck is an entirely different beast than Project Q (and potentially more expensive), as it’s a Linux-based gaming handheld designed to run PC games. It features an AMD Zen 2 CPU, RDNA GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and 64GB/128GB/512GB internal storage. Since it’s Linux-based, it may not be able to be stream PS5 games unless there is a way to make the Remote Play app run on Linux, but the Steam Deck is an open-ended platform, so one can potentially install Windows on it and use it like that.
![Backbone One Mobile Gaming Controller for iPhone [PlayStation Edition]](https://tbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/61hB8jmc4tL._SL500_.webp)
Backbone One Mobile for PlayStation is another great alternative to Project Q. The Backbone uses your mobile device as the screen and provides a full suite of controls, including two analogue joysticks, face buttons, triggers, and other PlayStation-centric buttons like Share, Options, and more. And lets also not forget the recently announced Asus ROG Ally– a portable handheld running a full version of Windows 11.
Sony Project Q FAQs
When will Project Q release in the UAE?
Project Q is scheduled to release later this year, although we do not have an exact date yet. However, considering PlayStation has a strong presence in the Middle East, we expect the handheld device to be available around the same date as it does internationally.
Can Project Q only stream PS5 games?
This isn’t exactly clear, as Sony has not provided any further details beyond the basics. If Project Q runs on Android, and Sony does not lock down the platform in any way, it should support all remote play and cloud streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam Link, GeForce Now, etc.
Does Project Q support DualSense controllers?
The features of the DualSense controllers are built into Project Q itself, so you should have full support of the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback found on the standard DualSense controllers.
Mufaddal Fakhruddin
Mufaddal Fakhruddin has been writing about games and technology for the past 15 years. He has lost count as to how many reviews he has written over the years, but he is sure headphone reviews make up at least 70% of that.
