Sony's 'Project Q' Handheld Streams Games From Your PS5

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By Brandon Hill
published

Project Q offers yet another option for PS Remote Play game streaming.

Sony Project Q
(Image credit: Sony)

With PS Remote Play, Sony allows gamers to stream games from their PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles to Android, iOS, iPadOS, macOS and Windows devices. You can even stream to another PS5 or PS4 if you wish. But now, Sony is putting a new twist on Remote Play by introducing the Project Q handheld.

To the untrained eye, Project Q looks like little more than a DualShock 5 controller split in half and then joined by an 8-inch display. The controllers have adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, while the 8-inch display features a 1080p resolution and is capped at 60 fps. 

You'll connect to Remote Play exclusively over Wi-Fi, according to Sony. There are apparently no provisions for integrated cellular connectivity. However, it shouldn't be hard to connect to the internet on the go using your smartphone as a mobile hotspot.

Before you get any ideas that Project Q could be a true Valve Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally or even Nintendo Switch competitor, know that it is only a streaming device. No games are installed directly on the handheld, nor is it packing hardware powerful enough to enable native playback. So, if you want a genuine, self-contained handheld gaming machine, you'll want to stick to the above devices.

Unfortunately, Sony was light on additional details for Project Q. We don't know how much it weighs or how long the internal battery lasts. In addition, no pricing information has been revealed, although we know Sony plans to launch it later this year.

Sony Project Q

(Image credit: Sony)

What remains to be seen is if this will be a popular device with customers. As mentioned in the introduction, Sony offers a wide range of options for customers to stream games from their PS5 or PS4. For example, the recently announced Backbone One PlayStation Edition allows you to have a similar Remote Play experience with your Android smartphone. However, you miss out on the larger 8-inch display, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

The big sticking point with customers will likely come down to pricing. The PlayStation 5 starts at $399, so Project Q will have to undercut that price by a fair margin to make a splash with the console gaming community.

Brandon Hill
Brandon Hill

Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons.

8 Comments Comment from the forums
  • oofdragon
    PS5 U.. lol. Just a controller with a screen by Sony, other devices already stream like this by what I understood so nothing new here. Would be neat though if it streamed your PS5 no matter where you were, theen it would be interesting
    Reply
  • cknobman
    Just think there are people getting paid MILLIONS of dollars per year to come up with dumb crap like this.
    Reply
  • atomicWAR
    Wow this bit of Sony's announcement is as interesting as watching paint dry or water freeze...I take that back watching water freeze is FAR more interesting as it actually physically does things compared to what boils down to a Wii U tablet controller for PS5. These streaming only devices and services for that matter are still in the sub alpha testing range if you ask me (maybe alpha in the case of Geforce Now). Way to much lag and its rarely a consistent playing experience. Geforce Now is the closest thing I have tested yet to a finished product for 'streaming' games (local or cloud based) and even it has some serious issues.

    I have done plenty of local streaming as well with PC, Xbox and PS...lag is tends to be a hair better but you still end up with a pixelated picture at times while trying to control a drunk character model/vehicle/etc. I would love this to work but at the end of the day this tech isn't ready for mainstream. If Sony released a Vita successor, THAT would have my full attention. This project Q ends up just being background noise that puts me in a mood pining for a new proper handheld by Sony (or Nintendo...Switch 2 anyone? Even a MS entry would be welcome)
    Reply
  • 3tank
    It looks goofy and not sleek in contrast to other sony products, it definitely doesnt look portable or compact, and since its Sony wont be cheap. Phones already stream and are more than enough suitable controllers. I always forget whether we can already stream with PS5 since i already barely play it but why not spend $200 or so more to get something you can steam to with consoles, run emus, do Steam and windows, and have actuall portability?
    Reply
  • Giroro
    The Playstation Vita could stream games, and also natively play games, and do a lot of other stuff in a compact and fashionable package for under $250. It failed.

    This new handheld is uglier, a lot less portable, and does fewer things. So it better be a lot cheaper. Like $79 cheap.
    And I know sony is going to be like "Our controllers cost $79 and this new device is a controller with a tablet glued to it, so it can't cost the same as a controller".

    To which my response is "a pocket-friendly $50 burner phone can do the same job of streaming games, so stop charging so much for your overpriced controllers".
    Reply
  • SlitheryDee62
    I guess sony didn't have an in-house purpose-made device for remote play since the Vita went away. If nothing else it checks that box. Having a fully functional ps5 controller attached to it might be compelling to some people. The PS5's remote streaming functionality works really well though. It's relatively flawless using chiaki on my steam deck (once I got it properly configured), and it does work over the internet as well.
    Reply
  • hotaru251
    remember when ppl laughed at Logitech's stream only handheld?

    this is that but for PS.

    pointless.
    Reply
  • RedBear87
    hotaru251 said:
    remember when ppl laughed at Logitech's stream only handheld?

    this is that but for PS.

    pointless.
    It might be even more pointless, at least the G Cloud can be used for native Android gaming and emulation. The real issue with the G Cloud was the price-to-performance ratio, if Sony will price this thing at 200€ or so, like it's been rumoured, they will outdo even Logitech.
    Reply