Sony's Project Q PlayStation 5 Handheld May Launch In November

During Sony's PlayStation Showcase presentation, we were treated to our first official look at Project Q. It's a Switch-like handheld gaming device that allows you to play PS5 games without boundaries. Still early in the marketing phase, this is only a tentative name right now, and there was no pricing or release date accompanying the announcement. Sony only mentioned fans would see its arrival later in 2023.

One leaker suggests we could see it hit stores sometime in November. The expectation comes from Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson, who reliably forecasted Project Q's arrival more than a month before Sony's reveal. Their track record checks out, but that doesn't mean whichever plans they're privy to can't change.

It's a safe bet, however. Gaming companies favor the holidays for new hardware launches, probably because they know money is usually itching to jump out of pocketbooks and wallets for gifts and timely splurges around that season.

As we learned yesterday, Project Q is unlike a Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or even Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld — it doesn't have the power to run its own games. The handheld has an 8-inch HD display on which you can stream games over Wi-Fi. It'll likely resemble Remote Play, an existing PlayStation feature that allows you to stream your console games to smartphones and PCs.

That begs the question: What differentiates Project Q from other devices that you can already play games remotely on? The most obvious answer is the DualSense control scheme sandwiching the display, which essentially offers the same experience as the PS5, adaptive triggers included. Similar devices can hold your smartphone, but they can't offer the same depth as Sony's native hardware.

Project Q's Batarang-esque shape will make it an awkward everyday carry compared to your smartphone and a collapsible cradle, especially if you can't detach the controllers. Whether there's a healthy market for something like this remains to be seen.