EXCLUSIVE – Sony’s Next PlayStation Handheld

Following days of speculation, Insider Gaming can report that there’s a new PlayStation Handheld in development.

UPDATE – Sony has now confirmed its next PlayStation handheld is called the PlayStation Portable. You can read more about the device here.

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.

Sporting adaptive streaming up to 1080p and 60FPS, the new device will require constant connectivity to the internet.

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.

Insider Gaming understands that the Q Lite is in its QA phase and is scheduled to release before the PlayStation 5 Pro and after the Detachable Disc Drive PS5.

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.

So whenever Sony’s next PlayStation Showcase will be, it’s seemingly going to be a big one.

What do you think of Sony’s new handheld console? Let us know in the comments below.

  1. Why the hell would i buy something that requires me to also have the ps5 for some people are poor not as rich as you think sony

      1. Dude, it’s not easy for some to get money. Not everyone can afford a $600 console

    1. Then dont buy ??‍♀️ quit complaining.. Some cant afford and some cannot. If you want it, then save money.

  2. A handheld that can only stream from a console and requires a constant internet connection? Well move over Switch and Steam Deck!

    The sarcasm is real, in case anyone was wondering.

  3. This doesn’t sound like anything they can sell for over $40-60 USD in my opinion. A niche product that provides little to no value considering the Remote Play app handles this on almost any other device with an internet connection and a screen.

  4. Having a Deck and remote play PS5 with Chiaki is awesome experience. Though the native PS Remote Play need to catch up with Chiaki. I’d prefer more if Sony would release a PlayStation phone like the Xperia Play. It’s hard to beat the Deck as of now.

  5. I think it’s a wrong move that it’s only usable in conjunction with the PS5.
    If it was available like the Vita it would had better potential. Now you obligated to but a PS5 in order to use it.
    Just a bad move imho

  6. That wouldn’t be a handheld console, that would be a PS5 peripheral, and it would sell about 5 before support for it gets dropped.

    No one wants this. Honestly, it sounds like an insult to handheld gamers.

    Just make a Steam Deck like PS5 Portable, playing the same games at a 720p resolution, requiring a fraction of the power, sell it at the break even price point for enthusiast adoption, then drop the price when the Switch 2 comes out to undercut Nintendo.

    It’s not a hard market to cater to. Valve, Nintendo and a dozen other handheld makers are all managing it just fine already.

    1. I was going to be purchasing the logitech cloud for this very reason. To stream my ps5 on the go. But now I am going to wait for this as so far, PS5 accessories have not disappointed! I don’t see it as a means to compete with Nintendo, but a means to access my PS5 catalogue at my leisure. Currently I am using my wife’s Ayaneo but having a dedicated peripheral for this purpose would be ideal.

      1. I agree . A handheld to stream ps5 games too when downstairs with the wife will be ideal.

  7. What a disappointing news, as if mobile phones cannot do remote play. I was expecting next gen PSP or PS Vita, but nah, we get a screen attached controllers. Ew.

  8. Yea. I’m not paying for an unlimited data plan just so I can use it on the go. Playstation remote play has never worked well for me, even in the same room as the console! Now just imagine how much worse it would be over mobile data. If it’s a streaming-only online system, I am definitely not buying it. My psp go is still going strong.

  9. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my entire life. Sony should totally ditch this idea and just make a stand alone portable that doesn’t rely on a PS5 to use

    1. The problem is if sony made a dedicated handheld that can play native games even at ps4 quality that device would cost alot to buy probably more than a ps5. If they just made a device to play ps5 remote play games i reckon they could sell that for $200 or less.

      I would like them to make another dedicated handheld but I doubt that they wil cos of the price. If they did both a new deidcated handheld and a remote play handheld then that would be great.

  10. Terrible … TERRIBLE IDEA. I have a frigging steamdeck for that. Wtf. Sony is making mistakes steps left and right.

    1. You may have a streamdeck which can do the same thing but look how much a streamdeck costs, as much as a ps5 and over. This device should retail for alot lot cheaper. I have a streamdeck to play steam games and also use it to remote play on my streamdeck but people will not buy a steamdeck just to remote play ps5 games. Like i says if this device is cheap enough I cannot see why some will not buy it .

  11. In the end… if this was a Microsoft product it would be shat on all day… constant internet… need a ps5… didn’t MS have that streaming logitech pos that died before it left the staation???

      1. Wrong its not an awful idea. Its not for all but many will find this device useful.

  12. This makes me feel like that scene in Rush Hour 2 where Carter fought that crazy female villain. Like Sony, we could have been a couple again, we could have had something special, but you done did something crazy. I can do this with my phone or tablet already. Such a shame.

  13. They just checking off the checklist for failure with that.

    Handheld that requires a console (check!)

    Locking it to home via good internet so you can just play the console instead (check!)

    Just the switch setup with bigger grips (check!)

    Like I know they can do better. And this is just an attempt to sell more PS5s

  14. Always online? PASS.

    They learned nothing from Microsoft’s failure. Big surprise.

    1. This is not the same thing. it is letting users play there ps5 whilst downstairs with the wife or partner. For some this wil be idela me included.

  15. They’re gonna need to bring more to the table than a 1080p60 remote play device. You can already do that with existing devices.

    1. If this device has a massive 8 inch screen and good controlers likes a dualsense controllers it be a far superior than using a phone. I have got a razer kishi v2 and i can remote play on my phone with that setup up but to be frank the mobile screen is way to small and it suffers lag. I also got a steamdeck which i also use to remote play. This is far better experience than my mobile phone. the steamdeck is 7 inches and so a 8inch device by sony wil be in my opinion beter experience than a steamdeck doing ps5 remote play. And if this device is around $200 it seems a good deal to me.

  16. I dont know about that. it is a rumor. And I dont want the streaming games only. I like the physical games for collector’s item. Wait and see. And 3rd Party supporting too. Vita failed. And remote Play is a useless and worthless because I hardly used it. Again, it is only a rumor! No evidence yet. I hope this information is absolutely wrong. I dont like this idea, thought.

  17. PS5 pro in 2025? Seems too soon, especially due to COVID and the lacking true PS5 games. XOX and PS4Pro made sense due to the dated tech and games struggling to run on the Xbone and PS4.

    Maybe 2024 will have some stellar looking games and early 2025 will show certain games struggling even with 1440p…

  18. The fact that it requires both owning a PS5 and a constant internet connection almost completely invalidates any advantage it’d have being a handheld, especially since with a little extra set-up I can just as easily use PS5 remote play on a Steam Deck, which also features games that I DON’T need an internet connection for.

  19. Cant wait! Definitely will be copping this & I can’t wait to get my hands on the Pro model. It’s cool they’re dropping a Drive for all the digital coppers out there.

    – Stanley Ipkuss

  20. Honestly I doubt sony would make stream only device. The failure of the psp go is still fresh. The only reason people bought the digital ps5 is because it was $100 cheaper. At also won’t have controller sides since that won’t fit in a 12 year olds pocket. The better question is what propriety hardware will we be forced to use? Memory cards, game discs, charging cables?

  21. This is unneeded and will sell terribly compared to a legitimate mobile device like what the PSVita was and the PSVita 2 could be. Won’t be buying this crap.

    1. Maybe unneeded for you but many its a good idea then they can play ps5 downstairs with there partner or wife whhile shes is watching soaps etc.

  22. Lol. Where does one even begin with this? The whole appeal of streaming is being able to do it on devices you already have, ya know, like a phone? If you can’t get this stuff to work on a phone, don’t even bother. If you have to buy a specialized piece of hardware for something like that, you might as well just make it actual dedicated hardware with its own chipset.

    Not to mention this isn’t even really streaming. Instead of investing in the infrastructure for their own XCloud competitor, they are going to throw money at this? I find it hard to believe, and incredibly ridiculous if it actually happens.

  23. if this streaming thing is 199$ itll sell. over that it would be a massive flop.

    why?
    dualsense is near 100$
    paying an extra 120 to have a dedicated streaming for you ps5 may be cool if its better than Chiaki.

    on chiaki with a wired ps5 you get alot of blurry moments.

    so this device sony is making would need to never have any blur for me to consider it and a 200$ price point.

    1. I have a streamdeck and have been using chiaki to play remote play with my ps5. I do not get any lag or any blurriness and so if sony made this device it should work as good if but bother than a steamdeck and incidently i dont have that fast internet around 60 mbps

  24. Constant internet access is a huge joke. They need to get on the switches level. If you own the game you can play it. Or change to switch sized games. I was so exited until I learned it’s something I can already do on my iPad…

  25. Such a wasted opportunity. I’ll just stream from my steam deck. I understand a fully capable handheld it’d cost, most likely more than a PS5 but idc why go backwards. The vita can already do that and local games as well. They clap back with the PS5VR which easily walks all over any other VR to date but then announce this. Such a dissapointment.

    1. The ps vita cannot stream ps5 games to it. ps vita can only stream ps4 games. there is a mod you can use to stream ps5 games to a vita but I tried this and cannot get it to work for me.

  26. Welp, its the time to look back Nov 2021 when the “leaked” PS Mobile Controller revealed.

  27. I’m kinda intrigued honestly I have a PS5 and haven’t had a portable Playstation console in quite a while but I think it shouldn’t require having a ps5 to use it and if so it should be on the more affordable side

  28. Well, Sony did copy Nintendo’s Wii remote speaker gimmick, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that now they’re attempting to copy the Wii U.

  29. You are all braindead stupid. There will be no handheld. Have you seen the add? IT IS A CONTROLLER! And it doesn’t have a screen. These are sony joycons that you attach to a phone to use remote play you morons… My god I can’t believe people don’t get what is written in an add

  30. I think ima stick with my Backbone for now. Lol gotta have a console to even play anything it’s weird

  31. There are already mobile apps that can run PS games on your cell already. And without the benefit of a dedicated library I can’t see anyone wanting to use this out of the house either (many places in this country having spotty wifi at best.) So, with that being said, who exactly is this for? My opinion: this thing is DOA out the gate.

  32. I actually don’t mind this. The product itself sounds like a terrible idea. But….

    When this product inevitably fails, that’s one more sted towards Jim Ryan getting fired. And I’m all for that. So bring it on!

  33. Did Sony learn nothing? Please just make a standalone handheld! Make another PSP/Vita and maybe actually support it this time

  34. This sounds really stupid honestly. I still have my PS VITA and still use remote play and it looks good when I’m not in the room with my console. Not too mention, it doesn’t really take much common sense to ping one TV to another one and just have a joystick on hand with the console being in another room

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