EXCLUSIVE – Sony’s Next PlayStation Handheld

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

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

  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.

  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

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

  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???

  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.

  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.

  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. 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.

  18. 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

  19. 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?

  20. 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.

  21. 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.

  22. 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.

  23. 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…

  24. 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.

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

  26. 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

  27. 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.

  28. 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

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

  30. 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.

  31. 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!

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