Sony is working on a new PlayStation handheld that’s online only

Hotstar in UAE
Hotstar in UAE

For years fans have been wishing for Sony to make a new PlayStation handheld and for years fans have been disappointed. But maybe that’s finally changing. A new rumor from Insider Gaming claims Sony is working on a new PlayStation handheld. But it may not be what the fans are hoping for. Many over the years have expressed interest in Sony making a new version of the PSP or Vita. Something that could play games locally. Either in digital or physical format.

But it shouldn’t be surprising Sony has shied away from a new device in this category. The PSP and the PS Vita weren’t exactly a huge success. After years of fans asking for it, Sony is rumored to be working on a new handheld. It will be online-only, though. So you’ll need an internet connection to use it. According to the report, this device is codenamed the Q Lite and is designed to be a Remote Play handheld for the PS5 console.

The new PlayStation handheld will require an internet connection to play games

Cloud gaming has seen a decent surge these past couple of years. Thanks in no small part to Google’s now defunct Stadia service, and from current options like GeForce NOW, Luna, and Game Pass. Then there’s Sony’s Remote Play.

It’s been around for years but has never really taken off in a huge way. Sony seems to hope this new handheld will change all that. It’s been pushing Remote Play more heavily of late and the Q Lite is reportedly designed to be a dedicated device for playing your PS5 games remotely. It’ll support adaptive streaming for resolution up to 1080p and up to 60 frames per second.

For hardware, it’s said to be an 8-inch touchscreen panel in the middle of a DualSense-style controller. Featuring adaptive triggers like on the DualSense, and other familiar handheld features like volume adjustment and audio input.

Sony plans to release this before the PS5 Pro

You may have already heard that Sony is planning to release a PS5 Pro, with a rumored release date of holiday 2024. The Q Lite is rumored to release before that, but there’s no exact release date or price point. The Q Lite is also rumored to be in its QA phase and Sony may have something to say about it at its next big PlayStation showcase.

2023-04-06 15:09:20