Did you manage to catch the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase? If not, you should definitely go back and give it a watch. PlayStation’s event may have been a little light on earth-shattering revelations, but it definitely had a few nuggets of gold that are worth prospecting for, not least a reveal for a Metal Gear Solid 3 remake and an extended look at some Spider-Man 2 gameplay. In short, it gave lots of reasons to be excited if you’re a PlayStation gamer.
One of the most intriguing things we got to see during the showcase was a handheld device that Sony is referring to as Project Q, or rather that Sony was referring to in that way. We didn’t get much more than a sneak peek at Project Q (which we’ll still call it for now, as we’re missing a definitive name), but we got enough of a glimpse to see what it’s likely going to be and what it’s going to do. Here’s what we know about Project Q.
Project Q: what is it?
If you missed out on the Project Q sneak peek yesterday, then you can see it here thanks to PlayStation’s YouTube channel. The trailer isn’t very long – it’s shy of a minute – but it introduces two rather intriguing new devices that are coming to the PlayStation hardware family in the months ahead.
The first is the aforementioned Project Q, which looks like a kind of DualSense-style mobile controller, although it’s actually a single device. It boasts an 8-inch screen that sits sandwiched between two halves of a DualSense, making the whole thing look like an Android or iPhone peripheral.
Sony’s intended use case for this device is to let you stream PS5 games from your console to Project Q, so if you’ve got a game installed on your PS5, you don’t have to play it on your TV. Instead, you can simply play the game wirelessly on your device and stream it over your Wi-Fi connection.
It’s a little difficult to imagine exactly what the market is for this device, if we’re being honest, but it looks interesting. Nintendo tried something not dissimilar to this with the Wii U controller, which could act as a replacement screen for the Wii U console if someone else was using the TV or if you wanted to play your games on a handheld device.
However, one of the biggest issues with the Wii U was that it was a solution looking for a problem. To put it simply, if someone is going to play PS5, then they’re probably going to have access to a TV, and it’s difficult to imagine a situation where they would want to use Project Q rather than opt for a dedicated handheld or play a mobile game.
Still, there’s plenty of time for Sony to iron out the kinks on this one, and we don’t actually know anything about the device or what it’s going to do just yet. More information will, according to Sony, become available “in the months ahead”, so we are certainly not done with Project Q.
What are the new Sony earbuds?
As well as Project Q, Sony also announced a new set of earbuds for the PS5 during the PlayStation Showcase. These earbuds can connect not only to PS5 but also to PC and your smartphone via Bluetooth, and if you hook them up to your PlayStation or PC, they’ll offer lossless audio to immerse you further in your gaming experience.
Again, details about these are rather thin on the ground right now, but it’s a little easier to imagine why somebody might want to use these. If they offer good sound quality at an affordable price, then they could double as a pair of everyday earbuds thanks to their unobtrusive design; they don’t “look” like gamer earbuds, instead just sporting a sleek and stylish aesthetic that would fit in with anyone’s smartphone.
The earbuds also come with a rather nifty carrying case that charges them and has a sliding door to keep them safe from dust and other contaminants. Together with Project Q, the earbuds make up Sony’s new line of PlayStation 5-compatible products.
What questions need to be answered about Project Q?
There are a number of overhanging questions Sony will need to answer when it comes to Project Q. Here are some of the most pressing issues we want to see resolved before we’d consider the matter closed.
- What exactly does it do? While we know Project Q will stream PS5 games over your Wi-Fi connection, is that all it will do? If so, Sony might find it a slightly hard sell.
- Can it stream other games too? As well as native PS5 games, will Project Q be able to stream PS4 games and PlayStation Plus titles from previous generations? What about movies or other streaming apps?
- How much will it cost? This might be the most important question that Sony needs to answer if it wants Project Q to be a success. The price point of the device will likely determine whether or not it manages to find an audience; if it’s too expensive, audiences may decide that they don’t need it after all and look for their entertainment elsewhere.
Whatever the case might be, we’ll learn more about Project Q in the next few months, and we’ll tell you all about it as soon as we hear that news.