The PS5 showcase in May 2023 fired dozens of trailers at its viewers, including hardware presentations. Special interest was attracted by the new handheld codenamed ‘Project Q’. MeinMMO gathers initial reactions.
What is Project Q? Simply put, it is a “Dual Sense” controller with an 8-inch monitor (20.32 cm screen diagonal). The screen is slightly larger than that of the standard version of the Nintendo Switch (6.2 inches / 15.75 cm).
The handheld is not a standalone gaming device, but a streaming device. Project Q utilizes the power of your PlayStation 5 and streams the console’s display. A good internet connection is required for the ‘Remote Play’ function to work smoothly.
You can find out how the first reactions are below. You can watch the trailer from the PS showcase here:
“We wanted a handheld, not a phone with a controller”
What are the reactions to Project Q? The new PS5 device generates mixed opinions, but with a clear trend. Many viewers have wished for a new handheld from PlayStation, but not a purely streaming device.
On YouTube, the trailer collected the most clicks and reactions on the channels of “IGN” and the official PlayStation channel. The most popular comments show a clear direction:
- IGN – User Orion Eden: “We want a PS Vita 2”
- PlayStation – User Michael Marbach: “Nice to see PlayStation bringing back the Wii U.”
Under both videos, users criticize Project Q; hardly anyone can find anything appealing about it. There are indeed many comparisons to the Wii U, and the desire for a new PS Vita is repeated dozens of times.
Some users point out that they like the design. Always with the “but”, that a device with standalone games would have been better. Remote Play has been around forever; even the PS Vita from 2011 had that function.
User Pian-0 G summarizes it well: “With the release […] they are missing a big opportunity.” According to him, a competitor to the Steam Deck would have been better, with performance on par with the original PS4.
On Reddit, opinions are somewhat more divided. A thread has formed here with over 1,100 upvotes and more than 450 comments (via reddit.com). There are indeed fans.
Here, married individuals voice their struggles with the “shared TV” problem. User ProAssassin84 writes: “Guys who are married will buy this on day one. I definitely will if the price is right.” User shambler_2 agrees: “I will wait for reviews, but yes.”
User picknicksje85 argues for larger families: “It’s not for me, but I would have liked it back in the day as I have two siblings and a father who also wants to use the television. It will be useful for a number of people.”
However, a large part of the commentators also criticize the device here. Overall, the reactions are clearly negative.
There is definitely a market for such streaming devices, but it remains to be seen whether Sony is doing itself a favor with the new device. Compared to a new Vita, development and manufacturing costs are likely to be significantly lower – it’s a gadget, not a milestone.
However, PlayStation manufacturer Sony has seemingly hit a sore spot. Sony never really broke through with its handhelds. PSP and PS Vita tended to float along rather than create waves.
But those who had a device were often satisfied – hence the wish for a continuation. Moreover, handhelds seem to be making a comeback after the release of the Steam Deck, and some manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon – for example, Razer with its Edge.
What are your thoughts on this?
