If the rumors are true, Sony will be debuting a new handheld soon. Unlike the PSP and PS Vita, the device, codenamed Q Lite, isn’t a new console with its own library of games. Instead, it’s merely a companion to the PS5 for Remote Play - meaning you need to be on the same network as your PS5 to use it - and will also include the same haptic controls as 🅘the DualSense. This is disappointing news to, well, pretty much everyone hoping to one day see a new Vita. That aside, it’s really not a bad idea for an add-on to the PS5 - if there weren’t already so many better options out there.
I’ve seen a lot of people complainingﷺ about the Q Lite because they don’t 🌠understand who would even want something like this, but handheld streaming devices are incredibly popular right now. While the Switch and the Steam Deck are the most well-known handhelds, there’s an entire separate category of cloud devices designed specifically for game streaming. The Logitech G Cloud, the Razer Edge, and the Abxylute are all great options for Android-based handhelds that can stream Game Pass, Geforce Now, and PlayStation Remote Play.
You don’t even need a dedicated console to get a handheld PS5 experience. Anyone with an Android phone can use the excellent Razer Kishi V2 controll🅠er and the PS Remote Play app to stream from their PS5 to their phone. The Kishi is a great device if you want to hold your phone like a Switch, but you could also connect your actual DualS♈ense to your phone with Bluetooth. For iPhone users, the Backbone controller is the Kishi equivalent, and Sony even partnered with Backbone for a special edition, Remote Play-themed controller.
It’s hard to imagine what benefits the Q Lite can offer that would make it better than all the options that already exist. If you already have a phone and a DualSense controller you don’t need♈ to b🔜uy any additional hardware to use Remote Play. Personally, I prefer to use the Razer Edge so that I can still use my phone while I’m playing (and not kill my phone battery). Not only can I stream Game Pass and Geforce Now along with Playstation Remote Play, but I can also use it to play Android games and emulate whatever I want. At $400 it’s a pretty expensive device, but I have to assume the Q Lite will be pricey too, based on PlayStation’s history.
There are plenty of brand loyalists that will buy anything with the PlayStation branding on it, but unless the price is exceptionally low, the Q Lite is going to have a hard time competing. Even the DualSense haptics don’t seem like a great selling point. I was impressed with adaptive triggers and next-gen rumble at first, but over time the feature has lost its luster. Most of the time I find myself turning the hapt🥂ics off now, and I can’t imagine I’d enjoy them more when they’re making the screen shake too. I hat𒐪e the rumble on the Switch, and it’s hard to imagine it being done well on any handheld.
We don’t have all the details yet, and I am hoping the Q Lite is an impressive piece of tech. It may not be for everyone, but remote play has a lot of great use cases. Some people think portability🥀 is all about taking your handheld out of the house with you, but streaming devices have given me a lot ofꦆ freedom in my own home. I can enjoy a game while my partner watches TV, I can play in bed, or while sitting out on my porch. Remote Play can make a big difference for people with health and mobility issues too. The Q Lite sounds like a cool device, the problem is that we already have cooler ones.