5 Reasons Sony's new Project Q announcement falls short of fans expectations

Since 1994, Sony has been a spawn of creativity and an enterprising strength of ingenuity and innovation within the world of gaming. It's games and consoles leaving an impressive mark in the memories of generations of gamers. On May 24th, 2023, disappointment arose as Sony held its yearly PlayStation Showcase, allowing their fans a glimpse into Sony's upcoming releases for the year. As usual, there was a wide variety of video game trailers which many were stoked for. One thing that was announced at this year's showcase that many fans may or may not have been initially eager for, after many months of rumours and teasers, was PlayStation's unveiling of a new handheld console. Many PSP lovers, and Vita Islanders, such as I, were initially super excited about the news. That was until Jim Ryan, Sony PlayStations president and CEO, superficially delved into the handheld's features and capabilities. The console dubbed Project Q, was to be a PS5 streaming device. This wasn't at all what the handheld fan base was hoping for. Let's dive deeper into this new project's failings and disappointments as we explore 5 reasons as to why Project Q has fallen short of PlayStation enthusiasts’ expectations.

1. Unclear support for exclusive titles & AAA games:

In Sony's announcement of Project Q there was no mention of exclusive titles nor of any partnerships with any gaming software companies which would have enticed PlayStation fans far more to want to invest in this new handheld. The Project Q handheld was announced as a Remote Play system that could only be used over wi-fi and will only be compatible with the PS5, meaning that the only playable games will be the ones you already own on the PS5 console. In other words, the Project Q system would act as a second monitor which you could use "away from your TV." For all those gamers who enjoy collecting games for new systems, it doesn't seem as though this handheld was created with you in mind.

2. Limited features, capabilities, power and performance:

The fact that the Project Q handheld will be specifically for Remote Play only, over wi-fi, is extremely disappointing as it's basically just another Backbone One. The difference is that it would have its own screen, but nothing new in terms of software, or hardware, at least in what they announced. Furthermore, the Remote Play app is well known for its buffer issues and connectivity problems. Fans are constantly complaining about the lag that occurs when using Remote Play. The fact that the Project Q's sole purpose is to function using Remote Play not only sounds absurd, but also, unnecessary and flawed. The PlayStation fan base has turned the announcement into a joke due to this very fact, it already exists, Sony already created this before. There is no rhyme or reason for this so called "handheld console" to come into flourishment.

Plus, can it even be considered a console without stand-alone games or even cloud streaming? It's purely a second screen and the Backbone One already does everything that this Project Q sets out to do. Why would fans pay out extra cash when this concept already exists at a lower price range? Furthermore, it is suggested to have a battery life of 3 to 4 hours which is even further displeasing. If the battery life is that short at least add better graphics, and an online cloud streaming component with the ability to use the handheld over cellular connection. When discussing features and capabilities Fan The Deck YouTuber said "interestingly, cloud streaming was not mentioned at all with regard to the capabilities of Project Q. I mean, you'd have to assume that you'd be able to cloud stream with PlayStation Plus using this handheld, but I do wonder why Jim Ryan didn't make a mention of this at all. Surely Remote Play plus cloud streaming sounds better than just Remote Play."

Here are the official specs available to the public, so far, that were announced by Jim Ryan himself, "a dedicated device that enables you to stream any game from your PS5 console using remote play over wi-fi... all buttons and features of the Dual Sense wireless controller." In terms of the screen, Project Q will have an 8 inch, 1080p 60FPS LCD screen which is the size of a standard tablet.

3. Neglecting PlayStation Vita fans:

Vita Islanders have been begging Sony for a new portable handheld console for several years now. After the major event of April 2021, when Sony attempted to shut down the Vita store but received a massive backlash from the Vita community all over YouTube, Twitter, and other social media platforms, that consequentially lead to Sony back tracking on this motion lead PS Vita fans feeling slightly more heard and seen by PlayStation. Hoping to restore the relationship between Vita fans and Sony, Vita fans everywhere hoped and prayed that Sony would come out with a new handheld for all those that love portable gaming. When rumours began of a potential Vita 2, many Vita Islanders began discussing all the possibilities on YouTube, Twitter and Reddit. This showcase announcement for the Project Q was a massive let down. Sony has yet again disregarded its loyal fanbase by failing to address what they really wanted, a new and improved experience, a successor to the PSP and the PS Vita.

4. Lack of backward compatibility:

One of gamers favourite experiences when it comes to gaming is the ability to return to their childhood favourite games from time to time as and when the nostalgia hits. All of Sony PlayStations previous handhelds had this feature and it was a feature that most, if not all, PlayStation fans have always taken advantage of. Nonetheless, there was no confirmation as to whether Project Q would have support for any sort of backwards compatibility, for PS1, PS2, PS3, PSP, Vita, nor even PS4 existing titles. This has left the fanbase even less excited about this, so called, new "handheld console". It's not a console without games, Ryan. Fan The Deck said about backwards compatibility - "one more way I think they could actually make Project Q more interesting, was if they allowed native play of PS1 and PS2 games. Not to mention PSP and PS Vita, certainly whatever chip they have should be capable of emulating PS1, PS2 and PSP and even PS Vita, considering the Vita was ARM based and this likely will be ARM based as well... it just seems to stand to reason that the onboard hardware will be more than likely capable. So certainly, that's one angle where this begins to make more sense. If you're telling me I can Remote Play, I can cloud stream, but I can also play PS1, PS2, PSP, and PS Vita classics, well my interest starts to jump quite a bit more."

5. Ridiculous model design:

The design of this new console has become an absolute laughingstock, with memes and comments appearing all-over varying social media platforms. Essentially, the console is a PS5 controller split in half with a tablet stuck to the middle. Jonathan from Spawn Wave YouTube channel said that it even "looks less modern than the PlayStation Vita. The Vita came out at the end of 2011, and it looks more modern than this thing that's coming out in 2023. It just doesn't look like they took it that seriously.." A lot of the love that came from PlayStation's previous handhelds came from the love of the design of the PSP and the PS Vita. They were inventive, elegant, smooth and brilliant. The design of the Project Q doesn't seem to have been given much thought at all, it doesn't even seem too sturdy for a console that is supposedly portable.

Conclusion:

Sony's new handheld gaming device has disappointed PlayStation fans for many reasons. From a lack of gaming library and no support for backwards compatibility, to neglecting and disregarding a loyal fanbase, and a lack of innovation, features and capabilities - all excitement for a new handheld gaming experience has been lost. A lot was expected from what once was an extremely innovative gaming brand. Whether Jim Ryan and the rest at Sony will listen to its fans and address their concerns over this matter remains to be seen.