When renowned industry leakers started reporting on a new PlayStation handheld last week, the hopes of many disenfranchised Vita fans were suddenly rekindled. Unfortunately, it lasted only the span of a few days, with Tom Henderson confirming that the device codenamed Q-Lite won't have much in common with the beloved Vita after all.
Not only is it a cloud-only device with no built-in rendering capabilities of its own like the Logitech G Cloud and the Abxylute, but it's also limited to the PlayStation 5 ecosystem and specifically to Remote Play. That's something the PlayStation Vita could do coupled with the PlayStation 4, of course, but the Vita also worked on its own. Additionally, these rumors allege that the Q-Lite won't support other cloud services such as PC's GeForce NOW, Game Pass Ultimate, Boosteroid, and the like, making it useless for any non-PS5 owners. It's possible that the device might eventually be hacked to make it compatible with PC cloud services (the Vita had a healthy homebrew scene, after all), but that's something we'll only find out later down the road.
Reception on this initial info dump has been mixed, to say the least. It sounds like we won't have to wait long to get the official announcement from Sony, though. During yesterday's episode of the Iron Lord Podcast, Tom Henderson said his sources believe the Q-Lite will be released this November alongside a slew of additional Sony hardware, including the previously rumored PlayStation 5 console with a detachable disc drive, new earbuds, and new headsets.
Later in the podcast, Henderson added some thoughts on the potential pricing. He prefaced all that with the disclaimer that he couldn't obtain the information. Still, he believes the Q-Lite should be seen as an accessory to the PlayStation 5 rather than a proper handheld. In that light, he reckons the device could retail for around $200 since it will just be a screen with a DualSense controller attached to it.
Looking at other accessories released by Sony, the DualSense Edge controller is priced at $199. Of course it doesn't have a screen (or a battery), but it offers many extra functionalities over the regular DualSense, which is likely going to be the controller used in the Q-Lite. Even taking that into account, the device will still offer support for the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers features, which have often been Sony's unexpected ace in the sleeve when it came to offering a better experience compared to games available on other platforms.
While the reception of this upcoming PlayStation 5 hardware hasn't been enthusiastic, that could change depending on Sony's proper unveiling and especially its pricing. If the November target window is correct, and there's no reason to believe it wouldn't be since Henderson's sources have been spot on so far, we could hear about the Q-Lite in an official capacity in the next couple of months. Until then, stay tuned for further rumors and leaks.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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