Summary
A recent leak regarding Sony’s upcomingPlayStationhandheld gaming device, Project Q, suggests that it will be running on the Android OS. This leak had given details about thePlayStation handheld console’s hardware, along with a video that showcased how it was running. It seems to be an early version of the handheld’s menu screen, so this may not reflect was Project Q’s menu would look like fully in the future.
Project Q was first announced at the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase, where President Jim Ryan presented this new device as a potential option for players to use. Unlike the hybrid consoles of the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch, Project Q is a streaming platform that allows gamers to play PS5 games via Remote Play over a Wi-Fi connection. While it requires fans to already have their games installed on PS5 to use, the device comes with an 8-inch HD display attached to a control pad that features all the buttons present on a DualSense controller. While Sony didn’t reveal the specifics of Project Q’s OS, this video leak gives a supposed early look at how it looks and functions.
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This leak was posted in a tweet by Zuby_Tech, who is running a basic version of the Android OS on a still plastic-wrapped version of theProject Qhandheld. There isn’t much about this menu that was shown, where it features a few options alongside a QR code. It’s likely not to be the final version of what the handheld’s menu navigation will look like, but it gives gamers an idea of what to possibly expect, where it will be modified to match the PlayStation’s aesthetic.
The video also gives abrief look over the Project Q device, providing a view of its front, back, top, and bottom sides. There appears to be a set of four buttons behind the tablet on the top, centered holes on the top and bottom that could likely be for microphones, along with what appears to be speaker slots on the top edge. A separate tweet from Zuby_Tech also shows off how Project Q looks like when it has its tablet removed, alongside some other low-resolution screenshots of the menu screen.
Project Q has seen a bit of a mixed reaction from gamers regarding its functions and how it acts as a handheld console. Some fans like the aspect of taking the console out and being able to play PS5 games on the go, while others are more skeptical about its purpose and believe that they would have preferred asuccessor to the PSP or PS Vita. WithProject Qhaving Android as its potential OS, it could open up a dedicated modding community for it as well.
