Sony Rumored to Be Working on New Handheld Gaming Device

Gaming on the go got a boost last year from a variety of new handheld devices. Now Sony may be looking to give PlayStation fans another option. The company reportedly has a handheld device, referred to as the Q-Lite, in development.

According to a Wednesday report from Insider Gaming, the new handheld will be used to play PS5 games remotely instead of being its own platform with games developed for it. 

Sony didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Rumors of a new handheld device from Sony have been circulating this week. Jeff Grubb, a reporter for Giant Bomb, tweeted Tuesday about the plans for a PlayStation cloud gaming device that he refers to as the “Vita 2,” which would reference a follow-up to Sony’s last handheld. 

Handheld gaming received a shot in the arm thanks in part to the release of Valve’s Steam Deck last year and the success of the Nintendo Switch. Unlike classic handheld consoles from earlier eras, these new devices offer a lot of power for playing PC games and have access to cloud gaming, meaning people can play high-end PC and console games with only a broadband connection. Other companies, including Asus, Logitech and Razer, have released their own handheld gaming devices to compete with the Steam Deck.

Sony’s last entry in the handheld gaming market was the PlayStation Vita in 2012. The device lasted for seven years, and Sony ceased production in 2019 with no plans for a successor. 

The PS5, like the PS4, has its own remote-play feature, letting gamers play their PS5 or PS4 on their laptops, computers, or phones. A new PlayStation handheld could offer a more optimized experience for owners, as it would likely incorporate all the functions of the PlayStation DualSense controller instead of having to find some workarounds.