Rumors suggest that Sony is creating a new handheld device built around Remote Play that will require an internet connection at all times. While PSP and PS Vita fans have been clamoring for a new handheld PlayStation console for years, the responses to these rumors make it clear that this is far from what they want.
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Rumors have emerged over the last 24 hours suggesting Sony is working on a new handheld console. Dubbed the Q-lite, the device focuses on the PS4 and PS5’s Remote Play functions and will always be online. PSP and PS Vita fans have clarified their opinions on this subject, and it’s not looking good for the Q-lite.
PlayStation fans want a true PS Vita successor, not a new second screen for their home console
As reported today by Insider Gaming, it’s rumored that Sony is working on a new handheld device. Jeff Grubb of Giant Bomb has also commented on the device, telling anyone expecting news of a PS Vita 2 to lower their expectations.
Regardless of why Sony is working on a new handheld device, having abandoned the PS Vita years ago and threatening to close its online store, fans are making their opinions known about the rumored direction the Q-lite is heading. Responses to this news on Twitter alone show that fans of the PSP, PS Vita, and even those who already use Remote Play on their smartphones don’t want another screen that’s useless without an internet connection.
Both of Sony’s previous handhelds have played games without requiring an online connection. Remote Play makes it possible to play your PS4 and PS5 on any screen, but what handheld fans really want is a successor to the PS Vita, a device that plays its own set of games separate from the home consoles. As many fans have already pointed out, this device doesn’t do anything that a smartphone can’t already do, and it will likely use a similar display.
The other thing many fans have said is that this device isn’t as portable as the PSP and PS Vita. With those devices, you can play games in a car, on a plane, and in the woods 100 miles from civilization. With the Q-lite, you need to be on Wi-Fi-enabled public transport, at your local coffee house, or at home while your PS5 watches you play games on a smaller monitor.
Sony’s handhelds have a cult following today because of the quality of the games on them, the fact that so many indie developers released titles for them, and because they work without any added complications like Wi-Fi. As things stand, the Q-lite looks set to fail at launch for being little more than a portable monitor equivalent to the many readily available tablets and smartphones you probably already have and can use Remote Play with in exactly the same way.
Published: Apr 5, 2023 05:42 am