PlayStation’s streaming handheld Project Q reportedly runs Android
by Danny Craig
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Sony
Several new images of what appears to be the upcoming PlayStation 5 streaming handheld indicate that it will be powered by an Android-based operating system.
The details:
- Three images of the handheld displaying its operating system and internals were originally posted on Imgur before circulating on social media, indicating that it will run some form of Android OS. This may allow for community software mods such as the ability to install other streaming services such as Nvidia's GeForce Now. The system's specifications are expected to be on the weaker side due to its emphasis on streaming, making emulation more difficult, but we can at least expect a version of 1993's Doom to appear shortly after its launch later this year.
- The device, which was announced during the PlayStation Showcase in May, has a 1080p, 8-inch HD screen sandwiched between two halves of the DualSense controller and requires a PS5. Before the announcement, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan told shareholders that it is part of the company's "aggressive" push into the cloud gaming market, following rival Microsoft's signing of several deals with cloud services, as well as continuing to support XCloud to provide Game Pass titles to subscribers via streaming.
- The handheld received generally negative feedback from fans, with many questioning Sony's decision to require the handheld to use the PS5's remote play feature, requiring those who want to buy the device to also own the console. What is more confusing is that remote play is already free on mobile devices, prompting many to skip the system entirely as they asked for something akin to a Steam Deck or even the failed and successful PS Vita and PSP.
More Sony news:
- Sony and Microsoft have agreed to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for at least the next ten years, following Microsoft's victory over the Federal Trade Commission, which allows it to complete its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The rest of the publisher's IPs, however, are not covered by the agreement, leaving the door open for future exclusive entries in iconic franchises like Spyro and Crash.
- Sony has announced that the PS5’s Access controller will arrive on December 6 for $89.99 USD. The controller includes a circular base and several modular buttons and sticks to accommodate a variety of physical disabilities.
