The new hardware might not have the functionality of cloud gaming. It could be a significant missed opportunity.
We recently reported that Sony allegedly works on new hardware not directly tied to the PlayStation brand. It will not be compatible with the PlayStation 5 Pro or the PS5 with no Blu-ray drive built in as standard. According to Insider Gaming, the hardware for the return to the handheld market is codenamed Q-Lite, but unlike the PSP and the PlayStation Vita, there will be no way to run games on it locally, only Remote Play from your PlayStation 5.
Adaptive streaming is available, with a maximum resolution of 1080p and a frame rate of sixty frames per second, requiring an active internet connection, so it’s an ‘always online’ platform. The current prototypes resemble the DualSense controller but have an 8″ (~20.3 cm) LCD touchscreen in the middle. Besides the adaptive triggers, it also has typical handheld features (3.5mm jack, speakers, and volume control buttons).
According to Insider Gaming, the PlayStation Q-Lite will hit stores at the same time as the PlayStation 5 with a detachable Blu-ray drive but will launch before the PlayStation 5 Pro (which is said to arrive in late 2024). Still, no further details are known regarding a release date. In contrast to Steam Deck, a Remote Play-only device would be a somewhat incomprehensible move from Sony. Jeff Grubb has partially backed up Henderson’s article: he doesn’t think a PlayStation Vita successor is worth expecting either, but he has heard of a handheld that supports the cloud, so it goes against what has been said so far…
The PlayStation Portable had great sales, but Nintendo’s revolutionary hardware, the DS, wiped the floor with it, and the balance between the two successors tipped even further towards the big N, with the PlayStation Vita mostly staying in Japan for the long haul. At the same time, the Nintendo 3DS quickly knocked its competition out of the race. The existence of Q-Lite is not yet official, but if it is going to be cloud-free hardware, Sony could be out of its mind…
![However, an anonymous GOG employee paints an even darker tone of the internal situation: „We were told it’s a financial decision. GOG’s revenue couldn’t keep up with growth, the fact that we’re dangerously close to being in the red has come up in the past few months, and the market’s move towards higher [developer] revenue shares have, or will, affect the bottom line as well.](https://thegeek.games/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/the-gog-1-302x180.jpg)
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