Sony Project Q handheld console spotted running Android

Sony’s upcoming handheld gaming console, Project Q, is coming later this year, according to the company’s announcement at the PlayStation Showcase in May. While the demonstration covered most things, such as what the console could do, it did not talk about the platform the Project Q will be based on. A new leaked video now sheds light on the operating system of Project Q.

A user who goes by Zuby_Tech on Twitter (via Reddit) posted a video showing off the Project Q console wrapped in plastic and running a basic version of Android. There is a rudimentary interface with a simple menu system and a QR code, possibly for linking the console with a PlayStation 5. In the video, we could see a person quickly tapping through the menu before he begins showing off the device in all its glory.

Since the video is in low resolution, it is hard to make what exactly the device looks like, but, for what it is worth, you can see four buttons on the underside of the screen, holes in the middle of the top and the bottom edge with microphones and speaker grille. Of course, the tablet screen can be flanked by left and right controllers that look like the regular PS5 controller.

PlayStation Project Q Leaks:#PlayStation #ProjectQ https://t.co/gyFrsW7xkN pic.twitter.com/0R0yQIdr0I

— @Zuby_Tech (@Zuby_Tech) July 22, 2023

The Android operating system shown running on the Project Q handheld is likely not the final version, and Sony might polish and finesse it before releasing it. But the fact that Sony is using Android instead of its PlayStation software might give it an edge over other handheld consoles. That is if customers actually find the utility of the console outside of a PlayStation ecosystem.

During its announcement in May, Sony said the Project Q handheld will not work as a standalone device. It will rather need to be paired with a PlayStation 5 console for you to stream games from it. The Project Q handheld device will use a Wi-Fi connection for transferring data from the console, but without it, it is unlikely for you to do anything on it. That is entirely different from what other handheld devices could do. Valve’s Steam Deck, Nintendo’s Switch, and Asus’ ROG Ally offer an in-built ecosystem to let you download and play games without you needing another, more powerful device.

We will find out more about Sony’s Project Q in the coming days, but for now, we know that it will feature an 8-inch 1080p LCD running at 60fps. The rest of the specifications are still a mystery.