The PlayStation Portal is Sony’s next big take on the handheld gaming section, except it’s more of a PlayStation 5 companion than an individual console. Priced at around £199.99, the gaming accessory lets you stream games from your PlayStation 5 onto the smaller device.
While it remotely streams all the games you own, many Sony fans are amused (and confused) at understanding the purpose it really serves. After all, the PlayStation Portal only works over a local WiFi connection.
Why Own a Playstation Portal at All?
That’s perhaps the first question that struck the minds of all. When the gadget was announced and people got a ‘first look’ at it, quite a few of us thought the PlayStation Portal was going to be a charming successor to the PS Vita. Unfortunately, it’s nothing but a gaming accessory for PlayStation 5 owners.
The design isn’t out of the box either; it resembles a DualSense wireless controller, except there’s an 8-inch LCD screen in the center. There’s the familiar adaptive trigger and haptics, with a 1080p display running at 60 Hz up to 60 FPS. Reviewers have claimed that there’s not much latency to worry about, and overall games run fairly well.
However, the catch here is that you are only able to stream games when connected to a good WiFi source while your PS5 runs things at home. If your internet connection isn’t stable enough, triple-A games might struggle to run smoothly. Furthermore, the device lacks a Bluetooth option altogether.
Here’s the trickiest bit: in a subtle way that lacks clarity, the packaging on the PlayStation Portal fails to properly suggest the point of the device. Instead of big, bold text, there are tiny icons that advise buyers. In a Reddit thread that discussed the device’s review, a commenter pointed this out:
It’s just a very small and almost vague iconography that you need a PS5 and wifi to use it. It doesn’t put in big bold letters the purpose of the device and if I didn’t know it was a purely remote play PS5 peripheral, less savvy buyers browsing at a retailer could easily mistake it for an actual handheld or at least a streaming device.
While some may speculate this is a flaw in branding, it does seem like false marketing done on Sony’s part. However, for those who aren’t aware of the prerequisite, a few consumers might go ahead and buy the PlayStation Portal, thinking it’s an exclusive gaming console of its own.
It’s also important to keep in mind that the PS Vita allows Remote Play, which already gives access to a larger collection of games. Considering this, the PlayStation Portal does little to innovate.
In a Market of Powerful Handheld Consoles, Playstation Portal Tries to Be Its Own Thing
With the recent popularity of consoles like the Asus ROG Ally and Steam Deck, gamers have been enjoying their favorite titles from a vast PC library on a relatively smaller screen. Portability is the key here, and the reception has been nothing short of impressive. From triple-A titles that are graphically demanding to indie titles that conserve battery, we’re in an age of gaming where accessibility to portable gaming isn’t an issue anymore.
During such times, the entry of a luxury like the PlayStation Portal does raise an eyebrow towards Sony’s decision-making. While people were eagerly waiting for a next-gen successor to the PS Vita, we received a PS5 companion instead.
The internet is hilariously still trying to understand why people would buy a PlayStation Portal.
It’s not clear what kind of problem the PlayStation Portable is here to solve (is there even one to solve?), but it does the job as intended. When the TV is occupied, hop on to your ‘little’ PS5. When in bed, get cozy with the PlayStation Portal. The use cases will hopefully pile up as more users experience the gaming accessory.
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