PlayStation Portal review – I enjoyed my time with it, but I can't recommend it
Gaming handhelds are all the rage right now, and now it’s Sony’s turn, with the PlayStation Portal offering PS5 players a new way to play. Except, it doesn’t.
The PlayStation Portal, originally announced under the code name Project Q, is a cloud streaming device similar to the Logitech G Cloud, but differs in that this is specifically for PS5 consoles. Unlike Logitech’s device, Sony’s new handheld fulfils its purpose to a decent degree, but its use case is so niche that I’m struggling to see who this device is for.
Cloud gaming devices are struggling to find a use case in the current gaming market, in my opinion, with most mobile phones or tablets (devices that the majority of gamers will own anyway) able to do what the PlayStation Portal can do via PlayStation remote play. But unlike mobile devices, the PlayStation Portal doesn’t have any 4G or 5G support, meaning you need a stable Wi-Fi connection to play.
The PlayStation Portal price comes in at £199.99 / $199.99 and is available to buy now, which despite being on the lower end of gaming handhelds when compared to the Logitech G Cloud’s £329.99 / $349.99 (Australian pricing is yet to be confirmed but conversions come out to roughly AU$515) or the Steam Deck’s £349.99 / $349.99 (not available in Australia) is still relatively expensive given what’s on offer. Unlike the Steam Deck, this device can’t run games natively at all and is a useless (and expensive) ornament without a stable Wi-Fi connection.
PlayStation Portal design
If there’s one thing the PlayStation Portal does well, it's the design. When this was first announced, I’ll admit that I thought the style looked goofy; just taking a PlayStation DualSense controller, slicing it in half and sticking a screen in the middle felt basic. But, honestly, I’ve done a 180. Sony has aced this.
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The device feels very comfortable to hold for long periods, and every single button is easy to access, no matter how you’re playing on this thing (I tested this hanging upside down off of the side of my bed and had a fabulous time). Another huge positive in its design is the gorgeous 8” LCD screen, which is probably my favourite thing about this device.
PlayStation Portal pre-orders are now live over at the PlayStation website. (Sony)Something I wasn’t expecting was for the device to have a pretty significant weight to it. By no means is it something I would consider heavy, but its weight is notable. The shape of it is also somewhat awkward, thanks to the DualSense controller-style design, meaning it's not something I feel particularly comfortable just chucking in my bag. Considering the fact the device only works over Wi-Fi, it’s clear that Sony hasn’t designed this for on-the-go gaming.
PlayStation Portal features
Since the PlayStation Portal doesn’t run games natively, it’s not particularly impressive by the way of specifications or features. Internally, you get a Qualcomm 662 chip, which is featured in the likes of the Motorola Moto G9 Play and the Nokia 5.4, two mobile phones which come in at a lower cost than this device and are of course… mobile phones, which do a whole lot more than cloud streaming from your PS5. The 8” LCD screen is 1080p and is capable of supporting 60fps gameplay.
All of the best DualSense features are present on the PlayStation Portal, given the nature of the device. This means you get haptic feedback and adaptive triggers in supported titles. You also get access to a built-in microphone, which can be muted and unmuted with the tap of a button.
The device is charged via a USB-C input at the back, and you also get a 3.5 mm jack to plug in a headset or other audio device. Unfortunately, this device lacks Bluetooth, so wireless audio devices will need PlayStation link technology for them to work, which is Sony’s proprietary connection standard (similar to Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless).
Even though I enjoyed my time with the PlayStation portal, I wouldn’t buy one for myself, and it’s hard to recommend it. (Sony)This is a bad move. It means you’ll need to buy Sony's wireless audio products if you want to enjoy wireless audio, even after spending £200 on this device. However, it has some pretty fantastic on-device speakers, and it does have a 3.5mm jack, so your options are only limited if you want wireless audio. Still, no Bluetooth in 2023? Oof.
I got around eight hours of play time from the PlayStation Portal from a full charge until it was flat. It's not the end of the world and also nothing special.
PlayStation Portal performance
The output of the PlayStation Portal surpassed my expectations - which were extremely low after my lacklustre experience with the Logitech G Cloud. I was firmly prepared for the worst, but the screen on this thing is gorgeous. The quality and colour grading were fantastic, making for a vibrant gameplay experience.
However, as with any cloud-based device, things like framerates and inputs are typically based on your latency, meaning judging the output of this device is difficult and depends on many external factors. There’s also no way to adjust the quality of the stream on your device, which is frustrating, considering that my PlayStation Portal device would often stream in relatively low quality, despite being at home with a fast and solid internet connection.
The PlayStation Portal is a cloud streaming device that allows you to play PS5 games. (Sony)These issues typically arose when first connecting the device and did settle down once I was playing games. On that note, Mortal Kombat 1 and Gran Turismo 7 ran smoothly, but Spider-Man: Miles Morales didn't, and I faced consistent lag no matter what. I tested the device with my PS5 both tethered to my router, and with a wireless connection, and didn’t find any difference in output.
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There's also no way to use this device with a Wi-Fi connection that requires you to log in to be able to use it, like at a coffee shop for example, as the device cannot launch a browser of any kind. But, you can use any open Wi-Fi connection (with no browser login required) or one that uses a password.
Overall thoughts on the PlayStation Portal
As great as it was being able to play PlayStation games in my bed, one question constantly kept coming back to me… is this device worth the money?
And, I’m torn. Sony has done well with the hardware on offer here; it's not groundbreaking, but it does everything that you would expect a device of this type to do. There’s a lot to like about the PlayStation Portal, but I’m struggling to see a use case for this device, particularly at this price point. Its need for Wi-Fi severely limits where you can use this device. So, even though I enjoyed my time with the device, I wouldn’t buy one for myself, and it’s hard to recommend it.
When you look at the experience that the device provides, I could’ve had a very similar experience using my phone with a Backbone One controller, or even connecting my DualSense to a phone, without having to spend £200.
Score: 2/5
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