23 August 2023 , 14:28
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After revealing the PlayStation Portal back in May under the code name Project Q, Sony has just confirmed it will be coming later this year.
Project Q was originally announced earlier this year, with little information other than the fact that it wouldl be a cloud streaming device that allows you to play PS5 games portably. Sony has just confirmed that the device is officially called PlayStation Portal and will retail for £199.99 / US$199.99 which roughly converts to AU$310 but regional pricing is rarely a standard conversion, and at this time it's unclear if the device will be available in Australia.
The PlayStation Portal release date has been partially confirmed; while we don't have an exact date, Sony has said that the device will be dropping at some point before the end of the year. This will be alongside the Pulse Elite wireless headset and the Pulse Explore wireless earbuds which were also announced in the blog post alongside the new cloud streaming handheld.
PlayStation Portal is what Sony refers to as a remote player, meaning you can play games from your PS5 while away from it. However, Sony clarifies that you need to be connected to Wi-Fi in order to play, making the use case for the device 'for gamers in households where they might need to share their living room' rather than being able to play games on the go.
We don't want PlayStation Portal, we want PlayStation Portable
Despite already knowing that the PlayStation Portal was going to be a fumble from out of the gate, I'm still sorely disappointed in the device that Sony is now presenting us with. For £200 you can buy a device that lets you 'play PS5 games in another room of the house' as Sony has put it.
PSVR 2 is already losing to the Meta Quest 2 in the VR headset battle
This just feels like a rushed attempt from Sony to get in on the handheld hype without really considering who would buy the PlayStation Portal, or why. After the success Sony saw with the PSP (PlayStation Portable) back in the early 2000's, and the PS Vita that followed, it doesn't make sense that it's now taking an entirely different approach.
The PlayStation Portal could have been the next PSP, allowing you to play games on the go in the same manner as the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck or the Asus ROG Ally. Instead, you're limited to playing games in your house that you can already play on your PS5... in your house.