On paper, PlayStation Portal seems like a great idea: it lets you play with your PS5 anywhere with a strong, stable Wi-Fi connection. Unfortunately, that theory of a seamless, lag-free experience dissolves almost immediately when you put it in the real world.
Between latency issues on my 300Mbps/300Mbps wireless network and the inability to stream content from services like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube due to DRM rules, the Portal simply couldn’t offer an enjoyable experience or one I would be comfortable with. recommending.
Its 8-inch LCD screen offers Full HD resolution, which can look good for a few seconds at a time, but, in my experience, it was often plagued with visual artifacts and stuttering. The latency caused audio playback to become choppy, turning some of the most emotionally moving moments in games like God of War: Ragnarok, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Horizon Forbidden West into meme-worthy video clips. However, in Sony’s defense, our second review sample used by my colleague in the UK achieved much better results, with less stuttering and noticeably lower latency.
This, in a nutshell, is the problem: it’s a device that lives and dies not only by the speed of the network you’re connected to, but also by the distance you are from the router and even the layout of your home. or department. PlayStation Portal will likely deliver on its promise of a latency-free experience for some buyers, but if my experience is anything like what you’ll have, I’m not sure Sony’s handheld console that only streams games is a good solution. to what I think is a very specific problem.
PlayStation Portal review: price and release date
PlayStation Portal launches on November 15 for $199.99/£199.99, about double the cost of the Backbone One PlayStation Edition mobile gaming controller for iPhone that launched in July 2022. In the box, you get the computer handheld and a USB-C to USB. -Charging cable.
It’s worth noting here that there’s no ‘dock’ for this accessory like the Nintendo Switch has, and it requires you to already have a PS5 to use it. That fact alone means you’re spending $199 on this device and about another $500 on the PS5 if you don’t already have one.
PlayStation Portal Review: Design
Considering the price and knowing that you already have a phone capable of playing remotely via a Bluetooth controller, whether it’s the Backbone One or not, why would you consider a PlayStation Portal?
Well, from a pure design point of view, PlayStation Portal makes sense: it offers a Full HD screen that’s larger than those on even the best smartphones, and little touches like triggers with haptic feedback make you feel more like you’re playing your PS5. compared to using a standard Bluetooth controller which would not have them.
Holding PlayStation Portal actually feels like holding a PS5 controller with a tablet in your hands. Switching between this and a PS5 controller doesn’t require rewiring your brain: all the buttons are located in the same place and they all feel exactly the same when you press them. It’s worth noting that the control levers are a bit smaller. than on a regular DualSense controller, as they are the same on the Sense controllers that ship with the PSVR2.
It’s faint praise, to be sure, but considering how many horrible MFi controllers there are on the market, it’s a good thing Sony has actually gone ahead to combine the Portal with the DualSense almost one-for-one.
PlayStation Portal Review: Performance
Performance will vary depending on the speed of your connection (both upload and download rates) and factors such as the distance between your console and your Wi-Fi router, whether you use your PS5 wired or not, and how far away you plan to sit. her. said wireless router when using PlayStation Portal. Because of this, I cannot predict with certainty what your personal experience will be like.
What I can tell you, though, is that with a 300Mbps connection for both upstream and downstream, my experience wasn’t ideal: the game was choppy most of the time, and the few moments when it wasn’t really didn’t impress me. .
To put Portal to the test, I played a graphically intense game (Horizon Forbidden West) and an indie game that wasn’t as resource-intensive, but required exact timing to work (Spelunky 2).
Despite being significantly less graphically intensive than Horizon, the latency in Spelunky 2 made it feel almost impossible to beat a level. Often the delay would cause me to miss a crucial jump or time an attack a second too late, resulting in a deflation or a complete elimination. In games where timing is everything, using the Portal will significantly increase the difficulty.
When playing Horizon Forbidden West, I had similar difficulties. While the game doesn’t require laser precision in terms of timing, simply navigating the world resulted in serious artifacts. At some points, the resolution dropped so low that the subtitles I turned on to hear the characters better were unreadable.
After spending some time tweaking my router settings, I was able to increase download speeds to the PS5. The result was a much more stable experience, although you would still suffer from input delays and periodic hiccups. This goes to show that if you’re motivated to get PlayStation Portal working on your network, you certainly can do it, but it may not work right away for you.
To that end, I wouldn’t say Sony’s recommended wireless speeds of 5Mbps or 15Mbps for “an improved connection” are accurate. It will more than likely be double or triple that to get a stable experience, and even then it will really depend on how far you are from your wireless access point.
PlayStation Portal Review: Features
The PlayStation Portal, while stylishly designed, doesn’t really come with many features – it’s pretty basic here.
The only bright spot in terms of features is that Portal has a built-in microphone that can be used like the microphone on a DualShock controller. In theory, this will allow you to voice chat with friends… although, again, I’m not sure how good that would sound given the introduction of latency.
I think the most egregious bug is the fact that Portal cannot access video content from streaming services due to DRM issues. Try to use Netflix on the Portal and a message will appear saying that you cannot play content via Remote Play.
I think the most egregious bug is the fact that Portal cannot access video content from streaming services due to DRM issues. Try to use Netflix on the Portal and a message will appear saying that you cannot play content via Remote Play. The same goes for YouTube and other streaming platforms I tried.
If it came with its own version of the PlayStation platform, even if it were reduced, it would at least allow you to view content. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here.
Bluetooth support is another big issue here, as PlayStation Portal will let you use some PS5 headsets like the upcoming Pulse Elite headset, but not your standard Bluetooth headset. However, there is a 3.5mm jack on the Portal that you can connect to. directly with a standard pair of headphones.
Being able to download games to the console and play them locally would have been a big improvement, but that wasn’t Sony’s intention with this handheld, much to the chagrin of PS Vita lovers like myself. Instead, everything is Remote Use all the time.
PlayStation Portal Review: Battery Life
Sony says PlayStation Portal has a battery life of around four hours, which I found a bit optimistic. Most of the time I was only able to get about three hours per charge, although the brightness and volume turned up slightly above average.
Charging is done via the included USB-C cable and should recharge in less than an hour.
PlayStation Portal: verdict
PlayStation Portal: verdict
The PlayStation Portal is going to be pisive. Some players will have a relatively easy experience and others will call it a $200 paperweight. For me, in my dozen hours of testing with the device, it was the latter. But I do know that other reviewers, including our own Rory Mellon, had a much better experience on their home networks.
That said, because it’s such an unpredictable device and there’s no built-in hard drive solution for storing and playing games locally, you’re at the mercy of every wireless network you plan to use PlayStation Portal with. Some of them will be good, but many will not. And that’s why it’s hard to give it a positive review.
It’s easy to ask “what if?” with the PlayStation Portal. If it had done several things differently, such as adding storage space for local games, it would be easier to recommend. But what you see is what you get with PlayStation Portal. It’s a device that lives and dies based on your network connection and the fact that you already own a PS5 and typically don’t have access to the TV it’s connected to. If that works for you, then PlayStation Portal is worth a try… but I’d save the money and buy a full gaming handheld like the Steam Deck OLED or Nintendo Switch.
