2023-12-17 12:42:08
Playstation Portal is a product odd. It’s strange because, on the one hand, it offers fairly obvious value to a very specific consumer, but, on the other hand, it fails to offer a broader set of features that would fit well into the lineup Sony’s global PlayStation product portfolio. It’s a handheld without Bluetooth, a handheld without a dedicated operating system, but at the same time, I’ve used it non-stop since I’ve owned it.
So where are we? It might be worth taking a step back. The Playstation Portal is a portable console, but not at all in the traditional sense. A “portable gaming console” implies some functionality on the go, but without a stable and fairly fast WIFI connection, the Portal is decidedly useless. Basically, its only function is to mirror your PlayStation 5 console. This is how many streaming services work, from GeForce Now to Shadow, and you can even get something similar to the same experience by purchasing a Backbone, or any type of mobile phone holder for a Bluetooth controller, and stream games from your console directly to your smartphone – both on PlayStation and Xbox.
You can use Portal from a vacation home, on vacation, or anywhere there is technically WIFI, but from there, an extra step is added that introduces lag and poor responsiveness. Basically, Portal is more or less designed for staying at home, acting as an alternative way to play your PS5 when others clamor for the TV.
As I’ve mentioned on this site, this limited functionality speaks to me quite directly, and although being a reviewer requires that I sometimes look beyond the end of my nose and put myself in the place from a more mainstream consumer, this has been difficult, because Portal fills a very specific need that I have. My little boys watch TV, or my partner often wants to watch something when we’re catching our breath following a long, painful snooze. In these cases, I take out my Portal and play Baldur’s Gate III. Clever, right?
This is an announcement:
The design itself is easy to describe: take a standard DualSense, cut it in half, and insert an 8-inch 1920×1080 60Hz touchscreen LCD. You don’t sacrifice haptic feedback, a headphone jack, or USB- C – it’s all there, and while the lack of Bluetooth in favor of a proprietary PlayStation Link connection for some Sony products is downright laughable, it’s not because it’s missing anything, especially at the price of £199.99, a good hundred pounds less than Logitech is asking for the G Cloud, which I used for pretty much the same thing earlier this year, via my Xbox Series X.
It’s not that it’s particularly stylish to look at, and it would have been a no-brainer to provide the consumer with some sort of way to protect the device when not in use, a small flap to protect the screen, or even a case. But at the same time, there are all the basics here, and the battery life of six or seven hours is decent, but not great.
But relatively functional hardware at a competitive price shouldn’t distract you from the fact that you might use your phone as a screen, with just regarding any controller, and get exactly the same features as Portal, just with Bluetooth, and without paying anything at all. What sets Portal apart is of course the joy of a device dedicated to a dedicated task, but also the fact that the streaming experience on Portal is pretty solid.
Compared to the slightly grainy and washed out colors I experienced in Diablo IV on G Cloud, Portal manages to produce a vibrant, contrasty and bright image, even though it’s an LCD screen. It’s hard to tell at first glance, but when I tested once morest an iPhone 15 Pro Max installed in a Backbone controller, Portal seemed to produce less lag and produce a better-looking image, but as it is on an internet connection makes it difficult for me to sketch using any settings other than just… well, what the eye saw.
This is an announcement:
However, this still means you have to go out and spend £200 on something you already have. This means that Portal is a somewhat confusing product. I have, as I said, used it much, much more than I immediately thought I would, and there actually remains a good argument for using the PS5 as my primary console, because I find myself in a situation where using this dedicated device when the TV is busy is so common.
I can recommend Portal to those who may have a similar use case, i.e. kids stealing the good TV, or being able to play in the bedroom, as well as on the couch, looks quite tempting. For everyone else, Portal wasn’t made for you, which perhaps speaks volumes regarding the limitations of this concept.
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#Playstation #Portal
