Portal’s not so bad if you’re happy with just your PlayStation library and simply want something for your bedside stand.
I currently use a retroid pocket 3+ for almost only that purpose, and let me tell you, an 8 inch, 1080p screen + a full dualsense in my hands at night for just $200 seems like a really nice upgrade even if it means leaving my emulators on a different device.
(Too bad for Sony I’ll personally be spending a lot more to have a Steam Deck OLED though) (teehee)
I have a Steam Deck and I don't even own a PS5, so I'm probably way outside of the market for the Portal...
But I'm really finding it hard imagine this device finding a broad audience, since even in a hypothetical best case we're talking about a subset of a subset of PS5 owners. From what I understand the new PSVR sold pretty badly despite being a pretty solid piece of VR hardware, this feels like a very niche and underwhelming piece of hardware and so I really can't imagine it performing any better.
Someone will buy a PS Portal, and hopefully they like it, but when the smoke clears I don't see it being a big hit.
The Steam Deck OLED on the other hand, I suspect will sell out fast. It seems like there is a pretty big chunk of people who were interested in the first gen Steam Deck but opted for the wait and see approach, and I can imagine a lot of those people jumping on the Steam Deck OLED now that they know the device has lasting power. Personally I probably can't justify the cost of upgrading from the LCD model right now, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to...
I'll tell you a secret: if you have a steam deck, you have a Playstation portal as well. I beat days gone to platinum on steam deck... By streaming if from a ps4.
You could also get the ayn loki zero for a smiliar price to the playstation portal as well you have an playstation portal that can both play gta v and call of duty emulate ps1 games ontop of streaming your PlayStation 1 games
Yeah, I definitely agree that's it's targeting a niche within a subset. I think we're coming from completely opposite camps, though. I've never had, nor was ever interested in owning a gaming PC. I have some Apple devices for work, a PS5 (and switch) for gaming, and a cheap little android handheld for retro titles -which coincidentally I use to remote play my PS5 from bed almost every night.
For me, adding yet another platform to my ecosystem is kind of annoying, particularly with all the tweaking, tinkering and menuing I won't be able to avoid. But a Deck also means I'll be able to play older windows stuff that either never came to PS or were lost in the PS3 library, and I'll be able to travel with it better, so it's kind of worth it. Plus it'll look really nice when remote-playing my PS5.
Wait until you try the PC ecosystem and realize that it's where the games are the cheapest (thanks to bundles and Steam sales), where we don't even need to ask about retro compatibility because it's not siloed by generation...
Also by far the biggest library because recently console exclusive tend to be exclusive to one console but also ported on PC (except for Nintendo games).
Tv with the ps5 is downstairs, wife wants me to hang out and not just watch me play games, I want to game. I grab the portal and sit on the couch next to wife while she watches tv. We all win.
That seems like a very expensive way of avoiding talking to your wife.
Or it’s so I can talk to her instead of ignoring her…….
I get it, there’s a fancy piece of equipment and you cant find a use for it, so now you insult the people who point out the extremely obvious answer you missed.
I was only trying to be funny, apologies. I thought it was ludicrous enough that it'd pass. Channeling some boomer humour.
Seriously though, I do understand the appeal of it, just not the appeal-to-price ratio. £200 is a lot of money for a glorified screen mirroring device. It's not that it's overpriced per se (it's probably about right in terms of the cost of the hardware), just that I don't understand how it can be worth it with that functionality at that price point.
It's not useless. But it's not useful for a lot of people.
Huh, just like anything else on the market….
The question then is: is it useful for enough people?
The thing is there are a lot of devices that you can use to stream from you PS5 and also have other functionalities. Like playing games natively, or emulators.
Yeah you’re right, and that’s a big sticking point of the Portal, but I think it’s worth noting that if you want a device that does those things with a screen as large as the Portal’s, you’ll probably be paying way more than $200. And that’s before having anything with the kind of haptic tech as the dualsense.
I dont have a TV in my bedroom, but couldn't I set up a system for the same price where I can play all my console or PC games in bed on a full 30+ inch TV if I wanted to? For the same price that is?. It might be an interesting purchase if someone else wanted to be able to use the TV, but if I was buying one for me to play games on while in bed then my partner can gtfo lol. Though I suppose some people might want a more compact solution.
Yeah. I imagine with some savvy shopping you could probably get a 30ish inch TV and a mini PC or Android device to use exclusively for game streaming at a pretty affordable price.
I still just do not understand who this is for. It seems extremely niche. I can’t see this selling all that well.
I have an actual use case for this. It is kind of niche. I don’t personally have kids but I have friends over a lot to watch sports or BBQ or whatever. I have a PS5, a respectable desktop, and a Steam Deck. I prefer the portable option of the Steam Deck or, at worst, streaming to it. I don’t know why but that’s just what I enjoy.
As the kids have gotten older, they really want to play the PS5. But if the football game is on, they cannot have the TV. So, I was using Chiaki to let them stream from the PS5. So, all my PS5 game saves are basically fucked. The younger ones will use up any and all ammo or other in-game supplies and the older ones will make progress and I’ll just be lost next login. But the worst thing is when they exit Chiaki and play my PC version of a game. I specifically tell them not to do that but they aren’t my kids so I can’t backhand them.
So, now we have a solution. A thing like the Steam Deck that is limited to only fucking up PS5 game saves so if I really want to enjoy a game, I can get the Steam version. The kids can go hog wild on the PS5. They can get sticky shit on the PlayStation Portal — and they will if there is one ounce of sugar within 5 miles. My PC is in my office and my Steam Deck is going to be locked up. I’ll actually be able to enjoy a game again. And for only $200.
Dude, the kids must've love you. You basically bought a PS5, a PS Portal and a bunch of PS5 games (which usually more expensive than their PC counterparts) and perhaps a PS plus subscription just for your friends' kids.
I’m definitely the proverbial uncle who works for Nintendo to them. But in reality, I’m a boring, non-Nintendo software engineer who just didn’t want to have kids. I’m not rolling in dough but I could probably buy every video game system ever released and it’d be less than parents spend on day care. A lot of strollers cost more than a PS5.
It's for people that both own a PS5 and liked the Wii U.
Nothing like basing your idea on Nintendo's worst selling console for ultimate success.
It's not for the kid who has his ps5 in his room, or the single adult who has full access all the time to sit on his living room couch eating cheerios in his underwear. It's also not for the single guy making his living by reviewing video game junk that comes out in hopes of being paid for what he writes.
It's for families where mom or dad or sibling wants the TV for other things. So you can go back to the bedroom or den or garage or wherever else that isn't blasting the 20th straight episode of my little pony and get some game time in.
It's 200 bucks. Ok. I have a game laptop and a steam deck. I never use the laptop anymore. The steam deck is too quick and easy. Streaming to cell phones gets you a smaller screen, smaller battery, and need to spend $100 on a gaming controller anyhow. You also can't start up the ps5 and move things along so quickly. Also with phones streaming like this, the gyro isn't as precise/great to use compared to a ps5 controller. I assume this screen/controller Playstation device works as well as their ps5 controller does.
So yeah. It's $200 for something that you may be able to do almost as well for free.....but it's not free. It's based on if you already own hundreds of dollars worth of other things, m9st of which wouldn't work quite as well.
Steam deck is too quick and easy? You want it to be more difficult?
What if someone has no PC games…? They gotta spend even more money to replace the games…
I wasn't suggesting steam deck, I was just confused about their points dismissing it. Since they sdmit to already owning one.
I think you need to re-read what I wrote. You aren't interpreting it well.
maybe you can clarify, I have re-read more than once and still don't understand youe point about the steam deck.
I was saying steam deck is to quick and easy to use compared to my laptop, so I never game on my laptop anymore.
Oh, ok yea that makes sense. I definitely see the benefits to the Portal, for the right person.
Sony is just so bad at this whole portable gaming thing, aren't they?
Not only does the functionality seem almost completely unnecessary except for a limited use case here and there, but this thing is truly ugly. Who designed this travesty? How would you even store this bumpy hunk of plastic?
Sony used to have some of the most elegant and clean hardware aesthetics. Their designs were genuinely beautiful, simple, and practical. They used to ooze premium luxury. Now we get a screen with a sawed off controller stuck to the sides? Disappointing.
You know what? I take it back. The PS5 is shaped like a modem from 1999, it deserves this ugly step-cousin.
But it does look like more comfortable to hold than psvita. My hands hurt if I play my vita without a grip, which essentially turns the vita into a boomerang.
I have a PS5 and I just do remote play to my Android tablet with the ps controller connected via Bluetooth and for most games it's acceptable; there is a little latency so it wouldn't be good enough for fps games however. I wouldn't buy this product but if the latency is improved I could see several of my friends getting one of these.
I refused to buy a PS5 because of how ugly it is. My friends got one, but I chose an XB1X because of how much better it goes with my house.
you chose a gaming platform because of how it looks?
we are not the same
As an owner of 2 Vita's that didn't use this feature on PS3, PS4, zero chance I'd buy this to do it on PS5.
Is this a batarang?
deleted
This thing is terrible, who the fuck is buying shit like this? What a waste of electronic materials. They could've made a true handheld with the power of the steam deck that could run PS5 games at lower resolutions, but fuck no! Let's make some bullshit abomination of a Vita successor and give anyone who loves portable gaming the middle finger, especially since you can't use Bluetooth headphones. Fuck you Sony.
Seems like it should’ve just been a thing you can connect your phone in the middle and it gives you the controls and a battery to remote play
Isn't that what PS Remote Play is for? Well I guess you can't just switch on the fly with that.... But there's no reason it couldn't be made to 🤷🏻♂️
Or tablets. I think there are gamepads and gamepad attachments like that, but probably trash tier quality in comparison. I agree though. They could've combined that with an app based streaming service, but also allow to use it for whatever else you might play on it. Would've actually been much more interesting of a product.
I still say it should have been called the "PSPiiU".
PiiU is exactly what I said when I saw this stank ass thing 🤢
This is the best summary I could come up with:
It doesn’t do any kind of cloud streaming like Nvidia’s Geforce Now or Sony’s own PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, and it can’t run anything locally (not even YouTube or Netflix).
The Portal is purpose-built to use a singular feature Sony first debuted with the PS3 and PSP back in 2006 that’s also widely available on other devices you may already own, making me wonder: why does this exist?
Compared to a Switch with standard Joy-Con controllers, the tradeoff in weight is made up for by its large grips that are comfier to use for extended play sessions.
I’ve initially played a handful of hours with various PS5 games (Resident Evil 4, Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon, and Astro’s Playroom, to name a few) in my limited time with the PlayStation Portal so far.
At various points in the last two years, I’ve tinkered with using Remote Play to stream games from my PlayStation 5 to my PS4, my PC, various Android devices, an iPhone, an iPad Pro, and even a Steam Deck using open-source software Chiaki.
My first impression is that this device is primarily for PlayStation diehards who want a simple, dedicated tool for streaming games around their homes.
The original article contains 714 words, the summary contains 200 words. Saved 72%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
What's the point in this thing if it's not an actual handheld console? What does it do that a playstation controller + smartphone/tablet can't do?
Way better control experience, almost 2x the screen space, separate battery, and like a 5th the cost of a flagship smartphone.
Not for everyone, but still neat. This product makes me wonder if theh have other things in the works. I wouldn't be surprised if there is something 3 years from now that releases where we say "this is like if the Portal was good".
Yeah I didn't understand why I'd do this instead of just using my PC with a controller. Wifi streaming sucks, I'm not paying $200 for it
Not drain my cell battery or get interrupted from a call or text, have a much bigger screen than a phone, save you from trying to balance a tablet around on a bed or chair or recliner.....
Those are incredibly small problems that are easily solved without having to spend $200
How my console boys feelin? Where your games at?
I suspect I'm pretty much the only market for this thing. I can play while in bed, which is where most of switch gaming currently happens. The price is probably reasonable for what it cost them, but they need to explain why anyone besides me would want one.
Ok, I'll bite. What exactly makes you the only person in the world who can play a handheld in bed?
Can I plug the new vr into it so I can get rid of the gosh-darn wire?
Doubt it. The bandwidth needed for VR is pretty high and when people do wireless PCVR setups, the rule of thumb is setting up a nearby fast WiFi 5 router just for the VR connection.
This thing is gonna flop hard.
Portal’s not so bad if you’re happy with just your PlayStation library and simply want something for your bedside stand.
I currently use a retroid pocket 3+ for almost only that purpose, and let me tell you, an 8 inch, 1080p screen + a full dualsense in my hands at night for just $200 seems like a really nice upgrade even if it means leaving my emulators on a different device.
(Too bad for Sony I’ll personally be spending a lot more to have a Steam Deck OLED though) (teehee)
I have a Steam Deck and I don't even own a PS5, so I'm probably way outside of the market for the Portal...
But I'm really finding it hard imagine this device finding a broad audience, since even in a hypothetical best case we're talking about a subset of a subset of PS5 owners. From what I understand the new PSVR sold pretty badly despite being a pretty solid piece of VR hardware, this feels like a very niche and underwhelming piece of hardware and so I really can't imagine it performing any better.
Someone will buy a PS Portal, and hopefully they like it, but when the smoke clears I don't see it being a big hit.
The Steam Deck OLED on the other hand, I suspect will sell out fast. It seems like there is a pretty big chunk of people who were interested in the first gen Steam Deck but opted for the wait and see approach, and I can imagine a lot of those people jumping on the Steam Deck OLED now that they know the device has lasting power. Personally I probably can't justify the cost of upgrading from the LCD model right now, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to...
I'll tell you a secret: if you have a steam deck, you have a Playstation portal as well. I beat days gone to platinum on steam deck... By streaming if from a ps4.
You could also get the ayn loki zero for a smiliar price to the playstation portal as well you have an playstation portal that can both play gta v and call of duty emulate ps1 games ontop of streaming your PlayStation 1 games
Yeah, I definitely agree that's it's targeting a niche within a subset. I think we're coming from completely opposite camps, though. I've never had, nor was ever interested in owning a gaming PC. I have some Apple devices for work, a PS5 (and switch) for gaming, and a cheap little android handheld for retro titles -which coincidentally I use to remote play my PS5 from bed almost every night.
For me, adding yet another platform to my ecosystem is kind of annoying, particularly with all the tweaking, tinkering and menuing I won't be able to avoid. But a Deck also means I'll be able to play older windows stuff that either never came to PS or were lost in the PS3 library, and I'll be able to travel with it better, so it's kind of worth it. Plus it'll look really nice when remote-playing my PS5.
Wait until you try the PC ecosystem and realize that it's where the games are the cheapest (thanks to bundles and Steam sales), where we don't even need to ask about retro compatibility because it's not siloed by generation...
Also by far the biggest library because recently console exclusive tend to be exclusive to one console but also ported on PC (except for Nintendo games).
Tv with the ps5 is downstairs, wife wants me to hang out and not just watch me play games, I want to game. I grab the portal and sit on the couch next to wife while she watches tv. We all win.
That seems like a very expensive way of avoiding talking to your wife.
Or it’s so I can talk to her instead of ignoring her…….
I get it, there’s a fancy piece of equipment and you cant find a use for it, so now you insult the people who point out the extremely obvious answer you missed.
I was only trying to be funny, apologies. I thought it was ludicrous enough that it'd pass. Channeling some boomer humour.
Seriously though, I do understand the appeal of it, just not the appeal-to-price ratio. £200 is a lot of money for a glorified screen mirroring device. It's not that it's overpriced per se (it's probably about right in terms of the cost of the hardware), just that I don't understand how it can be worth it with that functionality at that price point.
It's not useless. But it's not useful for a lot of people.
Huh, just like anything else on the market….
The question then is: is it useful for enough people?
The thing is there are a lot of devices that you can use to stream from you PS5 and also have other functionalities. Like playing games natively, or emulators.
Yeah you’re right, and that’s a big sticking point of the Portal, but I think it’s worth noting that if you want a device that does those things with a screen as large as the Portal’s, you’ll probably be paying way more than $200. And that’s before having anything with the kind of haptic tech as the dualsense.
I dont have a TV in my bedroom, but couldn't I set up a system for the same price where I can play all my console or PC games in bed on a full 30+ inch TV if I wanted to? For the same price that is?. It might be an interesting purchase if someone else wanted to be able to use the TV, but if I was buying one for me to play games on while in bed then my partner can gtfo lol. Though I suppose some people might want a more compact solution.
Yeah. I imagine with some savvy shopping you could probably get a 30ish inch TV and a mini PC or Android device to use exclusively for game streaming at a pretty affordable price.
I still just do not understand who this is for. It seems extremely niche. I can’t see this selling all that well.
I have an actual use case for this. It is kind of niche. I don’t personally have kids but I have friends over a lot to watch sports or BBQ or whatever. I have a PS5, a respectable desktop, and a Steam Deck. I prefer the portable option of the Steam Deck or, at worst, streaming to it. I don’t know why but that’s just what I enjoy.
As the kids have gotten older, they really want to play the PS5. But if the football game is on, they cannot have the TV. So, I was using Chiaki to let them stream from the PS5. So, all my PS5 game saves are basically fucked. The younger ones will use up any and all ammo or other in-game supplies and the older ones will make progress and I’ll just be lost next login. But the worst thing is when they exit Chiaki and play my PC version of a game. I specifically tell them not to do that but they aren’t my kids so I can’t backhand them.
So, now we have a solution. A thing like the Steam Deck that is limited to only fucking up PS5 game saves so if I really want to enjoy a game, I can get the Steam version. The kids can go hog wild on the PS5. They can get sticky shit on the PlayStation Portal — and they will if there is one ounce of sugar within 5 miles. My PC is in my office and my Steam Deck is going to be locked up. I’ll actually be able to enjoy a game again. And for only $200.
Dude, the kids must've love you. You basically bought a PS5, a PS Portal and a bunch of PS5 games (which usually more expensive than their PC counterparts) and perhaps a PS plus subscription just for your friends' kids.
I’m definitely the proverbial uncle who works for Nintendo to them. But in reality, I’m a boring, non-Nintendo software engineer who just didn’t want to have kids. I’m not rolling in dough but I could probably buy every video game system ever released and it’d be less than parents spend on day care. A lot of strollers cost more than a PS5.
It's for people that both own a PS5 and liked the Wii U.
Nothing like basing your idea on Nintendo's worst selling console for ultimate success.
It's not for the kid who has his ps5 in his room, or the single adult who has full access all the time to sit on his living room couch eating cheerios in his underwear. It's also not for the single guy making his living by reviewing video game junk that comes out in hopes of being paid for what he writes.
It's for families where mom or dad or sibling wants the TV for other things. So you can go back to the bedroom or den or garage or wherever else that isn't blasting the 20th straight episode of my little pony and get some game time in.
It's 200 bucks. Ok. I have a game laptop and a steam deck. I never use the laptop anymore. The steam deck is too quick and easy. Streaming to cell phones gets you a smaller screen, smaller battery, and need to spend $100 on a gaming controller anyhow. You also can't start up the ps5 and move things along so quickly. Also with phones streaming like this, the gyro isn't as precise/great to use compared to a ps5 controller. I assume this screen/controller Playstation device works as well as their ps5 controller does.
So yeah. It's $200 for something that you may be able to do almost as well for free.....but it's not free. It's based on if you already own hundreds of dollars worth of other things, m9st of which wouldn't work quite as well.
Steam deck is too quick and easy? You want it to be more difficult?
What if someone has no PC games…? They gotta spend even more money to replace the games…
I wasn't suggesting steam deck, I was just confused about their points dismissing it. Since they sdmit to already owning one.
I think you need to re-read what I wrote. You aren't interpreting it well.
maybe you can clarify, I have re-read more than once and still don't understand youe point about the steam deck.
I was saying steam deck is to quick and easy to use compared to my laptop, so I never game on my laptop anymore.
Oh, ok yea that makes sense. I definitely see the benefits to the Portal, for the right person.
Sony is just so bad at this whole portable gaming thing, aren't they?
Classic case of design by committee.
Not only does the functionality seem almost completely unnecessary except for a limited use case here and there, but this thing is truly ugly. Who designed this travesty? How would you even store this bumpy hunk of plastic?
Sony used to have some of the most elegant and clean hardware aesthetics. Their designs were genuinely beautiful, simple, and practical. They used to ooze premium luxury. Now we get a screen with a sawed off controller stuck to the sides? Disappointing.
You know what? I take it back. The PS5 is shaped like a modem from 1999, it deserves this ugly step-cousin.
But it does look like more comfortable to hold than psvita. My hands hurt if I play my vita without a grip, which essentially turns the vita into a boomerang.
I have a PS5 and I just do remote play to my Android tablet with the ps controller connected via Bluetooth and for most games it's acceptable; there is a little latency so it wouldn't be good enough for fps games however. I wouldn't buy this product but if the latency is improved I could see several of my friends getting one of these.
I refused to buy a PS5 because of how ugly it is. My friends got one, but I chose an XB1X because of how much better it goes with my house.
you chose a gaming platform because of how it looks?
we are not the same
As an owner of 2 Vita's that didn't use this feature on PS3, PS4, zero chance I'd buy this to do it on PS5.
Is this a batarang?
deleted
This thing is terrible, who the fuck is buying shit like this? What a waste of electronic materials. They could've made a true handheld with the power of the steam deck that could run PS5 games at lower resolutions, but fuck no! Let's make some bullshit abomination of a Vita successor and give anyone who loves portable gaming the middle finger, especially since you can't use Bluetooth headphones. Fuck you Sony.
Seems like it should’ve just been a thing you can connect your phone in the middle and it gives you the controls and a battery to remote play
Isn't that what PS Remote Play is for? Well I guess you can't just switch on the fly with that.... But there's no reason it couldn't be made to 🤷🏻♂️
Or tablets. I think there are gamepads and gamepad attachments like that, but probably trash tier quality in comparison. I agree though. They could've combined that with an app based streaming service, but also allow to use it for whatever else you might play on it. Would've actually been much more interesting of a product.
I still say it should have been called the "PSPiiU".
PiiU is exactly what I said when I saw this stank ass thing 🤢
This is the best summary I could come up with:
It doesn’t do any kind of cloud streaming like Nvidia’s Geforce Now or Sony’s own PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, and it can’t run anything locally (not even YouTube or Netflix).
The Portal is purpose-built to use a singular feature Sony first debuted with the PS3 and PSP back in 2006 that’s also widely available on other devices you may already own, making me wonder: why does this exist?
Compared to a Switch with standard Joy-Con controllers, the tradeoff in weight is made up for by its large grips that are comfier to use for extended play sessions.
I’ve initially played a handful of hours with various PS5 games (Resident Evil 4, Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon, and Astro’s Playroom, to name a few) in my limited time with the PlayStation Portal so far.
At various points in the last two years, I’ve tinkered with using Remote Play to stream games from my PlayStation 5 to my PS4, my PC, various Android devices, an iPhone, an iPad Pro, and even a Steam Deck using open-source software Chiaki.
My first impression is that this device is primarily for PlayStation diehards who want a simple, dedicated tool for streaming games around their homes.
The original article contains 714 words, the summary contains 200 words. Saved 72%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
What's the point in this thing if it's not an actual handheld console? What does it do that a playstation controller + smartphone/tablet can't do?
Way better control experience, almost 2x the screen space, separate battery, and like a 5th the cost of a flagship smartphone.
Not for everyone, but still neat. This product makes me wonder if theh have other things in the works. I wouldn't be surprised if there is something 3 years from now that releases where we say "this is like if the Portal was good".
Yeah I didn't understand why I'd do this instead of just using my PC with a controller. Wifi streaming sucks, I'm not paying $200 for it
Not drain my cell battery or get interrupted from a call or text, have a much bigger screen than a phone, save you from trying to balance a tablet around on a bed or chair or recliner.....
Those are incredibly small problems that are easily solved without having to spend $200
How my console boys feelin? Where your games at?
I suspect I'm pretty much the only market for this thing. I can play while in bed, which is where most of switch gaming currently happens. The price is probably reasonable for what it cost them, but they need to explain why anyone besides me would want one.
Ok, I'll bite. What exactly makes you the only person in the world who can play a handheld in bed?
Can I plug the new vr into it so I can get rid of the gosh-darn wire?
Doubt it. The bandwidth needed for VR is pretty high and when people do wireless PCVR setups, the rule of thumb is setting up a nearby fast WiFi 5 router just for the VR connection.