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Sony revealed its PlayStation Portal recently, previously confirmed as Project Q. The device offers a very specific set of features that, unfortunately, is unlikely to prompt people to line up on launch day. Sony has a history of some amazing portable gaming devices like the PSP and, to some extent, the PS Vita. Still, unless some serious changes are made, the remote-play-enabled PlayStation Portal will be unable to stack up against Sony’s older successes.
Portable devices such as the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and ROG Ally have sky-rocketed in recent years. Sony rightfully wanted to offer its users a similar product and allow PlayStation fans a method of playing on the go. However, this ended up translating to the PlayStation Portal not locally playing any games but simply streaming games from a nearby PlayStation 5.
Sony’s Shortcomings When Designing the PlayStation Portal
First and foremost, the price tag of the PlayStation Portable, especially when compared to the competition, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. $199.99 would be fair if it had a plethora of use cases. Still, for something that is essentially just a streaming tablet with a controller attached, its value proposition is laughable when compared to something like the Nintendo Switch or even an Xbox Series S on sale.
In an absolutely confounding turn of events, Sony decided that this streaming device wouldn’t be able to stream games from the cloud, even for people who are subscribed to PlayStation Plus Premium, essentially limiting the target audience to the only people who already have a PlayStation 5. Dividing the already limited subset of targeted gamers even further, the only people interested in the PlayStation Portal are the ones who don’t always have access to a TV or simply want to use their PlayStation 5 in bed or away from the console. To top of off, the limited streaming options don’t stop there, as owners won’t be able to stream any sort of media at all, so if you expected a multi-purpose device that you could also use for media consumption, think again.
The Hardware Limitations of the PlayStation Portal
On the hardware side, although the battery size hasn’t been confirmed, the streaming handheld is targeting around the same battery life as a Dual Sense, which isn’t known for its longevity to begin with. Around 4-5 hours of continuous usage depending on the screen brightness is not bad but using it while all the haptics are on might reduce the battery life to an unacceptable level. Furthermore, the PlayStation Portal does not support Bluetooth. As if the $200 price tag wasn’t enough, if you want wireless audio like a normal gamer, you will have to splurge some more and go for a Link-compatible audio device, which Sony coincidentally just launched alongside.
These proprietary headphones and earbuds are called the PlayStation Elite Wireless headset and the Pulse Earbuds. The former cost $150, while the latter cost yet another $200, practically a steal if there weren’t any other audio devices on the market.
It is not all bad though, as the 8-inch 1080p LCD screen is noticeably larger than the competition and should offer a very immersive experience as a handheld device.
A Free Alternative To the PlayStation Portal For Anyone
If you are in any way connected with gaming, it is very likely that you own one of the following devices. A smartphone, tablet, laptop, or computer. If you own any one of these, you are in luck. Simply download the first-party PlayStation Remote Play app for your system (iOS, Android, Windows). You can even opt for third-party PlayStation Remote Play offerings if their feature set better suits your needs.
To complete your setup, connect your Dual Sense to said device, and you have yourself a portable in-house streaming setup for playing your favorite PlayStation 5 games that doesn’t require an unreasonable amount of money and supports Bluetooth audio too. Note that the Dual Sense natively supports all the aforementioned operating systems wirelessly.
Finally, if you are tech-savvy, and don’t want to pay for PS+ Premium for cloud streaming, you can also forward specific ports on your internet router and set up your portable device of choice to play games on your personal PlayStation 5 while you are far away using a different internet connection.
Sony Will Have To Make Certain Changes To Expand the Target Audience
If Sony wants the PlayStation Portal to be a success when it launches later this year, then the upcoming device will need some major changes. Not only should it allow for multiple media consumption options and Cloud gaming, but also allow the installation of third-party streaming apps. This will enable users to install apps like Steam Link or Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud and really expand what the PlayStation Portal can really do. Being an Android-powered device, this should be very simple with access to the Google Play Store.
