PlayStation Portal: It's both life-changing and frustrating at the same time

I have always despised one thing the most about traveling, during my time, apart from all the other dreadful things, which is not being able to carry my PlayStation 5 along with me. Luckily, with the help of PlayStation Portal, this issue is resolved, well, somewhat.

Sony has recently unveiled their latest tech innovation, the Remote Play. This feature enables users to stream PS5 gameplay to another device, such as a smartphone, without the need to carry around a bulky console. The benefits of this peripheral are twofold, as it allows you to enjoy the same high-quality graphics and smooth gameplay as you would on your console, while also providing the flexibility to play on the go. The only requirement is a stable WiFi connection, allowing you to enjoy your favorite games even outside the comfort of your home without any significant compromise.

Finding a decent WiFi connection can be quite challenging. Despite the fact that it relies on consistent internet access and has limited capabilities, I intend to take my PlayStation Portal with me on all of my future trips.

"My Favorite Things About PlayStation Portal"

When you first lay your eyes on the PlayStation Portal, it might seem like the latest version of Sony's PSP and Vita portable gaming devices that fans have been waiting for, but most likely won't ever arrive. The design also seems a bit ridiculous, with a massive LCD display crammed in between the DualSense controller's two halves.

Chuck Mangione once expressed the pleasant sensation we experience. Credited by Joe Maldonado from Mashable.

It is amusing to see that this clever thought is actually effective. The PS5 console comes with the DualSense controller, which is arguably Sony's finest gamepad produced to date, and the Portal game perfectly simulates its functions. Goal accomplished! However, the entertainment doesn't end here.

Hand Feel Is Amazing

Sony incorporated the special haptic mechanisms, such as subtle controller vibrations and adjustable triggers, in their game Portal. To verify this, I tried it out with the game Astro's Playroom that came with the console, and to my delight, it felt just as amazing as when I first powered on my PS5 last year. Astro's footsteps were accompanied by pleasing tap-tap-tap sensations, and the triggers provided resistance whenever the game required it.

There is something to keep in mind about this – the weight of the device. Portal weighs 529g or just a little over 1lb. It's not difficult or uncomfortable to hold it, but it's almost twice as heavy as a DualSense controller. It can be a bit inconvenient to carry with one hand, but other than that, the weight isn't a major issue.

Playing RPGs Made Easy

Latency is a major issue when using a game streaming gadget. Unfortunately, there's no avoiding the fact that there will always be a small delay between pressing a button and seeing the action on the screen with PlayStation Portal. Nonetheless, there is a silver lining because this won't affect many games.

For instance, I have a great fondness for role-playing games (RPGs). I tested out various RPGs (both turn-based and action-packed) on Portal, including titles like Dragon Quest XI, Star Ocean: The Second Story R, Tales of Arise, and Octopath Traveler II. I discovered that it was a wonderful experience playing these games on a handheld device whilst enjoying a football game on my television. It was quite enjoyable to either casually grind for experience points or tackle some sidequests whilst the football was on.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 worked pretty well on the Portal. However, I would recommend steering clear of games that require lightning-fast reflexes, especially first-person shooters. While Cyberpunk 2077 isn't the most twitchy game out there, I found it a bit difficult to play on the Portal. Trying to accurately shoot enemies in the head on a smaller screen with a slight delay in the middle of combat wasn't very enjoyable.

It's common sense to avoid any competitive multiplayer games on Portal. If you do decide to play, you will most likely be at a significant disadvantage.

Although Portal doesn't have a major issue with latency, there are more frequent occurrences of visual disturbances. For example, if a game operates at 60 frames per second on a PS5, it may not always do so on Portal, even though it can. I, myself, noticed numerous slight fluctuations now and then, which appeared to have more to do with my WiFi connection rather than anything related to the games themselves. Shooting and racing games would be negatively impacted by this, whereas for many other games, it may not be a significant concern.

Here's the revised version: The wonderful news is that the occurrence of resolution drops and visual distortion on Portal was not very frequent. However, when I played on Mashable's office WiFi network, I did notice more of these issues. But when I played at home, it was not a major issue. However, if you try to play a game on Portal while downloading something on your PS5, you may experience stuttering and visual distortions, which can become a nuisance. Therefore, it’s better not to do that.

Larger Than Any Mobile

The back section is quite uneventful. Accreditation goes to Joe Maldonado from Mashable.

Many people criticize Portal due to its price of $200 and its specific function, which can already be performed on a mobile phone. In fact, with the option of connecting a DualSense controller to your mobile device, you could even enjoy the haptic feedback capabilities that Portal provides.

I must agree that $200 is quite a considerable price to pay for a service that is normally easily available. However, I cannot deny that the 8-inch LCD display on the Portal is significantly larger than the screens of most smartphones. While I do acknowledge the criticism, I personally feel that the DualSense design with a large screen in the middle is a better fit for gaming than using an iPhone with an external controller attached.

While Portal's display is functional, its capabilities aren't particularly impressive. With a maximum resolution of 1080p and a refresh rate of 60Hz, it's unlikely to leave anyone in awe. It's worth noting that this could impact your ability to play certain PS5 games at their fullest potential, as some games support 120Hz gameplay on select TVs. Unfortunately, Portal isn't one of them. It's a disappointment, but that's just the way it is.

Problems With PlayStation Portal

Until now, you could have been considering that the Portal is an amazing gadget with only a few minor disadvantages. Let me shatter that belief a little.

To put it simply, my Portal experience during testing was severely hindered by issues with maintaining a consistent connection to my PS5. While there were a few sessions that went smoothly, the majority of the time I was faced with a disconnection error every 15 to 20 minutes. It's important to note that this occurred even though I was only sitting six feet away from the PS5.

Great news! If your Portal disconnects, don't worry, it's a simple problem to solve. Your game will pause, and the screen will stop for a short 5-10 seconds, then it'll prompt you to reconnect. It only takes a few seconds to do this, so at most, it'll take you 30 seconds to get back to your game. I've never experienced the Portal not reconnecting right away, so you shouldn't have any issues with that either.

The issue is not totally destroying the experience, but rather it's extremely bothersome. Portal software requires updates and perhaps Sony may resolve this matter. Nevertheless, this is currently a significant issue.

"Not New, Technically"

I don't mean to sound redundant, but Portal's price tag is a few hundred dollars for a duplicate experience that I could have easily had for "no charge" just by possessing a PS5 and a mobile device. The worth of it all isn't impressive. There's no need to say much more about it. You catch my drift.

Well, at least the device has a port for headphones. Acknowledgement: Joe Maldonado from Mashable.

Let me be straightforward - if you're thinking of using your AirPods for private audio output on PlayStation Portal, think again. This feature is exclusive to wired headphones and PlayStation-branded headphones manufactured by the company itself.

The most disappointing aspect? The initial headphones produced by the company haven't even been released. What you require is a product which features Sony's exclusive "PlayStation Link" technology. This technology is currently available in two options: the Pulse Explore earbuds or the Pulse Elite headphones. The earbuds will become available on December 6th for a price of $199, whereas the headphones will not be released until February 21st with a price tag of $149. This is quite unfortunate.

"PlayStation Portal: What Makes It 'eh'?"

By far the most uncertain element of Portal for me is how user-friendly it will be based on your individual circumstances.

"Results Vary: It Depends On You"

I was only able to test it thoroughly on my home Wi-Fi and at the Mashable workplace. As previously mentioned, the performance was superior in my personal environment.

Let me tell you, the internet connection at my place is terrible. It's never steady and sometimes it works fine while other times it's just frustrating. During weekdays at night, the speed is even slower. Despite all these issues, the Portal device surprisingly worked pretty smoothly! It worked so well for me, and if you've got better internet than me, you'll definitely enjoy it more.

If the internet plays a crucial role in your day-to-day routines, I would feel hesitant about using Portal.

How Long Does The PlayStation Portal Battery Last?

To wrap up, there is some optimistic news regarding Portal.

The battery of this device is not outstanding, but after a full charge, you can use it for approximately six to eight hours. I believe that's an acceptable amount of time for the features offered by the Portal. Compared to a powerful handheld gaming device like the Lenovo Legion Go, the Portal does not produce any annoying fan noise or noticeable heating issues, probably because it doesn't have that kind of horse-power.

The environment is calm, cold, and its duration is sufficient enough to not pose a significant issue.

As I was going through the review process of the PlayStation Portal, I found myself in a bit of a dilemma. I couldn't quite decide if it was a fantastic gadget with some flaws or a lousy one that's surprisingly awesome. To be honest, I'm still unsure which category it falls into, but maybe that doesn't really matter in the end.

In simple words, there are several issues with this product that make it difficult for me to suggest adding it to your Amazon cart and buying it for $200. Although the gameplay is great while playing Portal, it often has connectivity problems and inconsistent performance due to network differences, which prevents me from recommending it.

Despite everything I've mentioned, I still use it on a daily basis. I've even started to ignore my actual PS5 that's just sitting in my room and have started playing my favorite RPGs on Portal while catching up on my favorite TV shows. Portal's compact design, clear display, and versatility have made up for its various faults in my opinion.

It may not apply to you, but I am incapable of uttering the phrase "this thing is terrible" and disregarding it. Life is not always uncomplicated like that.

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