TechGamingGaming ConsolesPlayStation Portal review: the PS5’s new best friendNot quite the Nintendo Switch rival we were hoping for, but the PlayStation Portal can still be a perfect match for a PlayStation 5When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)T3 VerdictAn oddity perhaps, the PlayStation Portal isn’t a true handheld console, rather a way to play games streamed from your own PS5. In that respect it excels. The large, 8-inch screen is superb and latency is nigh-on non-existent. Plus, you can use it with a mobile hotspot or external Wi-Fi connection. If it had access to cloud gaming too, it’d be better still, but even as it stands it’s great for hardcore PlayStation fans who want to play when the TV is unavailable.Reasons to buy+Excellent 8-inch display with great viewing angles+True DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers+Little or no latency when on home network+Works on remote Wi-Fi or through a mobile hotspotReasons to avoid-Can only stream from your home PS5-Battery life isn’t quite as advertised-Can’t connect third-party Bluetooth headphonesWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
TechGamingGaming ConsolesPlayStation Portal review: the PS5’s new best friendNot quite the Nintendo Switch rival we were hoping for, but the PlayStation Portal can still be a perfect match for a PlayStation 5When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)T3 VerdictAn oddity perhaps, the PlayStation Portal isn’t a true handheld console, rather a way to play games streamed from your own PS5. In that respect it excels. The large, 8-inch screen is superb and latency is nigh-on non-existent. Plus, you can use it with a mobile hotspot or external Wi-Fi connection. If it had access to cloud gaming too, it’d be better still, but even as it stands it’s great for hardcore PlayStation fans who want to play when the TV is unavailable.Reasons to buy+Excellent 8-inch display with great viewing angles+True DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers+Little or no latency when on home network+Works on remote Wi-Fi or through a mobile hotspotReasons to avoid-Can only stream from your home PS5-Battery life isn’t quite as advertised-Can’t connect third-party Bluetooth headphonesWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Not quite the Nintendo Switch rival we were hoping for, but the PlayStation Portal can still be a perfect match for a PlayStation 5
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)T3 VerdictAn oddity perhaps, the PlayStation Portal isn’t a true handheld console, rather a way to play games streamed from your own PS5. In that respect it excels. The large, 8-inch screen is superb and latency is nigh-on non-existent. Plus, you can use it with a mobile hotspot or external Wi-Fi connection. If it had access to cloud gaming too, it’d be better still, but even as it stands it’s great for hardcore PlayStation fans who want to play when the TV is unavailable.Reasons to buy+Excellent 8-inch display with great viewing angles+True DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers+Little or no latency when on home network+Works on remote Wi-Fi or through a mobile hotspotReasons to avoid-Can only stream from your home PS5-Battery life isn’t quite as advertised-Can’t connect third-party Bluetooth headphones
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
T3 VerdictAn oddity perhaps, the PlayStation Portal isn’t a true handheld console, rather a way to play games streamed from your own PS5. In that respect it excels. The large, 8-inch screen is superb and latency is nigh-on non-existent. Plus, you can use it with a mobile hotspot or external Wi-Fi connection. If it had access to cloud gaming too, it’d be better still, but even as it stands it’s great for hardcore PlayStation fans who want to play when the TV is unavailable.Reasons to buy+Excellent 8-inch display with great viewing angles+True DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers+Little or no latency when on home network+Works on remote Wi-Fi or through a mobile hotspotReasons to avoid-Can only stream from your home PS5-Battery life isn’t quite as advertised-Can’t connect third-party Bluetooth headphones
T3 VerdictAn oddity perhaps, the PlayStation Portal isn’t a true handheld console, rather a way to play games streamed from your own PS5. In that respect it excels. The large, 8-inch screen is superb and latency is nigh-on non-existent. Plus, you can use it with a mobile hotspot or external Wi-Fi connection. If it had access to cloud gaming too, it’d be better still, but even as it stands it’s great for hardcore PlayStation fans who want to play when the TV is unavailable.
T3 Verdict
An oddity perhaps, the PlayStation Portal isn’t a true handheld console, rather a way to play games streamed from your own PS5. In that respect it excels. The large, 8-inch screen is superb and latency is nigh-on non-existent. Plus, you can use it with a mobile hotspot or external Wi-Fi connection. If it had access to cloud gaming too, it’d be better still, but even as it stands it’s great for hardcore PlayStation fans who want to play when the TV is unavailable.
Reasons to buy+Excellent 8-inch display with great viewing angles+True DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers+Little or no latency when on home network+Works on remote Wi-Fi or through a mobile hotspotReasons to avoid-Can only stream from your home PS5-Battery life isn’t quite as advertised-Can’t connect third-party Bluetooth headphones
Reasons to buy+Excellent 8-inch display with great viewing angles+True DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers+Little or no latency when on home network+Works on remote Wi-Fi or through a mobile hotspot
Excellent 8-inch display with great viewing angles
True DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers
Little or no latency when on home network
Works on remote Wi-Fi or through a mobile hotspot
Reasons to avoid-Can only stream from your home PS5-Battery life isn’t quite as advertised-Can’t connect third-party Bluetooth headphones
Can only stream from your home PS5
Battery life isn’t quite as advertised
Can’t connect third-party Bluetooth headphones
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Jump to category:Price & availabilityDisplay and designPerformanceBattery lifeFuture potentialVerdictAlso consider
Jump to category:Price & availabilityDisplay and designPerformanceBattery lifeFuture potentialVerdictAlso consider
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Handheld gaming has come on leaps and bounds sinceSonykilled its second attempt at a portable console. The PS Vita was officially discontinued in 2019, having been effectively sidelined a couple of years beforehand. And while it was fun while it lasted, it seemed to be the last time Sony was to make a dedicated portable games machine.
But up stepped theNintendo Switchand, in its wake has come the Steam Deck,Lenovo Legion Go,Asus ROG Allyand a host of Chinese retro handhelds, each proving that there’s a big enough user base to at least consider re-entering the portable arena once more. And so that’s what Sony has done… of sorts.
ThePlayStationPortal Remote Player, to use its full name, is a portable games machine with its own screen and wrapped in a controller – much like a Switch or many of the other portable consoles, but it’s also quite different. It doesn’t technically run games, for starters.
Instead, it uses aPlayStation 5’s existing Remote Play functionality to stream games over a home or external wireless connection, using your PS5 as the host and the Portal as a receiver. In many ways, you can already do something similar with a smartphone and controller accessory, such as theBackbone One, but there’s a fair bit to Sony’s official plaything than that.
It has an 8-inch 1080p display, which is considerably larger than anyiPhoneorAndroid phone, and the controls are based on the PS5’s own DualSense gamepad – with all the bells and whistles you are used to. Plus, the stripped back connection process is more simple than sparking up the Remote Play phone app. It’s a friendlier, more premium experience for sure.
PlayStation Portal review: price & availability
That’s perhaps just as well as you are certainly expected to pay a premium price. The PlayStation Portal Remote Player will set you back£199.99/$199.99, but if that seems a little steep, consider that theDualSense Edge pro controlleris a tad more expensive still.
In my opinion, it’s definitely worth it.
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
PlayStation Portal review: display and design
That’s partly down to that impressive display.
Even though the PS Vita used an OLED panel, the Portal only has an LCD touchscreen, but it’s highly impressive nonetheless. Being 8-inches means it is beefy and bold enough to make a gameplay session feel more tangible, and it has a decent viewing angle to boot.
It’s not all great news, there’s no HDR, for example. But you do get a 60Hz refresh rate for 60fps gaming. I would have preferred both, but if there’s a trade-off to be had, this is the better outcome.
Plus, in all honesty, when you’re in the middle of an intense skirmish inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2or Ultimate Team Champions match inEA Sports FC 24, you don’t really miss high dynamic range visuals. Nor do you care much about the resolution maxing out at 1920 x 1080. A screen that size can show the extra detail of a 1440p or 2160p feed, but it’s largely unnecessary and fractional.
What you do get is excellent looking video running at 60 frames per second and with seemingly no latency or lag.
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
As for the design of the Portal, it’s easily the most ergonomic handheld I’ve used to date. Yes, it looks like someone has cut a DualSense in two and slapped a tablet in-between (because it essentially is exactly that) but it feels right in each hand. The only real caveat is that, to fit it all into a neat, comfortable package, the thumbsticks are a little smaller than on the PS5 controller, and they cut into the screen’s bezel a touch.
That’s extended to build quality – it feels sturdy and well-made – but I’d advise considering a third-party case as a dual purchase as I’m petrified to leave the Portal lying on a TV stand let alone chucking it in a bag. A screen protector could be wise too.
PlayStation Portal review: performance
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
As I’ve said already, the PlayStation Portal has no on-board storage (that’s available to you, anyway) and you cannot install games directly on it. It therefore requires a wireless network connection to run. However, that can be at home on the same network as your PlayStation 5 or, as I’ve tested, over a remote data hook up.
That means you can play your own PS5 games when on holiday or around a friend’s house, as long as you have the ability to connect to the internet. I tested the PlayStation Portal at home (naturally) but also over a flaky 4G mobile data connection and while there were a fair few concessions made on the latter, it still worked.
When connecting to a home network, the Portal runs superbly. After an initial set-up phase, which it guides you through, you can just press the PlayStation button on the left-hand pad and it will search for and connect to your PS5. Once paired you will see your own homescreen on the handheld’s display and away you go.
Streaming at home is a seamless experience with so little lag that it’s imperceptible. Indeed, I left my TV on too at one point to see how much latency there is and control movements worked on both screens simultaneously.
Much of the rest of the performance comes down to your own console and home network capabilities. A normal network should run 1080p 60fps absolutely fine, although you might find some glitches if others in the home are also streaming 4K video or the like. It’d take a fair few to be on simultaneously to make a big difference though.
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
The performance when out and about is less reliable, as it will entirely depend on the data connection. Running the Portal on a 4G mobile signal in a fairly remote area resulted in a drop in resolution and frame rate, but Spider-Man 2 was still eminently playable. Therefore, over 5G would present no problems, nor should running the device on a hotel’s Wi-Fi network, for example.
It’s also worth noting that the stereo speakers are very decent, with the ability to present a loud personal soundstage, which is just as well because, while Bluetooth is also on board for wireless headphones hook-up, you’re confined to pairing the official PlayStation headset or earbuds. You cannot use third-party Bluetooth in- or over-ears.
There is a 3.5mm jack though to connect them using a cable.
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
PlayStation Portal review: battery life
As with all portable devices these days, the handheld has a USB-C port for charging (hidden under a fold on the rear). This supports faster charging, it seems, and it only takes around an hour to go from flat to full.
Sony claims that the battery should give you around 8-hours of gameplay time, but I’ve found that’s pretty ambitious. I’d place it more at around 5 to 6-hours in general use and not dissimilar to a Nintendo Switch OLED model.
About 5-hours is also par for the course with handhelds – I’ve rarely found myself playing more than that in a single session and, if you have access to Wi-Fi, you’ll invariably have access to a power socket too.
PlayStation Portal review: future potential
I guess the usability and desirability of the PlayStation Portal will come down to circumstance. For me, it’s a great way to carry on a game in another room, while the family is watching something on the main screen. And, I suspect, that’s its main purpose.
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
What I would like in future though is the ability to stream games over the cloud to the Portal and I’m a little surprised that it doesn’t already. Sony does offer cloud gaming through its PlayStation Plus membership service, to PS Plus Premium subscribers, so why not let them also play those games on the new device?
After all, it is capable of streaming video at 1080p 60fps, so why only from the one source?
I suspect this could be something added in the near future – it could help drive subscriptions to the top PS Plus tier, for starters. And the technology is surely capable.
As it stands, not only can you not stream cloud games directly, you can’t access them through your PS5 connection neither. Nor can you stream video from the likes ofNetflixorApple TV+, but that’s less important considering the Portal is designed to be held and won’t stand independently.
Essentially, I believe there’s more potential in the PlayStation Portal than is currently employed.
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
PlayStation Portal review: verdict
If Sony does decide to expand the featureset of its Portal handheld in future, that’d make it an even more essential purchase. However, it is already worth considering for PlayStation power users.
The 8-inch display is excellent, even without HDR, and the feel of the controls, with their force feedback and haptics, is better than on any equivalent.
Yes, it’s a pricey accessory for an already fairly pricey console, but so too is thePlayStation VR2headset and its cost does not diminish its quality. You pay a premium, you get a premium experience. This applies equally to the PlayStation Portal.
It’s niche, yeah, but it’s my kind of niche and can get better still, I’m sure.
PlayStation Portal review: also consider
With the PlayStation 5 Remote Play app also doing effectively the same thing on mobile devices, you might want to simply use your iPhone orAndroidhandset to stream games from your console instead.
In that case, I thoroughly recommend purchasing a dedicated mobile controller, like aBackbone Oneor Razer Kishi. There’s even aPlayStation Edition versionof the former, which looks like a DualSense controller (in its colour scheme) and comes with USB-C connectivity for iPhone 15 compatibility too.
It’s not quite the same (the screen size will be smaller, for starters) but you still get a great streaming experience over Wi-Fi and mobile data.
Sony PlayStation Portal: Price Comparison
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