We have read the first PlayStation Portal tests for you to summarize the opinion of the Anglo-Saxon press.
Will console makers embrace the revival of portable consoles? While the PC market is innovating in this regard (Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Legion Go, etc.) and Nintendo revolutionized hybrid gaming in 2017, Sony and Microsoft are lagging behind and relying on different strategies.
To catch up, Sony launched the PlayStation Portal, which isn’t actually a PlayStation Portable. The tests have just been released and the weather is hot and cold.
No, it’s not a PSVita 2
First, let’s remember what this console is: it is not a console, but a “remote player”. It does not replace the PSP or the PSVita, but is simply an accessory to the PS5 like the “Mablette” to the Wii U.
It is a screen that sits between two parts of DualSense and uses the Remote Play function to remotely connect to a PS5. The PlayStation Portal cannot therefore launch games itself or access other applications or cloud gaming services. Not even the Sony one.
Impeccable workmanship, a screen that divides
This design aims to do everything it can to evoke the PlayStation 5. Therefore, it is normal that the workmanship of the device is flawless and the feeling is familiar. TechRadar states that the PS Portal will “feel right at home in the hands of a PS5 user.” Everything is reminiscent of the DualSense, but is a bit smaller, especially when it comes to the joysticks, which are more reminiscent of those on the PS VR2 controllers.
In addition, the specialists also speak of a robust workmanship, which is quite reassuring for a device that is to be held in the hand for a long time and transported from room to room.
A fighting screen?
On the screen, the opinions of the press differ a little more. This 8-inch 1080p60 LCD panel appeared “sharp and vibrant” to the Kotaku journalist, but far less satisfactory to others. There’s a snub at PCMag: “The Switch looks better at 720p.” This is particularly because the interface of PS5 games is not designed for a small screen. Kotaku also admits that it is almost impossible to read elements on the screen in Final Fantasy XVI.
In addition to the surface, the colors are also duller than on an OLED or QLED screen: Peter Parker’s costume in Spider-Man 2 looks “boring” in comparison. In addition, Kotaku states that fingerprints are quickly visible, which can be annoying.
PS Portal above, Switch OLED below // Source: Will Greenwald – PCMag
At TechRadar, the screen is a weak point of the console, while at DigitalTrends it is a strength. It therefore certainly depends on your sensitivity and the screens to which you are used.
To replace the DualSense’s touchpad, the PlayStation Portal screen is a touchscreen. A pretty good idea that deserves more explanation given the lack of understanding about the mechanism among some journalists who had difficulty opening the map of the latest Marvel game. Only a small area corresponds to the controller’s touchpad, the rest of the screen opens its own menu.
“The PS Portal’s touchpad is clunky and poorly explained, but it’s not completely prohibitive,” says Kotaku.
The touch zones of the PlayStation Portal // Source: Kotaku
A quality that depends on the connection
The PlayStation Portal is used to broadcast the PS5 display to another room on the same local network. However, it is still entirely possible to access your console from an external network. However, this will involve an additional step that can radically reduce the gaming experience.
With this accessory, the connection becomes a particularly important element. Just like with cloud gaming, it’s not so much about speed but rather stability. Testers therefore report completely different experiences.
For TechRadar, the experience has nothing to do with Remote Play and the same use on the PC: “While my PC sometimes had visual lags and sound crackles, the connection with the PS portal is transparent and fluid.” The journalist states that he sees no difference in input lag on his PS5.
For others, the concerns are more or less pronounced. For example, Digital Trends explains that there were “occasional audio issues and drops in resolution, but nothing out of the ordinary.” The same goes for PCMag: “Although the image is sometimes blurred by prioritizing minimization of latency over graphical fidelity.” A technique that we regularly encounter when playing video streams from a distance.
With Polygon, however, the result is completely different when using a mesh network. “I had a rough, low-resolution picture and noticeable input lag, which made almost every game I tried unplayable.” Once the PS5 was connected to the router and the PlayStation Portal got closer, the experience and gaming was much better from Lies of P was easier. However, access to games that required precision was still impossible. The journalist explains that in Fortnite “the slight lag was hindered [sa] Ability to line up shots.” The controller excuse? Perhaps this also makes it clear that Ghostrunner 2 was unplayable due to the timing.
The autonomy of a DualSense
Despite these few small flaws, the PlayStation Portal manages to meet the requirements and does so for a satisfactory period of time, as various testers report running out of battery after around six hours of play. Unfortunately, due to the principle of this remote player, activating airplane mode (yes, there is one) doesn’t do much to save battery, especially since it doesn’t have Bluetooth.
PlayStation Portal and DualSense // Source: Cameron Faulkner – Polygon
Also note that the battery indicator is via a simple three-bar icon rather than numbers. However, there is nothing that an update cannot fix.
A niche product
For TechRadar, PlayStation Portal is “excellent in its niche.” Everyone seems to agree: it is a very high quality accessory for remote play. Still, it doesn’t perform any better than a smartphone with a controller like the Backbone One, which costs half as much as the PS Portal.
And that is the biggest disadvantage of this remote reader: the price. For 220 euros we would have liked an OLED screen and more options. According to Polyon, this makes it “the most luxurious way to play Remote Play games.”
Where to buy
Sony PlayStation Portal at the best price?
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