The PlayStation Portal has been out since November 15, 2023, so the general opinions are well established, and since this new Sony device has such polarizing opinions, we decided to give our honest opinion on this new PlayStation 5 accessory.
Controller
Right off the bat, anyone can tell that this thing feels good in the hands, as it's practically a PS5 controller "frankensteined" onto an LCD. We are using the word "practically" because it is not as exact as it appears. The buttons are ever so slightly smaller (nothing that you can notice even while playing with it), and the analog sticks are significantly smaller but still feel comfortable and full-size while playing it. These are not small compared to the analog sticks on Sony's past handheld PS Vita. This controller and setup feel great. You never feel tired of holding this, and it's just extremely comfortable. The R2 and L2 trigger buttons surprisingly support the haptic feedback feature we were all used to on the normal PS5 controllers. The PS Portal even has a built-in microphone similar to the built-in PS5 controller microphone. In terms of its controller, there isn't much of a downside. The Playstation Portal nailed this category with flying colors.
Display
Another glaringly obvious detail would have to be the sheer size of this display. The 8" LCD on this device just looks great. Although it is only a 1080P display, it still does look pretty good, but we would love to add that it just looks so much bigger in person than you can imagine once you have your hands on one of these. Also, the screen refresh rate is at 60 Hz, which isn't too bad. This display is also touch-screen, so using your touchpad for games is possible by pressing the screen, and don't worry, you won't accidentally press it as it takes a "double tap" to use the touchpad in case of user error. This way, your gameplay won't be interrupted. For what it is, the screen is decent and works well for what Sony was going for.
The experience
This is the section of the review that is critical, and I'm sure many reading this know where it is going. The most important key detail here is that the PlayStation Portal is a remote streaming device only. That means this device can only be played over Wi-Fi and works remotely, accessing your PlayStation 5 console. The portal is controlling your PS5 console, as this device is an extension of your PS5. This is great in theory, but it is way more finicky and inconsistent than you could imagine. Granted, it's not as bad as many critics have claimed it to be. It's still a small hurdle that takes a little bit of knowledge to work around to make your play experience as seamless as possible. That means this device is dependent on your WiFi connection. Now, you do not need to have super-fast Wi-Fi speeds, but what you do need is a great connection. When two to three bars of WiFi are visible on the screen, you should not have any issues, but if this device drops down to one bar, be prepared to have a horrible experience. With that being said, we tested the portal on a Verizon/Fios Wi-Fi Home Router G3100 and experienced zero issues. We also tested it on a Netgear Nighthawk AX2400, which rendered similar results but covered more range. The gameplay seems to be almost identical to the previous Verizon ISP router it was initially tested on. According to Sony, the connection speeds needed for the Portal are as follows: "PlayStation Portalâ„¢ Remote Player requires broadband internet Wi-Fi with at least 5Mbps for use. For a better playing experience, a high-speed connection of at least 15 Mbps is recommended. With that being said, I would highly recommend having at least 15 Mbps and above. We tested this on 1 gigabit of internet running about 500/500 wireless, although these speeds shouldn't make a big difference once you are above 15 Mbps.
As stated earlier, the screen size is large, but I would like to add that I believe this size was to compensate for the fact that since this is a remote play-only device, you do not have crystal clear visuals, so reading small text would be difficult on a smaller screen. Using the Remote Play app on a standard iPhone 13 was almost unbearable when reading text in Diablo 4, and the Remote Play app seems to render similar results in terms of fluidity in gameplay and connection. I do believe that the portal connects slightly better than using the app on a phone, but it's not too drastic or noticeable. Playing on this console for online multiplayer games such as Call of Duty is not advised, as connection lag will make winning multiplayer rounds close to impossible.
As many people are falsely claiming you must use PlayStation headphones, this is not true, as any wired headphones work, although if you would like to use wireless Bluetooth headphones, you must buy the Sony name-brand compatible headset.
Also, you are not able to play any games unless you own them for your PlayStation 5, and they must be either installed or the disc must be physically present in the PS5 system itself. You cannot play your cloud-streaming games or watch movies through apps like Netflix, which is a bummer.
In terms of frame rate and experience, we have to be honest here. It's not perfect. At times, playing the portal can be annoying, as it periodically reminds me that I am streaming a game. As you can notice, its clarity is not the same as playing locally, but interestingly, it is good enough that at times I forget it is a streaming-only device because I am so immersed in the gameplay with its amazing controller. Frame rates are never going to be as smooth. While playing Diablo, you can notice some inconsistencies while staring at the background while running (which isn't so bad), but even playing the Tekken 8 demo, I was surprised as I was easily able to pull off juggle combos as if I were playing locally.
The Verdict
The PlayStation Portal is a great way to play your games away from your monitor or TV set if you have a tight Wi-Fi connection; otherwise, it may be useless. Using public Wi-Fi does not always yield good results. It is nice to have this accessory as an option to play games in other rooms, and it works wonderfully for those things. You can absolutely use this out of your Wi-Fi network in public places such as a friend's house as well, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a good, stable Wi-Fi connection. Although the image quality is not perfect, it comes pretty close and isn't anything that would make you bat an eye, especially while immersed in a great game. Its lack of portability and compatibility makes this device less appealing, but at its price point of $199, it's worth it as long as you know what you're buying and it's something that works for you. The PlayStation Portal is not for everyone, but for the people it is for, it's a decent way to remotely access your PlayStation 5 console.
