Sony is the most enjoyable in the moments when it’s at its most bizarre and most bizarre, such as creating Donut-shaped headphones which are actually very comfortable, or a lamp and speaker combination that looks like a bong, for no apparent reason. But when it comes down to Sony’s PlayStation Portal, the weirdness isn’t only in the design but also at the basis of the question “Why does this thing exist?”
PlayStation Remote Play is far from being a revolutionary feature, but it’s a feature that can be used with multi-purpose devices such as phones tablets, laptops, or even a phone for free. Why would you spend $200 on an item of hardware just for this feature? After spending a great deal of time playing with this feature on the PlayStation Portal since my initial experience, I believe I’ve figured out: that it’s an air fryer.
You may be asking “Wait, how is a gaming handheld a home cooking appliance?” It’s simple, similar to an air fryer and a microwave, it is similar to an air fryer. Portal is a gadget that costs a significant amount of money can do only one thing and has one method (it streams games from your PS5 through Wi-Fi) and other multi-use devices can accomplish the same function (PS5 Remote Play can be used on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, iPadOS, and even the PS4).
Like the air fryer you probably already have a device that can do the same thing like the Portal (many kitchen appliances provide convection heating, which is the way it cooks an air fryer). However, I’ll be damned if cooking up crispy chicken nuggets within 10 minutes or having a short game while lying in bed isn’t a similar type of convenience.
The PlayStation Portal indeed is all about conveniences, such as playing your games off your console and transporting the games around your home or even in the open world. But with a dependence on Wi-Fi’s performance the world of convenience can be ruined when you have to contend with poor connectivity or any of the portal’s peculiar quirks comes to the forefront.
Through my experience using the Portal, I’ve mostly experiences of “it just works” experience in particular following a post-launch update to the software which seemed to bring about minor improvements to performance. I connect the Portal directly to the PlayStation 5 and within a few seconds, I’m able to take my games to all areas of my house and play them flawlessly on the Portal’s sharp and vivid eight-inch display -including those awesome DualSense haptics.
It’s a foolproof idea when I put it as such, however, starting your Portal as well as joining (the one thing the Portal does once you switch the device on) is an extremely “your mileage may vary” moment. It might work flawlessly. It might not function completely. It could require some tweaking in your home network’s settings.
I’ve been sifting through the r/PlayStationPortal subreddit to understand the mood of its members and in the threads of problem-solving help and users posting their W’s on how good their Portal is even during the road, you can sometimes see an outpouring of frustration.
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To test my home network the PS5 is connected via Ethernet and I’ve got gigabit broadband on an internet-connected mesh network using three Google Nest Wifi Pro routers. With all this, there are indeed places in my home where connectivity can become somewhat tense. Sometimes, for something that seems unfathomable at the time the game would stop playing and then skip minutes of play. I’m not sure what causes it if it’s because another device connected to my network suddenly is taking up bandwidth, or there’s a higher level of congestion due to my ISP’s vicinity, or it’s just an oddity.
It’s hard to pinpoint the reason however, you must accept the fact that time you may experience your swings from Spider-Man 2. and your Axe throwing during God of War Ragnarok interrupted. It can be a challenge occasionally however it’s a cost of having Wi-Fi available to avoid taking your family’s TV off or taking your game to an entirely different space.
This is the point where one of the Portal’s biggest mistakes can cause you to wonder if it could be improved. The Portal does not support WiFi 5 (802.11ac) which has been in use since 2014. It provides plenty of bandwidth to meet Sony’s stated minimum requirement of 5Mbps upload and download speeds, and is even higher than the recommended speed of 15Mbps however, why would a new device that is due to be released in the second quarter of 2023 (one that is based on Wi-Fi, not surprisingly) not come with the Wi-Fi 6 or 6E radio?
Although not all homes are equipped with Wi-Fi 6E routers, the ones that do are capable of playing their Portal games using the less congested 6Ghz band. This is one of Portal’s many flaws in particular considering that Wi-Fi-7 devices are about to turn the turn.
However, the Portal’s bizarre quirks aren’t limited to Wi-Fi specifications. The device has An Airplane Mode. Why? It’s a lightweight device that doesn’t have Wi-Fi. It can’t play games or media on the local memory — in fact, it can’t even reveal how the internal storage has. It also does not stream any content that’s not being streamed to it via your PS5.
It doesn’t have an auto-brightness adjuster isn’t equipped with a protection case (the only alternatives available are provided by third-party vendors) and can only support one user at a time. Do you have a shared PS5 with a friend and/or have more than one account in your household? If you intend to share your PlayStation Portal as well then be ready to log out manually and then log into it (including with 2FA if it’s activated, which you must) every time someone else needs to play.
All of these flaws and flaws make Portal seem like a sloppy compromise or the skeleton of a larger project that was cut off from funding at the beginning of the development. Perhaps nothing is like the lack of Bluetooth audio. The Portal has a 3.5mm headphone jack, however, for those who want wireless, the only choice is Sony’s newest exclusive PlayStation Link audio devices -which are priced at a premium but lack features that are premium, such as active noise canceling.
Of the two models that have been announced only one of them, the $199.99 Pulse Explore earbuds are not yet available (and aren’t easy to locate in stock). However, the $149.99 Pulse Elite headset isn’t expected until the end of February.
Sony’s Pulse Explore earbuds are great on the Portal and they do indeed, their exclusive PlayStation Link connection yields noticeably lower latency than using the identical earbuds in Bluetooth mode on a different device using Remote Play. However, none of it justifies removing Bluetooth completely from the Portal. Bluetooth isn’t the fastest and most inefficient, however, it functions effectively enough and is an excellent function that needs to be available on a device that’s designed to be simple and easy.
It’s not worth asking your customers to pay another $150-$200 just to get wireless audio with the $200 remote player is a bit naive, especially considering that you can’t even get the higher-priced (and noise-canceling) Sony InZone H9 wireless headset that some PS5 avid users may have cannot even be connected via the USB dongle. The only benefit of the Portal concerning audio is its built-in speakers, which do not sound a bit squeaky, and also the possibility to switch to wired audio (which will eliminate any latency).
Despite these annoying issues, the Portal offers a great all-in-one experience. You can enjoy a high-quality Remote Play experience with an iPad or laptop that has a bigger screen. You can enjoy a more mobile experience by using a collapsible mobile phone controller such as that of the BackBone One However, each of these options is less clear. It’s not as easy as grabbing the Portal and switching it on.
Numerous Steam Deck and ROG Ally owners have discovered ways to make use of Remote Play with free software such as Chiaki however you’ll need to do a small amount of effort and tinkering to set it up. I’ve tested it on my original deck and it’s generally good it’s able to replicate its DualSense touchscreen and sharing button, thanks to the community-created button layouts that are available for download but you’re never going to get all the DualSense haptics (if you’re interested).
PlayStation Portal PlayStation Portal shortcuts the initial installation process and the confusion in Remote Play to give you an almost effortless, easy solution. It’s an excellent addition to your PS5 when you’re a parent or busy person who wants to squeeze in a few games despite someone else watching TV, or you’re looking to bring the comfort of your gaming experience by allowing you to relax in bed and play. However, all the pitfalls and issues with Remote Play are still here.
My most important advice for those who are considering the possibility of a Portal would be first to join their PS5 via Ethernet (seriously wi-fi on both sides of the equation isn’t an enjoyable experience) to test PS Remote Play. You can test the PlayStation Remote Play application via your Wi-Fi at home using your tablet, laptop, or mobile. If it’s performing well to be your preference, particularly in the type of games you love to play and enjoy, then it’s possible that a Portal could be a good idea.
Sony’s first foray into a handheld device since its PlayStation Vita may be an odd, limited device that has only one function, but it does serve the purpose well, provided that your Wi-Fi network isn’t infested by bugs. Sony may be experimenting with the potential of things going to be more than merely launching a product that’s not fully baked.
There is a need (at most for now) for Portals since they are often ordered. I’m all for narrow niches, single-use gadgets, and nerdy ones if they’re decent and, overall, I’ve been enjoying the Portal despite the many flaws. However, it inspires me to return to a portable PlayStation handheld device, which I’m hoping Sony is developing shortly.