I thought PlayStation Portal was pointless — here’s why I was wrong

Rory writes: "When the PlayStation Portal was revealed earlier this year, I was fairly dismissive of the PS5 accessory, just like a lot of people were. I just couldn’t see the market for a $199 device designed exclusively for remote play, especially when true portable gaming is enjoying a deserved renaissance thanks to the Steam Deck and the enduring popularity of the Nintendo Switch.

This week I’ve been fortunate to get hands-on with a PlayStation Portal, and I’m here to hold my hands up and admit that I got this one wrong.

Badly wrong."

[jznrpg]

My young children have been sick and home from school. They want to lay in bed and rest/sleep in their room so I grab my portal and play while they are watching their show or sleeping. I have got a lot of hours to play that I wouldn’t have otherwise and it just came out last week. Going to play right now actually.

[darthv72]

i find myself picking it up when I get home from work and just relaxing on my couch. Its a nifty little kit that im quite enjoying.

[Inverno]

It's still pointless for those who don't need it, nor see a point in buying something that can be done on so many devices. Either way you aren't wrong in buying it, nor wrong in not buying it.

[jznrpg]

Nobody needs video games at all. But I want them so buy what I want because I can.

[Ataraxias]

"It's still pointless for those who don't need it"

Literally 99.99% of all products.

[northpaws]

EVERYTHING IS POINTLESS TO THOSE WHO DON'T NEED IT!!!!!

[Charlieboy333]

No other portable device can play all your PS5 games at native quality with the comfort and features of an actual dualsense. That is it's purpose and cannot be duplicated....doesn't matter what phone or whatever you have.

[Inverno]

Except practically every android device, and Apple device, and every window PC, and the Steam Deck can use remote play, and you can connect your DS to those devices, with the Deck being the exception because it has haptics and can do what the DS can on its own. So you're very much wrong.

[andy85]

@inverno it can't though can it? Just because it has haptics doesn't mean it's the same. And the only way it's similar is using a backbone and then you miss out on using a dualsense and you paying half of what the portal costs in the first place. And then your phone is tied up for calls and messages

[MrNinosan]

@inverno
Not a single other way you play Remote Play support DualSense features.
Maybe read up on shit before typing it here.

[RAFTECH26]

You are stupid if u buy it.

It is pointless. Imagine playing with a device that is not 1:1 speed and dependant on connection?

Think!!! Use ur damn brain….. instead of trying to justify of how pointless it really is

[Abnor_Mal]

“Think!!! Use ur damn brain….. instead of trying to justify of how pointless it really is.”

Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing? Trying to justify how pointless something is that YOU yourself don’t care about.

Isn’t your phone also dependent on a connection? So is that really 1:1 or no, I’m willing to bet no.

[andy85]

Imagine calling people stupid for being happy. This is so useful for many people. Isn't for me personally but I have the brain to see how it is for others

[badz149]

man...you must not own any gaming device then? there is no such thing as 1:1 speed as in lagless! there are milliseconds of lags even playing natively on any console.

[Pamela_Doove]

there's always one!

[MrNinosan]

Does this comment have any point?

[Inverno]

I literally looked it up. There are ways to get full haptic features of the DS with remote play.

[Inverno]

I kept searching, and haptic feedback works while wired on PCs and Macs, and works through Chiaki on steam deck. Steam Deck can also emulate haptics because the hardware has haptics. On Android there is a remote play app which is unfortunately a paid app but also supports haptics through a wired connection. So yes, you can in fact enjoy DualSense features on portable devices besides the Portal.

[Inverno]

@Andy and everyone else that doesn't seem to know or wants to play ignorant. YOU CAN CONNECT YOUR DUAL SENSE TO YOUR MOBILE DEVICES AND USE IT WITH REMOTE PLAY AND IT HAS THOSE HAPTIC FEATURES. Stop your fanboy BS, I took a neutral stance and y'all still get butthurt SMH.

[MrNinosan]

No, it doesn't support the haptic feedback etc.
If you had a PS5, you'd be able to try instead 👍

[darthv72]

Sure it works for control, but you lose out on ALL the fancy features of the controller. no impulse triggers, no speaker/mic none of the advanced haptics.

[GamingSinceForever]

People pay for ease of use (convenience). All the other ways involve setup time which can be a hassle.

[Berenger]

Congratulations @inverno "it's still pointless for those who don't need it" has officially been promoted to the dumbest comment of 2023 🤣 Maybe you were just trying to drum up a response but no one can possibly take you seriously after that statement ☠️☠️

[Inverno]

Nah dumb are the people who can't see that I was being neutral. You buy what you want if you see a point in buying it, and those who don't see a point won't buy it. What's controversial about what I said to warrant so many dumb replies?

[Rimeskeem]

Your comment was pointless because I don't need it, my reply is also pointless because no one needs it, someone just had an existential crisis lol

[Calvaro]

It's funny, in a way I think all the negative press totally backfired. It just made people aware of the product who then realized it was really functional as it lets them play all the games they already own so the overall proposition is really inexpensive.

[Abnor_Mal]

Funny how no one is in this article which states the reporter was wrong in thinking the Portsl was pointless. Yet the other article that talks about some people reporting lag so bad it makes games unplayable on the Portal. Any one who says they’ve not had any lag so bad that they can’t play are down voted and the Portal bashing continues.

[mandf]

Fanboy crap. Notice the negative people will always come in and try to hijack the conversation when they don't even have the game or console.

[Abnor_Mal]

I don’t know why but any time I’m on this site and only this site, my phone refreshes every few minutes, if I’m typing something I will then lose it so I tend to have to keep my comments short or continually edit them.

I wanted to add this link to my original comment which I found interesting.

https://youtu.be/ccutV0HieT...

[jznrpg]

@Abnor_Mal
I started using brave app to browse this site and others as I have the same problem.

[Calvaro]

Just shut the hell up and keep my food cold!

But yea, the guy in the video is spot on 100%.

[RAFTECH26]

Go try a rhythm game.
It lags, u feel disconnected.

Get real, this thing is pointless

[andy85]

Go get a better connection. My PS5 is hardwired. Remote play is flawless for me. Even in the office.

[Grilla]

Rhythm games? Who cares

[darthv72]

i know what you mean. In that other article about the lag, i got some major down votes because i said I upgraded my wifi and can play it just fine on my home network. There isnt anyone else in that thread with as many down votes as me. i feel honored in a way as I am enjoying the portal quite a bit. Hell... Ive added a few more trophies to my collection as a result.

[Abnor_Mal]

Yea I saw the downvotes for you and everyone else that dared say a word in favor of the Portal.

Stand tall and proud as you are bestowed the honor and title of The Most Downvotes. I dub thee Sir Down Votes.

[SavageFlamingo]

“You can do it on your phone”. I can watch TV on my phone too, but a dedicated device is a much better experience.

[Abnor_Mal]

Exactly, I never look at anything on my phone pass a few minutes tops. Then the idea of playing games on such a tiny screen is something I could not do.

I would prefer to keep my phones battery life high in case I actually have to use it for a what it was made for which is to make phone calls, it’s still called a phone after all. Imagine the wear and tear of the battery having to constantly needing to recharge, the battery life of the phone becomes less and less, basically diminishing returns. All just csuse you wanted to play a game on your phone. With the price of phones ranging from $200-$1000 I wouldn’t want to risk something happening to the phone compared to a dedicated $200 PS Portal.

[RAFTECH26]

You can do much more with ur TV.
The portal you can’t. It doesn’t even have Bluetooth.

Plus… if I’m not mistaken, you have to use your phone to tether.

Lmao.
It’s an overpriced piece device of what ur phone can already do. So much alternatives than a so called “dedicated device”

[MetalGearsofWar]

For dedicated device, it seems to lack some essentials.

[Angyobangyo]

Some might say the ability to not use your Bluetooth earphones on the device is a..."feature".

[darthv72]

@above, bluetooth audio adds even more lag. Using a set of wired headphones works better in this case.

[tbagmonster]

its still pointless

[Abnor_Mal]

“its still pointless”

For YOU, for me a Steam Deck is pointless.

[Angyobangyo]

Steamdeck + Chiaki is a far better portal device than Sony's own "dedicated" device. Imagine not even supporting Bluetooth.

[RAFTECH26]

It is. No matter how much fan boys spin it.
It is pointless and there are cheaper alternatives.

So in order for u to use ur portal outside ur home, u have to tether through ur phone.

Again. Repeat of pointless

Just buy a backbone. It is the same thing. If not better, because u can use Bluetooth for audio.

[andy85]

Except it isn't the same thing. You don't have a dualsense. You have a small screen. Your phone is tied up constantly and if you answer a message you lose connection. "You have to tether through you phone". So outside WiFi doesn't exist? On this post a lot arent you. You seem hurt

[badz149]

my only issue with the Portal is that scalpers are ruining it for everyone! the cheapest I found where I live where it doesn't launch officially is $350!

[repsahj]

I agree! If this thing is pointless, scalpers will not waste their time with it.

[Flenter]

Got mine today and it works perfect 😍

[repsahj]

My problem now is that I can't buy it because the stores are always sold out. T_T

[derek]

Xbox fans have been working overtime spreading their bile over anything portal related becuase many of them are bitter about anything playstation hoping that it will fail. It's actually kind of entertaining to watch the effort these dummies put into hating an accessory, lol. Read the comments on the article and you have weirdos accusing the writer of being paid to write the article, hahahhah.

[darthv72]

Hold up.. you seriously think every person who proclaims this is a waste is an xbox fan?

[ModsDoBetter]

It's not for me but people complaining about lag as if it's the devices fault like bro, pay your Internet bill.

[darthv72]

Its not internet... its home networking. Updating your home networking equipment greatly benefits all your devices... not just this.

[ModsDoBetter]

The comment about paying one's Internet bill was sarcasm.

[Starman69]

I definitely could see a market for this. Great for kids at bedtime. Plus kids love handhelds 🤷🏻‍♂️