For those who, as the Americans say, have been living under a rock in recent months, PlayStation Portal is one of the latest innovations from Sony. In summary, it allows you to play your PlayStation games while lying comfortably in bed o while you relax on the porch.
The concept of Playstation Portal is very simple: it’s about a cross between PlayStation Remote Play and a portable console with a large screen. However, we are not faced with a compromise, because this product try to take the best of both worlds.
It’s better than Remote Play, because with Remote Play we need a controller and a PC/tablet/phone; Therefore two separate pieces that can become uncomfortable and bulky.
It’s better than a portable console, because takes advantage of the computing and graphics power of your PlayStation. A portable console, unfortunately, is forced to accept compromises between size, power and use of batteries.
L’hardware di PlayStation Portal
PlayStation Portal comes with a eight-inch OLED monitor capable of a resolution of 1920×1080 (Full HD) a 60 fps. It connects to the network with a Wi-Fi a 5 GHz and the batteries, according to Sony, guarantee 2 hours of gameplay. Sony, unfortunately, does not publish information on size and weight on its website. However, from what we were able to reconstruct, comparing with a controller, we should be around 30x12x7 centimetri with a weight of approx 500 grams.
How PlayStation Portal works
The operation is very simple; the device uses Remote Play technology which, having been available for years now, is already tested and stable. Therefore, we should not risk unpleasant surprises from “early adopters”.
Playstation Portal is basically an enlarged controller with an eight-inch OLED display in the center. So, comfortable to handle because it literally has two handles and, apparently, also quite light. When we turn it on it is impossible to go wrong; only two things can be done: Set up Wi-Fi and pair it with a PlayStation.
The moment it is associated with a console, Portal It works exactly like a controlleronly with the screen included.
Unfortunately, as stated on the Sony website, 4K video cannot be enjoyed. One could imagine this, because it is also a limitation of Remote Play. From what we know, and one too design choice: on the one hand do 4K streaming uses a lot of bandwidth and on the other hand it could require excessive CPU calculations. So, probably, the PlayStation Portal screen is made like this knowing this limitation and to keep production costs down.
Supported titles
The list is long, but also quite simple. Self a game can run on your PlayStation then it will also work on the PlayStation Portal which, after all, only needs to receive a video stream.
Sony, however, is a bit fussy and is keen to underline that there are exceptions. Fortunately, these are not specific games but go by categories.
All games that make use of controllers other than a gamepad (DUALSHOCK 4, DualSense or DualSense Edge) are not compatible. Furthermore, not even games that must be streamed using a PS Plus Premium subscription can be used via Portal.
It’s not a pleasure to read, but… both are reasonable restrictions. The first, clearly, is why there is no hardware available. The second, most likely, is because the PlayStation 5 he might not be able to to decode the incoming video, manage interaction with the user and recode everything to send a second video stream to the PlayStation Portal without losing quality.
Watch out for streaming
We haven’t had the opportunity to do any technical tests yet, but even just by reading the specifications it seems right to do so a couple of notes on streaming.
Tecnicamente, PlayStation Portal It also works outside your home; all you need is access to a Wi-Fi network. The quality of the result, however, depends on a very complex combination of factors. This is because even having a lot of bandwidth available the real problem is ensure consistent delivery of information. Sony puts all the effort into it, but if your video stream has to traverse the jungle of the Internet, anything can really happen.
Even in your home the results may not be of the desired quality, but don’t be discouraged, because you will have more control of the situation. So it’s worth it give it a try before saying that your Portal doesn’t work. Below we give you some quick suggestions.
First of all, if you have the chance, Connect the PlayStation using a network cable; this halves the load on your home Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi networks are highly affected by electromagnetic interference. If you have a very old electrical system it’s a question of find the right position. Also check if they are there other Wi-Fi networks around you; trivially, those of your neighbors. If there are too many, or they have too strong a signal, try change the Wi-Fi channel on your router. There are several mobile apps available to see nearby Wi-Fi networks.
If the video quality is good but you are seeing too much lag, then there is someone or something in the house that is sending a lot of traffic through the router; this can be remedied, if you have a modern router, by giving a slightly higher priority to traffic to and from the PlayStation Portal.
PlayStation Portal at a glance
It is a device dedicated solely to the Playstation Remote Play service. The idea is certainly good but the fact of not being sure of the result from away from home raises some legitimate questions. It’s definitely a device interesting for those who have only one television at home and have to compete for it with the rest of the family. For everyone else, it also and above all depends on your gaming habits. Of course, that half hour lying in bed before falling asleep has its charm.
If you think it’s for you, then you can already order PlayStation Portal directly from the PlayStation Direct store.