| PS5 Playstation Portal

So i have now had this handheld for a total of 24hrs so this will be more or less a first impression review.This handheld/accessory is awesome. The controller is very ergonomical, its a perfect replica of the ps5 duelsense controller. The thumbsticks are a hair smaller but honestly i dont think youll even notice during gameplay. Has haptic triggers, and a nice light bar between the screen and the controller. The screen is a perfect size in my opinion, some may perfer a little bigger but for my consumption i think this screen is perfect. The speakers in this are pretty good. They arent great but they do more than just get the just get the job do so id say above average. The USB-C port is in the perfect position so you can play and charge at the same time.The ... MoreSo i have now had this handheld for a total of 24hrs so this will be more or less a first impression review.This handheld/accessory is awesome. The controller is very ergonomical, its a perfect replica of the ps5 duelsense controller. The thumbsticks are a hair smaller but honestly i dont think youll even notice during gameplay. Has haptic triggers, and a nice light bar between the screen and the controller. The screen is a perfect size in my opinion, some may perfer a little bigger but for my consumption i think this screen is perfect. The speakers in this are pretty good. They arent great but they do more than just get the just get the job do so id say above average. The USB-C port is in the perfect position so you can play and charge at the same time.The gameplay of this handheld is awesome. Connects to my ps5 quickly, no issues as long as its put in rest mode. Have had very little, and i mean very little frameskips or lag. Button input latency, for me, has almost been non-existent.As of 11/19/2024 Sony has put a update on this handheld to allow you to stream ps5 games without the need of a ps5 console. I have got a couple hours of gameplay using this feature and the gameplay is not bad at all. Honestly with it being in beta i didnt think it would be that great, but let me tell you it has exceeded my expectations. Its not perfect by any means, your are only limited to ps5 games only, and you have to play the ps5 catalogue thats provided with this feature, and to get the feature you ahbe to subscribe to PlayStations Priemum tier. But its a beta so its going to be worked on as time continues, but once the beta is over, i can almost see this, handheld no longer being just an accessory to the ps5, but also seeing it become a handheld streaming device for playing PS5/PS4 games and maybe even the classic Playstation systems.

So much potential, but not quite there yet.

Let's be honest. Version 4.0 is a game changer. It is what should have been available at launch. Now that we have it, how does it exactly change things? Well for starters, you can cloud stream whatever is on the premium plus membership that you have to pay for. Not all games are available, you still can't use YouTube or Netflix, and you can really only still play this wherever there is wifi or a hotspot. Sony really missed the mark on not being able to have a sd card to have games saved on the system like the Nintendo switch, because this limits to where you can get the best connection when streaming a game. If you want to sit outside in a rocking chair in your back yard, forget about it. Now, let's say you don't have a ps5. I do, but let's say you don't. If you ... MoreLet's be honest. Version 4.0 is a game changer. It is what should have been available at launch. Now that we have it, how does it exactly change things? Well for starters, you can cloud stream whatever is on the premium plus membership that you have to pay for. Not all games are available, you still can't use YouTube or Netflix, and you can really only still play this wherever there is wifi or a hotspot. Sony really missed the mark on not being able to have a sd card to have games saved on the system like the Nintendo switch, because this limits to where you can get the best connection when streaming a game. If you want to sit outside in a rocking chair in your back yard, forget about it. Now, let's say you don't have a ps5. I do, but let's say you don't. If you want to play the newest CODBO6, and you think you can just buy the game on the portal, or via your phone app to your ps5 account and get right into the action, think again. If you have the ps5 and download the game on the console, then stream it to your ps portal, then it will work. If they implemented a store where you could purchase games directly on the portal, then I would recommend this in a heartbeat, because right now, you're really only getting a beta handheld that can play only the games Sony wants to release, and you could hate all of them, and have no games to play and pay for a monthly service. It is a nice step forward, given the system only has 3 updates since release, but given I have done my through test on this device, it is no where near being complete. Personally I don't use my ps5 anymore, but having it for just exclusive games, is worth every penny over the portal. Why? Because you are getting better quality of picture, better ethernet connection, zero lag, and a powerhouse of a system. The portal still has so much potential, but with what is does now in 4.0, some may find it to be useful, but long story short, no store, no cod, no sd card, has to be played in wifi, have to pay for premium remote play, there are more cons that weigh the system down than positives. I personally would advise to wait until the newer handhelds come out. Sony has confirmed a newer handheld will be releasing in the next year or two, xbox is working on one, Nintendo as well, so I would really advise waiting, then jumping the gun on a beta product, that is not fully complete.

Works great, but limited functionality

The PlayStation Portal does exactly what it says on the box: it does a great job streaming games from your PlayStation 5 over WiFi. The build quality feels very good, and it really does feel much better than holding a phone with a third-party controller attached. The screen size balanced just right, providing a clear picture with readable text, while feeling good in my hands without weighing too much.I have a fairly decent Asus router wired to my PS5 over MoCa (coax), and games stream reliably to the Portal throughout my house, with clear picture and sound. A very tiny amount of lag was perceptible when I tested playing in the same room as my PS5 with the TV on, which would put you at a disadvantage in highly competitive gaming or in games where precise timing is ... MoreThe PlayStation Portal does exactly what it says on the box: it does a great job streaming games from your PlayStation 5 over WiFi. The build quality feels very good, and it really does feel much better than holding a phone with a third-party controller attached. The screen size balanced just right, providing a clear picture with readable text, while feeling good in my hands without weighing too much.I have a fairly decent Asus router wired to my PS5 over MoCa (coax), and games stream reliably to the Portal throughout my house, with clear picture and sound. A very tiny amount of lag was perceptible when I tested playing in the same room as my PS5 with the TV on, which would put you at a disadvantage in highly competitive gaming or in games where precise timing is absolutely critical, but a bit of lag when streaming over WiFi is inevitable and, overall, I am impressed with the responsiveness.I am a bit disappointed by a couple of aspects. The first is the lack of Bluetooth. I suspect that this decision has less to do with concern over audio-video sync and more to do with selling Sony’s new proprietary wireless earbuds (which cost as much as the Portal, itself).I also think the software is a bit half-baked. It works well. You turn it on and press “connect”, and you’re ready to go. But I can’t imagine it was always Sony’s intention for the Portal not to be able to stream games directly from the PS Plus catalogue. The Portal seems perfectly suited to do that, and I am sure that, from a hardware perspective, it is fully capable of it. I am cautiously optimistic that this is a feature that just wasn’t ready, and that it will be added through a software update in the future.I haven’t run into this issue yet myself, but I also understand that the lack of any sort of browser capabilities means that the Portal cannot connect to networks that require you to login through a captive portal (such as at many coffee shops and hotels). I understand that the Portal is marketed only as being able to stream games within your own home (they don’t even make a travel case for it), but it can also work remotely over a good internet connection, and the lack of basic browser functionality is a limitation. Again, hopefully this will be addressed in the future through a software update.All in all, the PlayStation Portal does exactly what it claims to do, and it does it very well. But I do wish Sony would add a bit to it’s capabilities.

[Rewarded Review] Almost perfect! It’s amazing for what it does!

Love the device. The screen size is percect for the device, not too big and bulky and anything smaller wouldnt show as nicely. The screen is a little dim compared to other portables like the SD OLED or the Switch OLED but it works if you’re playing at home like it’s meant to be played. The screen is beautiful for a basic IPS LED and the sound is really good for the what it is. The ability to be in a party also without needing headphones with this device is nice as its louder than the regular PS controller so if you don’t have the Explore or Elite headset, you can still have conversations without issue. I’ll touch back on that in a moment as that’s part of why it’s a con. The controls feel great, the vibration and adaptive triggers are amazing for a mobile device, ... MoreLove the device. The screen size is percect for the device, not too big and bulky and anything smaller wouldnt show as nicely. The screen is a little dim compared to other portables like the SD OLED or the Switch OLED but it works if you’re playing at home like it’s meant to be played. The screen is beautiful for a basic IPS LED and the sound is really good for the what it is. The ability to be in a party also without needing headphones with this device is nice as its louder than the regular PS controller so if you don’t have the Explore or Elite headset, you can still have conversations without issue. I’ll touch back on that in a moment as that’s part of why it’s a con. The controls feel great, the vibration and adaptive triggers are amazing for a mobile device, even more so than I expected. There are some cons to this device. The fact that they disabled bluetooth and require proprietary technology to listen and talk on it is a little ridiculous, especially given the insane price of the explore earbuds (the same price as this accessory). If the earbuds were half the price, I wouldn’t mind so much. But that really detracts since they’re uncomfortable to begin with and you require changing the eartips out almost immediately with third party ones. Another little gripe of mine is the smaller joycon style thumbsticks. It’s nice that it’s easier to fit into a bag but most people who are using this device probably aren’t taking this mobile, as I’ve tried that with mine which is wired to the router at 940 Mbps and still had issues outside of the home. Granted it was on a 5G UW hotspot but it kept disconnecting rather than just latency so I ended up not even trying anymore. I also wanted to watch some of the entertainment apps from the PS but they were disabled for remote play, so don’t expect to watch movies from this. As for the middle button/touchpad from the Dualshock 4 and DualSense controllers, its a big finicky to learn it when playing a game that requires fast movement. You gave to double tap the middle screen in a specific spot very rapidly for it to register and for a game that is PvP it isn’t something I would recommend. But overall for regular playing and for even games like Elden Ring, Like A Dragon, or Spider-Man 2 this is an amazing addition if you aren’t near your TV or have something else on at the time. I would give this a 9/10 for it’s quality and would recommend to anyone with the cash to spend on it if they don’t already have a remote play phone with gamepad like the Backbone or Kishi V2. Even then, I’d still say this has some promise those don’t for remote playing. If you are on the fence about it and like to remote play PC/Steam games, Xbox games, or even PS games from your phone but want a solid device? This is it. Also if you think the Chiaki4Deck is as good and steady even with a wired connection for the SD, think again. I love using my SDs for many things but when it comes to remote playing the PlayStation? There’s too many bugs out there which cause complete game crashes, app crashes, and I wouldn’t recommend that until it gets solved. That being said, rejoice handheld gamers! We have another device for our collection! It’s not quite a Vita but something inbetween so its just enough to be there but you will enjoy it for what it does and what it is.

[Rewarded Review] Couch Gaming And TV Watching Co-exist!

So I'll start off by saying this: I am not a dad. I don't have kids, but my girlfriend does spend a lot of time of YouTube. Sure, she could go to another room and has offered to do so, but I wanted to be able to play games on the couch in the same room as her while she watched whatever she wanted.A lot of people think the Portal is bad compared to something like the Steam Deck or any device capable of Remote Play. Long story short: For the price, you will not find a better device for playing your PS5 off of the TV screen. Sure, the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, or any number of other portable gaming PCs can do MORE, but they're also at least 2-3 times the cost.And when you look at something like the Backbone, the inclusion of an actual Dualsense and an 8" 1080p / 60Hz ... MoreSo I'll start off by saying this: I am not a dad. I don't have kids, but my girlfriend does spend a lot of time of YouTube. Sure, she could go to another room and has offered to do so, but I wanted to be able to play games on the couch in the same room as her while she watched whatever she wanted.A lot of people think the Portal is bad compared to something like the Steam Deck or any device capable of Remote Play. Long story short: For the price, you will not find a better device for playing your PS5 off of the TV screen. Sure, the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, or any number of other portable gaming PCs can do MORE, but they're also at least 2-3 times the cost.And when you look at something like the Backbone, the inclusion of an actual Dualsense and an 8" 1080p / 60Hz screen makes it an easy win for the Portal.So now, the cons: Even with a wired connection to the PS5 and my HDMI cable to in unplugged, there still can be some perceptible frame drops. I have fast internet but I also PC game so it's possible that I'm just more sensitive to dips in framerates.Also, don't buy this if your plan is to use it as a streaming device for anything but games. Apps like Netflix and pretty much anything from the "Media" tab will NOT stream to the Portal.Furthermore, if your PS5 goes into Rest Mode while a game is open the Portal will NOT be able to wake it from Rest Mode. You need to make sure everything is closed out before putting it into Rest Mode in order to wake it up with the Portal.If all that sounds okay to you, then I can highly recommend the PlayStation Portal! It's not too heavy, feels premium, and when you realize that a DualSense Edge controller is the same price, it doesn't sound bad. And as long as you have a good wi-fi connection, you can even play it away from home! Definitely pick one up to fill any gaps when your TV is in use.

[Rewarded Review] Excellent companion to PS5

Firstly, the Playstation Portal isn't going to be for everybody. It's going to see the most use in situations where there are more than one person using a the television the PS5 is hooked up to.Secondly, the Portal performs best on a wifi network with a good, strong signal and nice high speeds. I have tested the Portal extensively while using my phone as a hotspot, and it works well enough to play something that isn't going to require a fast reaction time.As for the performance of the Portal and my own personal experience, I just couldn't be happier! I mostly use my Portal at home while my wife is using the television to play her Switch. Also when I'm relaxing in bed, that is an excellent time for the Portal to shine.The graphical fidelity is beautiful, great ... MoreFirstly, the Playstation Portal isn't going to be for everybody. It's going to see the most use in situations where there are more than one person using a the television the PS5 is hooked up to.Secondly, the Portal performs best on a wifi network with a good, strong signal and nice high speeds. I have tested the Portal extensively while using my phone as a hotspot, and it works well enough to play something that isn't going to require a fast reaction time.As for the performance of the Portal and my own personal experience, I just couldn't be happier! I mostly use my Portal at home while my wife is using the television to play her Switch. Also when I'm relaxing in bed, that is an excellent time for the Portal to shine.The graphical fidelity is beautiful, great range of color on display, images comes through nice and sharp. Response time for the controls is almost without any lag at all, making gaming on this little gem a wonderful experience. Sound from the Portal is about what you'd expect from a portable device, it good enough.I picked up the Pulse Elite headset just to use with the Portal, glad I did. The Pulse Elite connects to the Portal without any dongles or extra hardware or anything, and it makes the audio experience VERY worth the price of the headset. If you get a Portal, get the Pulse Elite headset to go with it!Finally, the Playstation Portal is comfortable to use. It seemed like it was going to be a bit large at first, but after extended use I've found I can play for hours without any issues.Keep in mind this is on my home wifi network, which has very strong signal and very high speed. Even on my phone's hotspot, the Portal works well enough to play a lot of games, but I highly recommend using it on a good fast wifi.

[Rewarded Review] Good remote play device, with room for improvement

PlayStation Portal is as comfortable to hold and use as the DualSense controller, and has the same haptic feedback and adaptive triggers of that controller. The lightweight design, ergonomics, and full DualSense experience are definitely highlights of the Portal.The 8" LCD screen is bright and vivid, and looks great for playing games. Though, many games seem to have at least some text that's a bit too small for that screen size, which might cause some eye fatigue (e.g. Disco Elysium's non-dialogue text). As a result, I found it more comfortable to play such games on the TV.Connection to PS5 (including waking it up from rest mode) felt seamless and sufficiently quick. I did not have any disconnection issues.One downside of the Portal is the extra latency it ... MorePlayStation Portal is as comfortable to hold and use as the DualSense controller, and has the same haptic feedback and adaptive triggers of that controller. The lightweight design, ergonomics, and full DualSense experience are definitely highlights of the Portal.The 8" LCD screen is bright and vivid, and looks great for playing games. Though, many games seem to have at least some text that's a bit too small for that screen size, which might cause some eye fatigue (e.g. Disco Elysium's non-dialogue text). As a result, I found it more comfortable to play such games on the TV.Connection to PS5 (including waking it up from rest mode) felt seamless and sufficiently quick. I did not have any disconnection issues.One downside of the Portal is the extra latency it adds to controller inputs (measured as the time difference between changes on the TV screen and the Portal screen, using a 60 fps camera recording of both screens at once), which seems to be usually around 67 milliseconds (4 frames in 60 fps video), occasionally going down to 50 ms or so (3 frames). This is with a TP-Link Deco XE75 AXE5400 WiFi router with "optimized" channels, both PS5 and Portal "prioritized" on the router, PS5 wired to the router, and Portal connected to 5 GHz frequency WiFi network at 6 feet distance from the router. While the extra latency did not feel terrible, it was still noticeable for me in most games I've tried, especially when compared with playing directly on the TV. So, the latency might hinder players' performance in games that would benefit greatly from having quick reaction times or precise timing, like Returnal, rhythm games, and online competitive shooters, but it's probably fine for casual players, especially in slower-paced games.Another downside (at least with the current system software version, 2.0.6) seems to be the consistent and periodic micro-stutters or dropped frames (which last 2-3 seconds and happen every 10 seconds or so), to which some people are apparently less sensitive and therefore may not notice. Between those micro-stutters, updating of the screen actually felt as smooth as the TV screen and smoother than using Remote Play on some other devices (MacBook, iPhone, iPad). Hopefully, Sony can find a way to eliminate those micro-stutters in a future software update to further improve the Portal experience.The speakers sound OK for a handheld device. Though, they would sound even louder if they were directed toward the user (perpendicular to the screen) instead of upward (parallel to the screen) like they are now. The Pulse Explore earbuds do work well with the Portal.Charging the Portal using PS5's USB-A port has been somewhat slow (at a speed that would take around 3 hours to fully charge, though I never charged it from 0 to 100%). Also, the placement of Portal's charging port (behind its screen) makes it a bit hard to find and plug in the cable. It would be better if Sony at least made that USB-C port easier to see, e.g. by making its border a lighter color.The lack of support for PS+ Premium streaming or captive WiFi portal pages (for public networks) seem like weird omissions, as they would significantly increase the use cases for this device. Sony should really add those features in future software updates. And if they ever make a successor to this device, I hope they also add a couple of buttons on the back, which I missed when playing certain games (with jumping and dashing actions) after getting used to such buttons on the DualSense Edge controller. A larger-capacity battery with faster charging would also be a useful improvement.

[Rewarded Review] It’s no Vita or PSP but…

Squeezing in some PS5 Pro-ing away from the living room is great for any middle-aged gamer. Instead of feeling like I occasionally hog the TV, couch, and living room just to notch another hour of 120 hour or so on FF7: Rebirth. Or play my backlog of great indie hits like Dredge or Disco Elysium, I can just remote play anywhere in my home—like in the kitchen with my coffee while the eggs and bacon are on the skillet, or at night in bed with Powerwash Simulator or Sea of Stars and tea to wind down.Like many Sony fanboys and fan girls, I was pretty skeptical the device would work better than trying to stream PS4 games to your phone some years back (Backbone, anyone?). No it’s not the Vita 2, but as someone who’s only ever owned the Vita and Portable handhelds back in ... MoreSqueezing in some PS5 Pro-ing away from the living room is great for any middle-aged gamer. Instead of feeling like I occasionally hog the TV, couch, and living room just to notch another hour of 120 hour or so on FF7: Rebirth. Or play my backlog of great indie hits like Dredge or Disco Elysium, I can just remote play anywhere in my home—like in the kitchen with my coffee while the eggs and bacon are on the skillet, or at night in bed with Powerwash Simulator or Sea of Stars and tea to wind down.Like many Sony fanboys and fan girls, I was pretty skeptical the device would work better than trying to stream PS4 games to your phone some years back (Backbone, anyone?). No it’s not the Vita 2, but as someone who’s only ever owned the Vita and Portable handhelds back in the day, there’s something far more intimate about PS5 Pro-ing on a device inches from your face instead of on a TV on the other side of a room. Yeah, no worries about somebody cutting back and forth in front of your game during pivotal cutscenes you’ve literally spent 100s of hours and the better part of the year reaching.It’s laughable but last I heard, there’s still no Bluetooth support and no—Sony’s upsell with those expensive earbuds won’t get a nibble out of me. You also can’t watch YouTube on it or your other streaming apps. No web browser either. Its sole function seems to be making sure that Last of Us Part 1 and Sony’s other first-party titles like Spider-Man 2 run as smooth as possible on the Portal.Portal isn’t for everyone, but if you’re someone who finds it harder and harder to put in gaming time as you get older, the device is totally worth owning. It feels very sturdy, but its awkward shape has caused me to drop it once or twice by the handle. If you decide to plunge into the Portalverse, do yourself a favor and buy a hard case for the handheld. I imagine accidentally sitting on a Portal is not quite the same as sitting on your phone.

[Rewarded Review] Using the Portal much more than i thought i ever w

I was very very hesitant to get the Portal, i wasnt sure i would use it enough to make it worth it, nor was i sure if it worked well due to a lot of reviews saying its laggy and takes a lot of time to connect. I am pleased to say it is SO worth it!The over all build of the portal is great, at first glance i thought it looked fragile and cheaply made, but it is much sturdier than i thought. The controller grips feel exactly the same as the duelsense controllers, just with slightly smaller control sticks.Lets just say my internet at my house is patchy at best. My provider is very unreliable but its the only option in my area. With that being said in my house i have no connection issues with the portal and very little lag (only stutters if we have a bunch of devices ... MoreI was very very hesitant to get the Portal, i wasnt sure i would use it enough to make it worth it, nor was i sure if it worked well due to a lot of reviews saying its laggy and takes a lot of time to connect. I am pleased to say it is SO worth it!The over all build of the portal is great, at first glance i thought it looked fragile and cheaply made, but it is much sturdier than i thought. The controller grips feel exactly the same as the duelsense controllers, just with slightly smaller control sticks.Lets just say my internet at my house is patchy at best. My provider is very unreliable but its the only option in my area. With that being said in my house i have no connection issues with the portal and very little lag (only stutters if we have a bunch of devices on the wifi at once and "high traffic times" when close neighbors' signals jam up), but that was maybe one or two nights. I also had issues getting disconnected from the wifi one night but im chalking that up to the service provider and not the portal!Over all i would say, if you would like to play PS5 as your tv is taken up by a significant other or you want to watch something as you game, the portal is for you. If you want to go lay in bed and play a bit before falling asleep, its for you. If you travel (to places with wifi) its for you. I didnt think id use it as much as i have, i originally thought "oh its not for me", but i have found myself making excuses to use the Portal. I have run a variety of games on it, from simple games like PS classic games and Stardew Valley, to more demanding games like FF7 rebirth demo, God of War Ragnorok, etc. All have worked perfectly.The screen is bright and looks great even for just an lcd. One down point is the fact that the lowest volume setting on it is still VERY loud, so if im playing in bed and my fiancee wants to read, i end up needing headphones, which you can use a 3.5mm wired headphones, but not bluetooth!If you have the means to get one and are able to snag one as its in stock, do it! Its very worth it for even casual gamers!

[Rewarded Review] Wonderful concept, but diluted experience.

I was excited for this. I primarily got this to play my PS5 in different rooms, rather than having to lug the console around. I'm a bit of a tech snob, I play on an OLED and I lean towards performance when given the option.I used it a few times - I have a hardwired PS5 and good wifi (500MB). When I was in the room with the playstation, it was great connectivity but even traveling to other rooms, the image quality did break a little. Never prevented me from playing, but shook my confidence in the device. Otherwise, the 1080 screen was beautiful, and the games I played in 60fps looked great.I love how it felt to hold - extremely comfortable and really helped with the immersion factor.The battery life is pretty bad - maybe 3-4 hours on default settings. Reducing ... MoreI was excited for this. I primarily got this to play my PS5 in different rooms, rather than having to lug the console around. I'm a bit of a tech snob, I play on an OLED and I lean towards performance when given the option.I used it a few times - I have a hardwired PS5 and good wifi (500MB). When I was in the room with the playstation, it was great connectivity but even traveling to other rooms, the image quality did break a little. Never prevented me from playing, but shook my confidence in the device. Otherwise, the 1080 screen was beautiful, and the games I played in 60fps looked great.I love how it felt to hold - extremely comfortable and really helped with the immersion factor.The battery life is pretty bad - maybe 3-4 hours on default settings. Reducing haptic feedback or volume can get you a bit more, but I love the haptic feedback feature and usually like to crank it. That being said, even at full power, the haptics on this device are much more subtle compared to playing on a regular controller.Finally, small thing, but the trackpad button on this is a bit non-intuitive -- touching the screen opens up the trackpad button on screen overlayed atop the game and isn't super easy to work with.At the end of the day, this is a streaming device that your PS5 casts to, and as such provides a diluted experience from the full power of playing on console on a nice TV with haptics cranked up. I love the concept, and it does allow portable play, but for the cost, I personally would rather just save up the extra cash for a second PS5 to be able to play elsewhere.