2023-12-06 00:00:00
Your part of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, Horizon: Forbidden West, Returnal or Sackboy: A Big Adventure is no longer confined to your television. Sony now allows players to carry around their PS5 catalog thanks to the new PlayStation Portal, a device with impressive prowess… but whose price (a little over $310 once taxes are applied) risks chilling more than one .
First dubbed Project Q, PlayStation has generated a lot of buzz since its official announcement earlier this year. Was Sony going to offer gamers a modernized PS Vita or even compete with Nintendo Switch in terms of a portable console?
Not exactly. Because this new device launched recently in no way replaces the PlayStation 5; it’s nothing more and nothing less than a remote play device allowing gamers to use their console – and their game library – in different locations. We connect via the internet and presto, we take control of Spider-Man to wander the streets of New York.
In short, on paper, PlayStation Portal was intriguing. But it’s when you get to grips with it that you discover its full appeal.
Modern design (although a little heavy)
First observation out of the box: the PlayStation Portal cannot deny its relationship with the PS5 as the design is similar, even identical. Obviously, we kept the colors – black and white – but its sinuous outline echoes that of the console. In short, it’s compact, but it remains elegant and modern.
But we also notice the weight. At around 550 grams (or a little over a pound), the PlayStation Portal is certainly heavier than a DualSense controller, but also the Nintendo Switch. For an adult, handling is obviously easy, but we imagine younger players feeling a certain fatigue from handling it for a longer period.
Fortunately, the performance is clearly superior to any other handheld console; We’ve retained the DualSense’s most exciting features – namely adaptive triggers and haptic feedback – for a more immersive mobile experience than ever.
The PlayStation Portal allows players to access their library of PS5 games remotely. Photo provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment
Stunning remote play
For technical stats, the PlayStation Portal has an 8-inch 1080p LCD screen running at 60Hz, ensuring gaming experiences up to 60 FPS. It works well – very well, even – inside his home. But the result remains impressive, even moving further away from the console.
So we left our PS5 at home, in the 514, for a trip to the 450 with our PlayStation Portal. And in a few seconds – and tens of kilometers away – we were able to start a game. The colors are just as vibrant, the loadings are just as fast and the renderings don’t lose a single iota of their fluidity. Our expectations in this regard were thus largely exceeded.
Small disappointment, however, the portable device does not allow you to use streaming platforms such as Netflix, Crave and other Prime Video. Were you hoping to be able to use your PlayStation Portal to watch the latest episode of your favorite series? Impossible.
So is PlayStation Portal for you? The answer is probably directly related to your budget. Because with a suggested retail price of $269.99 (plus taxes, obviously) this device is a very expensive gift to slip under the tree.
But those who can afford it will definitely appreciate the performance of their new gadget.
PlayStation Portal is now available.
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