PlayStation Portal Review

The PlayStation Portal is not a handheld console in the usual sense, since it cannot run games itself. Instead it streams from a PS5 over Wi-Fi, putting an 8 inch 1080p LCD between the two halves of a full DualSense controller, complete with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Later updates added cloud streaming for PlayStation Plus Premium members and a higher quality 1080p streaming mode.

Reviewers agree the hardware is excellent. The screen is bright and sharp, the controls feel exactly like the PS5 pad, and on a strong home network it plays big PlayStation games from bed or another room with minimal fuss. It has also sold far beyond expectations, becoming one of the best selling accessories of its time.

The problem is everything outside the device. Everything depends on the network, with compression artifacts, stutter and lag on congested Wi-Fi, and away from home it is far less dependable. It skips standard Bluetooth audio in favor of wired headphones or Sony's own PlayStation Link, cannot play video apps, and at 199.99 dollars it only makes sense if you already own a PS5. Critics split between those it won over and those who see an expensive single purpose accessory, which makes it a good buy for one kind of household and a poor one for everyone else.