Sony previously said that the PlayStation Portal is meant to be a niche product for a specific audience, but its sales continue to surprise. Not only has the handheld’s sales already exceeded the company’s expectations, it continues to sell in major markets including the U.S. Circana revealed that P...
I kinda have a feeling a lot of folks were like me, bought it and then never use it. Seemed like a must-have gadget but it really is a phone with a dualsense. No “secret sauce” (digital foundry) to streaming from ps5, just the same experience as every other device capable of streaming ps5 game play.
I came in here to note that most skepticism seems to miss what a niche and fixed-function gizmo this is. It has low aspirations and makes them pretty clear just from looking at the thing. Sony wedged a screen amid a controller. Its R&D budget was not deep. They didn't need to care if most people did not buy one.
I would ask, "what did you buy it for?," except it's only for one thing. If you don't match that single use-case where this thing functions - why would you even consider it?
That's what I had heard. I would have gotten one for a reasonable price. Or if it had PSP/Vita capabilities baked in. I ended up just getting a backbone for my phone and using remote play instead.
I bought a deck instead, and it turns out 80% of my game time is on Chiaki4Deck, streaming my PS5. I don’t regret the purchase, but I do miss those haptic dualsense features.
However, Deck has OLED and HDR streaming. Plus 720p resolution is more stable than 1080p.
Chiaki4Deck is amazing and added a lot for me. Don't have to stop playing FF7:Rebirth when someone else wants the TV 😄 Just pause, switch over, and keep playing. PS Portal seems like a good idea until you realise your phone can do the same thing with your existing controller and a £10 attachment.
I did (pre steam deck) get Chiaki working on my homebrew switch. It was okay, but nowhere near as good as the deck is performance wise.
I use mine almost every day. I'm a business owner, husband, and father of 3 boys, so I can't always retreat to a game room for hours to game. The portal is perfect for when I have a little bit of time. It's quick and dead simple to pick up whatever game where I left off, and put it down when something needs my attention.
This is why I use my Steam Deck to remote play my PS5.
Just FYI for anyone who has a Steam Deck, you don't need this product. Look up Chiaki (or Chiaki4Deck for a Steam Deck-specific fork). Works very well.