In late May this year during the PlayStation Showcase, Sony unveiled a handheld which was called Project Q at that time. That project has now been named PlayStation Portal. The portable handheld device will allow gamers to stream PS5 games over Wi-Fi.
“Our PlayStation community continues to give us a reason to challenge ourselves to bring new innovations to the market for all players to enjoy,” Hideaki Nishino, senior vice president, Platform Experience at Sony Interactive Entertainment wrote in a blog post. “That’s why today, we are especially pleased to share new updates about our upcoming hardware products.”
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According to Nishino, the PlayStation Portal is packed with all the key features of the DualSense wireless controller including haptic feedback and adaptive triggers—and they will be available in supported games.
PlayStation Portal comes with a vibrant 8-inch LCD screen that can reach a resolution of 1080p at 60fps. Compared to the Steam Deck, the PlayStation Portal is an inch larger and offers better screen resolution (Steam Deck maxes out at 1280 x 800 pixels at 60fps).
In terms of pricing, the Portal is at least 365% cheaper compared to Steam Deck whose price goes upward of $730. But, will PlayStation Portal be the Steam Deck killer? Perhaps not! We will tell you what aces the Steam Deck holds over the PlayStation Portal.
Why PlayStation Portal may not be the Steam Deck killer
Nishino promoted the PlayStation Portal as “the perfect device for gamers in households where they might need to share their living room TV or simply want to play PS5 games in another room of the house”.
To quickly point out the obvious—if it is not already,—you cannot use the PlayStation portal if your PS5 is turned off. Also, the PlayStation portal can only play supported games installed on your PS5 console. It comes with a “3.5mm audio jack for wired audio”.
Games that must be streamed through PlayStation Plus Premium’s cloud service and PS VR2 games that require a headset are not currently compatible with the Portal. Details about pre-orders will be made available soon.
Call the PlayStation Portal a screen mounted on a DualSense controller for your PS5 and that would be closer to the truth than referring to it as a console. You will need to remotely connect the PlayStation Portal to your PS5 using Wi-Fi.
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Note, your Wi-Fi broadband MUST have a minimum speed of 5Mbps for you to seamlessly use the PlayStation Portal with your PS5. However, for the best streaming experience, the company suggests that you have a high-speed connection with a minimum of 15Mbps.
Gamers often spend a ridiculous amount of time sitting in front of a screen. Even with the best gaming chair, your butt may still begin to hurt after some time. What the PlayStation Portal delivered pretty well is giving gamers the luxury of playing for longer. Gamers can now transition from sitting to lying on their backs or bellies without losing the FHD view of their TV screen or monitor.
Steam Deck is still the industry leader
When the PlayStation portal was first announced as Project Q, some gamers started to compare it to other handheld devices on the market—especially the Steam Deck. However, that should not be. Several times, our readers have pointed out in our post about the best handheld game console that Steam Deck should be at the top of the list.
To clear the air, Steam Deck and PlayStation Portal are really not in the same league. Steam Deck is a full console that can function independently of any other hardware. Players can stream games or download them and play locally, just like they would do with any console.
A DeckHD screen announced in May promises to push the resolution of the Steam Deck to 1920 x 1200—although the screen upgrade is expected to cost $99. It is not a surprise that some critics questioned the relevance of the PlayStation Portal when it was first announced.
PlayStation Pulse Explore and Pulse Elite unveiled
Apart from the PlayStation Portal, the PlayStation wireless earbuds (Pulse Explore) and the over-the-ear wireless headset (Pulse Elite) were also announced. Both hardware will connect with the PS5 and PlayStation Portal using PlayStation Link wireless technology.
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Pulse Elite comes “with a retractable boom mic and AI-enhanced noise rejection” that can filter background sounds. It is rechargeable via a charging hanger included in the box. Pulse Explore also comes with “dual microphones and AI-enhanced noise rejection capable of filtering background sounds” and will be recharged via a charging case.
The two audio devices will be the first in the franchise history “to use custom-designed planar magnetic drivers for an audiophile-level listening experience”, features that are only found in “premium headphones for professional sound engineers”.
Are you excited about the new line of products planned for release for the PlayStation franchise? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
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