Sony's new handheld PlayStation 'console' was met with raised eyebrows when the company announced it back in May. Essentially a streaming device rather than a dedicated console, it was clearly no Steam Deck (or Nintendo Switch, for that matter). Now, Sony has officially revealed a bunch more details, including the device's name – and the bemusement continues.
Previously codenamed 'Project Q', it turns out the handheld is called PlayStation Portal. Or, to give it its hilariously un-catchy full title, PlayStation Portal Remote Player. And while the price hits a sweet spot, a few of the tech specs leave as much to be desired as we feared. (Ready to start gaming? Check out the best PS5 deals available now.)
The PlayStation Portal remote player in all its glory (Image credit: Sony)
According to Sony, its "first Remote Play dedicated device" is set to launch later this year, and features an 8-inch LCD screen capable of 1080p resolution at 60fps. Aside from the big display, the most notable design touch is those DualSense-esque controllers either side of it. It's hardly the most elegant design – it looks like someone cut a DualSense in half and stuck a small tablet in the middle. But it's perfectly serviceable, and offers a nice level of consistency with the PS5 itself.
But there are caveats. Not only does it seem that the Portal is required to be connected to the same WiFi as your PS5 console, but it apparently can't stream PS Plus titles. Essentially, all it can do is Remote Play from your console. If you were hoping to use the Portal to play PS5 games on your commute, it looks like this very much won't be a thing.
PlayStation Portal remote player at £199 that you can't stream PS Plus games on and can only connect to a PS5 on the same WiFi network ? GTFOH https://t.co/7TYJDzgl6ZAugust 23, 2023
Disappointing but unsurprising. It is just for remoteplay from PS5. No cloud streaming. Seems like a really obvious missed opportunity to make this more than just an accessory https://t.co/v83vxUThy2 pic.twitter.com/gT4V8tGuiXAugust 23, 2023
$200 is rite about where I thought this would be priced at, but with its limited capabilities $150 probably would’ve been a little better. Also that name is 🤢. Have fun telling your friends you have a PlayStation Portal remote player. Also remote player being in the game is a… https://t.co/to6XUldcy9August 23, 2023
Indeed, the one positive gamers seem to agree on is the price. at $199, this is a fair bit cheaper than the likes of the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. But, being essentially an external monitor for your PS5, you'd probably hope that to be the case. If you're after a console that can play games natively, take a look at the best Nintendo Switch deals.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
