The Playstation Portal has been around for a while now, but up until recently has struggled to gain much respect in the handheld gaming market. So is it actually worth buying?

Whilst sales have exceeded Sony’s expectations with the device selling out completely for months after release, the PS Portal has been held back by one major “flaw”. Up until recently you have only been able to play games, on the PS Portal, via Remote Play connected to a PS5. But with the latest Playstation Portal Update you are finally able to stream select games with a PS Plus Premium membership, and no PS5 required. This could finally give the PS Portal some respect and put it in the same category as the Nintendo Switch, and Steam Deck.

Whilst the addition of Game Streaming will certainly add to the appeal of the PS Portal, there are still some limitations that Sony need to address. For example, as game streaming will be limited to select PS5 games only, you may wish to play a PS4 game stored on your console, and this is where your internet quality determines the experience you will have. As handy as Remote Play is, it just isn’t stable. I have roughly 300mbps download speed, and Remote Play will lag far too often. And don’t even think about Remote Play if your PS5 isn’t connected via ethernet.

The other flaw that Sony needs to address, is the audio output options. Currently, you can only use headphones via a 3.5mm jack or a device using Sony’s PlayStation Link™, such as the PULSE Explore™ wireless earbuds and PULSE Elite™ wireless headset. Allowing the use of all Bluetooth headsets would be a much welcome update.

It’s not all bad though with the PS Portal, as it does feature a very nice 8” LCD screen capable of 60fps at 1080p, and my favourite feature is the integration of a DualSense® Wireless Controller. You really do get to experience the immersive sensation of haptic feedback and adaptive triggers in compatible games. Feel responsive vibrations that react to your in-game decisions and replicate environmental effects. Adaptive triggers add dynamic resistance, capturing the tension of interacting with in-game gear and objects in select PS5® titles.

See the breakdown of the Playstation Portal below.