This is the best summary I could come up with:
It doesn’t do any kind of cloud streaming like Nvidia’s Geforce Now or Sony’s own PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, and it can’t run anything locally (not even YouTube or Netflix).
The Portal is purpose-built to use a singular feature Sony first debuted with the PS3 and PSP back in 2006 that’s also widely available on other devices you may already own, making me wonder: why does this exist?
Compared to a Switch with standard Joy-Con controllers, the tradeoff in weight is made up for by its large grips that are comfier to use for extended play sessions.
I’ve initially played a handful of hours with various PS5 games (Resident Evil 4, Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon, and Astro’s Playroom, to name a few) in my limited time with the PlayStation Portal so far.
At various points in the last two years, I’ve tinkered with using Remote Play to stream games from my PlayStation 5 to my PS4, my PC, various Android devices, an iPhone, an iPad Pro, and even a Steam Deck using open-source software Chiaki.
My first impression is that this device is primarily for PlayStation diehards who want a simple, dedicated tool for streaming games around their homes.
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I still just do not understand who this is for. It seems extremely niche. I can’t see this selling all that well.
Hi. It’s me. I’m the one it’s for.
I have a den where my PlayStation is hooked up to the nice TV. I don’t necessarily always want to be down there to play games, for any number of reasons. Sometimes my wife wants to watch TV while I want to play a game, and this allows us to be in the same room and do that.
I’m in the same boat with my PC. Bought a steam deck for the same reason.
Yeah, why wouldn’t you spend $100 more and get a Switch or Steam Deck that can be played fully standalone, anywhere? This product is whack
This is really my biggest issue with the device.
Yes, there’s a desire to game away from the sofa, which is why Steam Deck and Nvidia or even a phone with the PS app are all available. I can’t see the need to buy something like when there are better alternatives available for cheaper or even for free.
I have an actual use case for this. It is kind of niche. I don’t personally have kids but I have friends over a lot to watch sports or BBQ or whatever. I have a PS5, a respectable desktop, and a Steam Deck. I prefer the portable option of the Steam Deck or, at worst, streaming to it. I don’t know why but that’s just what I enjoy.
As the kids have gotten older, they really want to play the PS5. But if the football game is on, they cannot have the TV. So, I was using Chiaki to let them stream from the PS5. So, all my PS5 game saves are basically fucked. The younger ones will use up any and all ammo or other in-game supplies and the older ones will make progress and I’ll just be lost next login. But the worst thing is when they exit Chiaki and play my PC version of a game. I specifically tell them not to do that but they aren’t my kids so I can’t backhand them.
So, now we have a solution. A thing like the Steam Deck that is limited to only fucking up PS5 game saves so if I really want to enjoy a game, I can get the Steam version. The kids can go hog wild on the PS5. They can get sticky shit on the PlayStation Portal — and they will if there is one ounce of sugar within 5 miles. My PC is in my office and my Steam Deck is going to be locked up. I’ll actually be able to enjoy a game again. And for only $200.
Dude, the kids must’ve love you. You basically bought a PS5, a PS Portal and a bunch of PS5 games (which usually more expensive than their PC counterparts) and perhaps a PS plus subscription just for your friends’ kids.
I’m definitely the proverbial uncle who works for Nintendo to them. But in reality, I’m a boring, non-Nintendo software engineer who just didn’t want to have kids. I’m not rolling in dough but I could probably buy every video game system ever released and it’d be less than parents spend on day care. A lot of strollers cost more than a PS5.
It’s not for the kid who has his ps5 in his room, or the single adult who has full access all the time to sit on his living room couch eating cheerios in his underwear. It’s also not for the single guy making his living by reviewing video game junk that comes out in hopes of being paid for what he writes.
It’s for families where mom or dad or sibling wants the TV for other things. So you can go back to the bedroom or den or garage or wherever else that isn’t blasting the 20th straight episode of my little pony and get some game time in.
It’s 200 bucks. Ok. I have a game laptop and a steam deck. I never use the laptop anymore. The steam deck is too quick and easy. Streaming to cell phones gets you a smaller screen, smaller battery, and need to spend $100 on a gaming controller anyhow. You also can’t start up the ps5 and move things along so quickly. Also with phones streaming like this, the gyro isn’t as precise/great to use compared to a ps5 controller. I assume this screen/controller Playstation device works as well as their ps5 controller does.
So yeah. It’s $200 for something that you may be able to do almost as well for free…but it’s not free. It’s based on if you already own hundreds of dollars worth of other things, m9st of which wouldn’t work quite as well.
What if someone has no PC games…? They gotta spend even more money to replace the games…
I think you need to re-read what I wrote. You aren’t interpreting it well.
You’d have to take your PS5 with you to use it on trips, so what would be the point? You’d still have to hook up your PS5 and have that running to use it.
This isn’t true. You can remote play from an outside network that is different from the one your PS5 is connected to provided that your PS5 is in rest mode and your connection at both ends is sufficient.
Yes hotel rooms have notoriously high quality, low latency connections. Absolute pipe dream thinking this will work well on any public network.
$200 to play a console game on a different screen only within the same network is insane. You could spend $100 more and get a full blown handheld console. This is fucking stupid, Sony.
Yeah, it’s the price that bothers me the most about this. For the same amount, you can get a whole Switch Lite.
And I’m still salty about how they treated the Vita. This is what we get as the first handheld successor to the Vita? And the Vita didn’t cost much more.
Switch lite is a much smaller screen and also 720 instead of 1080p. So yes, you could spend the same to get a switch lite, but if you don’t plan on buying Nintendo games, why on earth would you? The controller is nowhere near comparable to a ps5 controller and all other aspects of gaming around the house would also be worse.
Buying a PS5 controller is like $80, so at this point you’d be spending another $120 for the nice screen and big battery.
What are you buying for $300? Steam deck is about as cheap as you can get and that’s for $360. It’s also heavier, smaller screen, has a lower quality screen, and will run out of battery quicker.
So if you don’t do pc gaming, why on earth would you want to spend closer to double the price?
You know why you think it’s a stupid product? You either live alone or you still live with mom and dad and have a ps5 in your bedroom. This product isn’t for you, and you’re an idiot for thinking if it’s not something little ol you would want, than no one else must have a use for it, either.
Oh I don’t know maybe you want to actually game portable and not just enjoy fake portability?
Maybe you just want to play your ps5 games next to your spouse while they watch TV.
Intelligence check: Critical fail. A switch is $220 used and can be played on the couch and also on someone else’s couch. Nice projection about living with mom and dad, it cracks me up when people accuse strangers on the internet of things. Proud homeowner of 6 years here, dipshit. Remember the crowd you’re berating on Lemmy, we tend to skew older than those on other cesspits you likely frequent
Ah. So you don’t deny you live alone. Just deny living with mom and dad. My point still stands then .
This feels like too much emotion for the subject matter.
Edit: removed an errant “a” that made the sentence read as if Mario wrote it.
Not only does the functionality seem almost completely unnecessary except for a limited use case here and there, but this thing is truly ugly. Who designed this travesty? How would you even store this bumpy hunk of plastic?
Sony used to have some of the most elegant and clean hardware aesthetics. Their designs were genuinely beautiful, simple, and practical. They used to ooze premium luxury. Now we get a screen with a sawed off controller stuck to the sides? Disappointing.
You know what? I take it back. The PS5 is shaped like a modem from 1999, it deserves this ugly step-cousin.
I have a PS5 and I just do remote play to my Android tablet with the ps controller connected via Bluetooth and for most games it’s acceptable; there is a little latency so it wouldn’t be good enough for fps games however. I wouldn’t buy this product but if the latency is improved I could see several of my friends getting one of these.
I refused to buy a PS5 because of how ugly it is. My friends got one, but I chose an XB1X because of how much better it goes with my house.
