The Portal is a device for streaming from the PS5. In order to play anything, you need to 1) have the PS5, 2) have the game on your console, 3) have the PS5 on at all times, and 4) be in a place with very good wifi (at least 30 Mbps at all times and a 5GHz connection).
My feelings about this device are mixed, no matter how much I tried to love it. First of all, let's clarify that the suggested retail price for the Sony PS Portal is €219 (or $200, but we always pay an extra fee in Europe), so don't fall for loan sharks and fake offers! At this price, the device you get is quite decent if you consider what you're getting. It has an excellent screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, a refresh rate of 60 Hz, and good brightness (you can even play outside in the sun, but I don't recommend it). The speakers are very good for this type of console, and it is 1000 times more ergonomic than the Nintendo Switch. The strong point and essentially the selling point of the device is its easy and fast ability to stream directly from the PS5 to the device. Sometimes, due to children, relatives, or other reasons, you may not have the ability to use the TV. The Portal solves this problem by allowing you to transfer directly there. It is also ideal for a more relaxed game in bed before sleep.
However, you can find the same remote play feature in many other devices that you surely have at your disposal! You can use remote play with your mobile phone, especially if you have a device like the Backbone Controller, which provides all the tools for a very pleasant experience. The same can be done with a laptop, where connecting the DualSense controller gives you exactly the same capabilities or even more. The Portal does not have a regular touchpad, and the needs of the games are covered through a pseudo-touchpad that appears on the screen. This is based solely on software, but unfortunately, it does not work very well. Additionally, there is no ability to stream directly from Sony's cloud. Practically, this means that if you pay for the premium package for the PlayStation Network (which allows you to cloud stream all games), you cannot take advantage of it. Instead, you have to wait for the game to download on the PS5 in order to be able to play it on the Portal. Furthermore, there is no support for Bluetooth headphones from other companies! The device has a 3.5mm audio jack, but if you have chosen the path of wireless headphones, then you will have an issue. The only way is to wait for the new Sony Pulse wireless headphones to be released, priced at €219, or the new Pulse Elite headphones priced at €149! I should also mention the battery, which lasts for about 4 hours, performance-wise, it is mediocre. I should also mention that games with fast gameplay and high power requirements are not suitable for the Portal (Spider-Man 2), and even top games like Horizon Forbidden West, God of War, and The Last of Us run on the console without any problems (as long as there is good WiFi), but the drop in quality compared to the PS5 and a 4K TV is noticeable.
I understand that the portable console market is now saturated with plenty of options (Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion, ASUS ROG ALLY, AYANEO), so Sony tried to minimize the risk as much as possible. HOWEVER, there are several missing features from the Portal that would have turned it from a console for a few into a must-buy. There is no internal storage, even just 500GB, to store games and play offline. You can't have multiple connected accounts, which is tragic for a device that is solely for remote play. Sony has shown what you can do with the controller in games like Astro, but the console comes with a 100% inefficient touchpad.
In conclusion, the console is aimed at people who are willing to spend €220 just for streaming, with good Wi-Fi. It's not convenient to switch between multiple profiles, so the device is more individualistic. It is an ergonomically designed device, with the same scandals you find in the DualSense. It has a very good screen and speakers, but it is completely useless if the PS5 is offline as you can't do anything. It's definitely not a must-buy for everyone and is aimed at collectors, parents, and people who reminisce about their experiences with the PSP and PS VITA. There are definitely cheaper solutions to experience remote play (simply by using your laptop and connecting the DualSense), so if you're not attracted to this device itself, there's no reason to buy it.
Update after 200+ hours of use:
The size of the Portal is about the same as two DualSense controllers placed side by side. In terms of ergonomics, I think it is the most comfortable device of all time, surpassing all portable devices from GameBoy to Lenovo Legion and everything in between. The pseudo-touchpad is the rectangular parallelogram in the photo. Also, the joysticks are slightly smaller than the DualSense's, without being uncomfortable, of course.
Regarding the battery, I managed to get 7 hours and 5 minutes from 100% to 0% before it shut down. Of course, to make it last that long, I turned off the sound, lowered the brightness to the minimum, turned off the auxiliary lighting of the controller, and the microphone's mute light was deactivated. The device was in a stable position with a good Wi-Fi signal, and the game was single player and offline. In short, under normal use, the battery will last 4.5-5.5 hours.
Since the Portal is purely a streaming device, it doesn't have settings for games (resolution or FPS). Therefore, if the game doesn't give you the ability to adjust them, you will have a noticeably worse experience compared to a 4K TV. The titles released by Sony's studios in recent years (Last of Us Part 1 + 2, God of War Ragnarok, Spider-Man 2) provide these capabilities. But in my opinion, you would miss out on a huge part of the experience if you choose the Portal over a TV. In my opinion, this is where Sony's biggest mistake lies. The Portal has many features that would make it ideal for games released in the early to mid-cycle of the PS4 (Nier Automata, Days Gone, Skyrim, Persona 5). We all now have a huge pile of shame with games we abandoned or never started, so this device would have been the perfect place for redemption. However, you don't have the ability to play games at 1080p resolution with 100+ FPS instead of 2K with 60 FPS or 4K with 30 FPS. Also, the Portal would be ideal for the games in the Classics Catalog (Ninja Gaiden, Ico, Heavenly Sword, Jax, Sly Cooper, etc.), but Sony does not allow you to download them on the PS5, only to stream them, and the Portal cannot play something that is not downloaded on the console.
Furthermore, in terms of the Portal and online gaming, unfortunately, the results are not pleasant. Personally, with a 200 Mbps connection, while playing Fall Guys, Mortal Kombat, and Tekken, I noticed that the lag is so bad that it doesn't allow you to play.
In conclusion, I believe that the 4 stars I initially gave are the most objective review for the Portal, which is a tool and not a console. I cannot blame those who consider the device bad, but neither can I blame those who love it. For me, it was a good idea with many prospects that remained unfinished.
P.S. The extent to which it is more value for money compared to the Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion, or Asus Rog Ally is relative. Yes, okay, the price of the Portal is 219, while for the first one it is 419 for the 256GB model or 569 for the good model, for the second one it is 899, and for the Asus it is 649 for the top model. BUT you get a complete console for 10 years. Currently, the Portal does not support the PS4, and given that Sony does not seem to prioritize features like backwards compatibility and support for old consoles/devices, are we sure it will have any use in the PS6?
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