PLAYSTATION announced a whole load of new hardware this year, with fans eager to get their hands on it.
PS VR2, PS5 Slim, and PS Portal: What's on the horizon?
PS VR2 launched in February this year, and the PS5 Slim and PS Portal are on the horizon.
Lined up it's easy to see how much like a regular DualSense the Portal is.
Getting hands-on with the PS Portal
We managed to get our hands on a PS Portal after players have been speculating for months about just what the console will do.
It’s Sony’s latest attempt at a portable console, however, unlike the Vita before it, it won’t have its own games.
Instead, it will connect to your PS5 via the Wi-Fi and will let you play all of your favourite PS5 games in the palm of your hands.
Seamless remote play technology
PlayStation has been working hard on its remote play technology, and to date, it is surprisingly good.
There is almost no latency when playing remotely, we played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for hours, and it was the same as playing on console.
It’s very comfortable to hold as you are holding what is essentially a DualSense cut in half.
The 8" LCD screen feels large and luxurious, which helps when you are playing in a longer session.
This is essentially the whole console – an 8" screen and two halves of a DualSense, keeping the weight tolerable.
Transitioning from TV to the Portal
Transitioning from the beautiful 4K that you see on your TV to the 1080p of the Portal can be jarring, and you’ll notice compression on some games.
Despite this, you know what you’re getting into with a portable, so this feels acceptable overall.
Familiar design
It takes some time to get used to playing a DualSense in two halves, but once you get it, it feels as good as holding a real DualSense.
We liked the design touches that are added to Portal to keep it in line with the PS5.
Battery life and software disappointments
The major downside is its battery life which we feel is inferior to other cloud gaming devices.
It’s in line with the DualSense’s terrible battery life, and at low streaming quality and brightness settings, you might get around 4 hours of playtime.
The software is also disappointing as it mirrors the PS5’s UI like any other remote play device.
The biggest disappointment is the lack of Bluetooth support forcing players to purchase the expensive Pulse Explore earbuds.
An affordable option for handheld gamers
The PS Portal offers easy, quality remote play for an affordable price, and if you prefer to play handhelds, it’s likely one you’ll want to pick up.
If you want to know more about the console, you can read our PS Portal vs PS Vita comparison.
