PlayStation Portal Remote Player - Midnight Black

The PlayStation Portal Remote Player is a fantastic handheld option for PS5 owners who want to play away from the TV. With its crisp 8-inch 1080p screen, responsive DualSense-style controls, and smooth Remote Play performance over Wi-Fi, it delivers a great gaming experience—especially around the house.While it lacks Bluetooth support and only works with a local PS5 (no cloud gaming), it’s perfect for gamers who want to continue playing when the TV is in use or for lounging and gaming from anywhere at home. If you have a solid internet connection, this is a stylish and convenient companion for your PS5 setup.

The portal feels lighter than it looks, feels a lot like dualsense PS5 controller. After a firmware update, you no longer are required to own a PS5 to use this product, as long as you have a Playstation plus premium subscription. With the subscription, you're allowed to use the beta feature to stream certain selected games (around 100). The portal functions like a Wii U gamepad essentially & it shows whatever is on your PS5 displayed on the portal screen. The portal will not play cloud streaming games if you try to access them through the PS5, nor will it function with any media apps.I started using my portal by connecting it to my PSN account. Then I made sure I used an ethernet cable for my PS5, because it allows for a smoother experience & lets you use the portal anywhere there's wifi available. I have not tested the quality of this feature, but I have spent dozens of hours playing games at my house when my gf or roommates are using the tv my PS5 is set up with. If several people are using the broadband then the portals connection to the PS5 will become unstable, but I can safely say that this is not a frequent issue.There's a bit of a delay but honestly it's not that much worse than modern wireless controller input delay. I wouldn't think to play games online with my portal but I've played a ton of elden ring on it & it feels great. I love handheld consoles but this isn't really a console, it's mostly an accessory. Despite that, I really enjoy it. It's hard to recommend to people because most people will be content playing their Playstation library on their tv screen, but if you live with several people & don't own several tvs, then it's a nice option for gamers.

Although my absolute wish from Sony would be for a dedicated handheld, this will do for now.Form factor and ergonomics - Very comfy to hold and not heavy. Essential a Dualsense controller shopped in half with a screen attached in between. So regular Dualsense users will feel right at home. The only thing that takes getting use to is the PS button and the touch screen for obvious reason. I really like how the power, volume buttons are designed to be away from the top of the screen bezel compared to other handhelds. This prevents accidental button pressing and is easy to reach. And for once, the controller (I'll call it lightbar) is visible while gaming, so seeing games interact with this light is amazing.Playing the Portal (wired internet connection to PS5) - Although the latency is there, most games are very playable. Playing first person shooters are difficult, especially games that require fast reaction times, but playable. Playing games away from my home also works great. It was highly hesitant about playing games with slow latency, but being able to catch up on games while in bed or when the TV is being used is a huge win for me. Current game I am playing is Silent Hill 2 and it runs great on the Portal.Minor downsides - Battery life, I think can be better. I'm getting roughly 3 to 4 hours of game play with full Dualsense features, speakers, and screen brightness high (not full brightness). I think it's a given that if I disable most of the Dualsense features the battery would last longer, although all the features are so nice to have on a portable device. The speakers could also be better, although fairly loud, the clarity and low tones such as bass are missing. At least comparing to Steam Deck, the speakers are much better here, where you can actually here more details in games. With the Portal, I found that it was lacking that clarity, Silent Hill 2 for example, it is hard to hear the ambient background noise, and surrounding enemy direction. The other sounds are amplified such as character grunts and voices.Overall I'm really enjoying this streaming device, and only hope Sony will come out with a dedicated handheld with the same form factor. I will definitely continue using the Portal for a long time coming.

Admittedly, I was skeptical when I first ordered the Portal. I'd previously used an app on my phone for game streaming, and it worked ok, but the Portal absolutely blows that app out of the water.The wifi connectivity is surprisingly reliable. I've been using it in my home for months now and n have rarely had any issues maintaining a connection. The screen is larger than expected, with even small details in games being very visible. The device is a little weighty but not so much that it tires out my arms, even after prolonged gaming sessions. Battery life is longer than expected. From a full charge, it takes literally hours to deplete it. And even if you do, it can be played while charging on any USB-C charging cable (so, probably the same one for your phone). Controls are laid out exactly like a PS5 controller, with a touch screen feature making up for the lack of a touchpad.The appearance is sleek and stylish. It looks and feels good in your hands. I do recommend getting a carry case and screen protector to keep it looking sharp. The Portal is an impressive little device, let's keep it looking that way!If you'd like to be able to take your game to another room, or if someone wants to use the TV while you're trying to keep your game going, this is the perfect solution. Well worth the money in my opinion.