The PlayStation Portal is a PS5 game-streaming handheld

It's Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Several months back, Sony teased a dedicated remote-play device for the PlayStation 5. Now it’s got a name and a price. The PlayStation Portal will cost $200 when it lands later this year,.

Aesthetics-wise, it looks like a tablet wedged between two halves of a DualSense controller. The eight-inch LCD screen can stream games at up to 1080p visuals at 60 fps. The device also includes DualSense features, such as haptic feedback. It can stream games from your PS5 console, so when someone else is using the TV or you're in another room (or even traveling), you can still play remotely via WiFi.

Sony

But it’s shaping up to be a surprisingly limited device if you’re outside of WiFi networks. PlayStation Portal doesn't run any apps locally, with everything pulled from your PS5. Handhelds like the Razer Edge can are able to run Android apps locally, while some third-party devices, think the ASUS ROG Ally or a Steam Deck, can remote-play your PS5, too.

The biggest omission could be cloud game streaming, something available to PS Plus Premium subscribers with a PS5. Sony says cloud game streaming isn't supported on the handheld.

– Mat Smith

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