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The very particular purpose of a PlayStation Portal

At first glance I wasn't sure what problem a PlayStation Portal solves. But after a bit more thinking it's going to be exactly what a specific kind of household needs.

Seamus Byrne
Seamus Byrne
1 min read
The very particular purpose of a PlayStation Portal
PlayStation Portal

In a world of Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Legion Go, the PlayStation Portal makes me scratch my head. For $329.95, you get a 1080p remote player that is focused on playing on your home Wi-Fi network when you can't access the TV your PS5 is hooked into.

It feels like a lot of money for a very specific device far more limited in scope than those brilliant new portable PC gaming devices. But then I think about how often someone wants to play a game in our house but can't take over the TV for long enough to go deep for a solid session of fun in a big RPG or a group shooter online with their friends.

Should we buy a second console for another room in the house? Or would a Portal let someone curl up on the couch and have a great time while they also keep their eye on whatever TV show everyone else is enjoying too?

And it's roughly a third of the price of one of those portable PC handhelds...

One console controller these days costs around $100. Adding a nice 8-inch screen to the middle of a solid DualSense controller for an extra $229? Starts to make plenty of sense for anyone who knows they don't get enough access to the big TV for game time.

SonyGames

Seamus Byrne

Founder and Head of Content at Byteside. Brings two decades of experience covering tech, digital culture, and their impacts on society.


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