The PlayStation Portal streaming handheld has quickly become a contentious little device. At first glance, it looks the part of a PSP or Vita successor. However, this thing’s limited to streaming games installed on your PS5 or PS4, which makes its use cases niche to say the least. For those that are interested in it, though, we finally have a release date for the Portal nailed down.
As shown in a new trailer on the PlayStation YouTube channel, the PlayStation Portal will launch on November 15. If you want to watch a montage of people holding the device and smiling at it on their couches, you can check out the video yourself.
PlayStation Portal-able
Aside from the release date, much of what we know of this thing has remained the same since its announcement. It’ll run for $199, and it will offer Adaptive Triggers alongside other key features of the DualSense 5 controller. It also sports a 1080p screen that can display games at 60 FPS.
While cool on paper, the device’s value prospect becomes trickier when you consider that almost anyone with a phone can already use PS Remote Play. Additionally, even a pricey mobile controller like the Backbone will run you only half the price. It’s easy to see how this thing has become a bit of a punching bag since its reveal.
Still, I will play devil’s advocate and say that I do see the use cases for this thing. I’ve tried many controller setups for streaming games to my phone, ranging from connecting my own PS4 controller to even using the premium Backbone. And honestly, none of them are quite as comfortable as just holding a device like the Switch. For PlayStation gamers who occasionally need to give up their TV, the Portal could come in handy. Is that worth $199? Not for me it isn’t. But it also wouldn’t collect dust in my home if one magically happened to appear.
If the PlayStation Portal excites you, pre-orders are live now. Devices are limited to one per order “due to high demand,” so we’ll see how this thing fares when it launches on November 15.
Published: Aug 31, 2023 03:27 pm