A couple of months after being initially teased as the Project Q, Sony has now confirmed its PS5 streaming handheld is known as the PlayStation Portal. From this device, you'll be able to stream titles over Wi-Fi and take them with you around the house. We're bringing you all the key information you need to know about this device.
Unlike the Nintendo Switch or the Steam Deck, the PlayStation Portal is unable to run its own native software and instead entirely relies upon streaming from the PS5 console. It's more akin to the likes of the Logitech G Cloud or the Razer Edge in that regard with one major caveat, as confirmed in a recent PlayStation Blog post, the device is unable to stream titles from the PS Plus Premium cloud gaming library. That means its sole purpose is to translate some of the best PS5 games from the big screen to its smaller one, in a similar vein to the Wii U gamepad from a decade prior.
Along with the name of the device, we know now exactly how much it will cost and some of the hardware powering the PlayStation Portal. Whether it can be considered one of the best PS5 accessories will only be known when we've had our hands on the unit itself. As an addition to one of the best monitors for PS5 or one of the best gaming TVs, it could prove yourself if you want to multi-task when gaming or streaming media.
Price and release date
The PlayStation Portal was officially announced on August 23 as a "Remote Play dedicated device" and will launch sometime before the end of 2023 for $199.99 / £199.99 (about AU$310) with pre-orders yet to be announced. Worldwide availability appears to be happening all at once as Sony also confirms pricing for European markets and Asia as well.
Given the fact that the PlayStation Portal's sole objective is to use Remote Play to stream games running on your PS5, the price tag here seems a little steep. It's comparable to a budget gaming tablet but is built for one thing. The trade-off here all comes down to the hardware inside. As a point of comparison, the Logitech G Cloud, the closest item comparably in terms of form factor and functionality, retails at $349.99 / £329.99 (about AU$540), so Sony's latest offering significantly undercuts it.
Design and Features
The PlayStation Blog post confirms several statements made by Jim Ryan in an earlier press release published by Business Wire. Chief among them is the fact that the PlayStation Portal features an 8-inch LCD screen rocking a 1080p resolution at 60fps. There's also a 3.5mm headphone jack to connect to one of the best wired headsets, but the post also confirms that you'll be able to use PlayStation Link with the likes of the upcoming PlayStation Pulse Elite headset and Pulse Explore earbuds.
Actual hardware specifications have yet to materialize on what's powering the PlayStation Portal, and there will be no support for Bluetooth with this device, meaning relying on the PlayStation Link technology. Said tech will be available in the two revealed headsets, but a USB dongle will be coming at a later time, which means support could be more widespread in the near future.
A major advantage of relying on streaming instead of native rendering for gameplay experiences is added battery life. For all the faults we found with the Logitech G Cloud, a similarly priced handheld device, it wasn't uncommon to see a battery life of between 8-12 hours when streaming Xbox Game Pass or GeForce Now. If the same can be achieved here then that would be a major plus for Sony's device, although, we're expecting things to be more conservative, given the DualSense support as the PS5's wireless controller only averages 4-8 hours on a single charge.
Sony PS5 Project Q: FAQs
Will I be able to stream PS Plus games on the PlayStation Portal?
No. Sony has confirmed that you will not be able to stream titles from the PS Plus Premium Game Catalog on the PlayStation Portal as the device is solely intended to stream directly from your PS5 console. This means it acts as more of a second screen with DualSense functionality enabled than a PlayStation-themed gaming tablet.
Will I be able to use the PlayStation Portal with cellular data?
Sony has stated that the PlayStation Portal is a strictly Wi-Fi-enabled gaming handheld for use within the local range of the PS5 console and does not feature any 4G / 5G cellular connectivity. The system will only be able to stream locally from dedicated hardware with supported games already on the system.
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