Playstation still has a long way to go before taking the crown from successful handhelds like Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch

PlayStation Portal is a new handheld from Sony that allows players to enjoy their favorite games in the palm of their hands. However, that requires them to have an existing PS5 console to host the game stream. The device comes at $199.99 featuring the DualSense controller and an 8-inch display capable of 1080p 60 FPS streaming.

This handheld doesn’t have any particular hardware to let it run the titles independently, which is causing a lot of commotion on the internet. The year 2022-2023 has been great for handheld gaming devices as they were able to run high-tier games in portable form-factor. While the idea is not new, however, technological advancement has been enough to ensure running games natively on handheld devices.

However, Sony didn’t release such a device, despite having experience with handhelds like PSP or PS Vita. On top of it, the device has numerous issues which is quite disappointing for early adopters.

Why PS Portal has been adapted negatively?

The PlayStation Portal is a compact and portable handheld that can fit into any bag and provide you with console-quality gaming on the go. However, it can only do so, provided you have at least 20 MB/s connection speed available on hand and your PS5 turned on.

Furthermore, PlayStation Portal has a minimum battery life of 4-5 hours, which is currently above average compared to other handheld devices. However, that isn’t impressive enough as it doesn’t run any games natively. This is just about it when it comes to speaking about the positives of the device.

Looking at the negatives, PS Portal has various cons like lack of hardware to natively run games, no Bluetooth connectivity, and usage of an LCD panel instead of OLED. Such a lack of features has led to fans labeling Sony as anti-consumer when selling these handhelds.

Currently, the market has various handheld devices capable of running games natively, where Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck are the biggest examples. Both these devices, costing roughly $400, enable users to enjoy games on the go with OLED panels. On the other hand, PlayStation Portal is priced at $200 without the ability to run games natively and uses an LCD panel, which has a lot of disadvantages.

Moreover, PS5 has a Remote Play feature that allows to stream games to mobile devices and connect the controller. Thus, users can use their phones or tablets for steaming the game and achieve the same goal as the handheld device. However, some might prefer a single-built device for gaming and carry it anywhere they wish to.

Bluetooth connectivity is a common form of transmission used for wireless audio and has plenty of such devices. However, PS Portal slashes off the commonly used medium and only enables their Pulse Elite and Explore headsets. On the brighter side, the device still has a 3.5 audio jack, so wired solutions are available for users.

Why third-party handhelds like Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck are better options than PlayStation Portal?

Handheld gaming has been the in-thing for a long time and the modern era was revolutionized with the release of PSP and PS Vita in the past. However, Nintendo was able to dethrone that with their Switch console which featured more powerful hardware and multiple exclusive games. It wasn’t until 2022 that Valve entered the handheld gaming devices scene and released Steam Deck, allowing players to enjoy PC-based games on the go.

With such leaps in technology, it was expected that Sony would revive their portable devices which were capable of running games natively. However, that didn’t happen and Sony ended up releasing a cloud-based solution that is dependent on the PS5 as a source device. Furthermore, the pricing of the product is quite high, and other alternatives are available which would be more beneficial.

Steam Deck is currently known as the king of handhelds due to its great compatibility and ability to run AAA titles. Nintendo Switch on the other hand has a huge library of games as well, including many first-party exclusives. With these advantages, both these handhelds are dominating the market with their reasonable pricing.

Since Sony has experience with portable devices with native game-running capabilities, a next-gen product is surely possible. However, that won’t be happening soon enough as powerful portable hardware for running next-gen titles isn’t available for consumers yet. However, knowing how Sony has tie-ups with AMD, a custom SoC might be developed for a PSP or PS Vita-like handheld in the future.

Why PS Vita was better than PlayStation Portal?

PS Vita was the direct successor of PSP and can be considered to be better than the current generation PlayStation Portal. Sony officially ended support for PS Vita back on May 31, 2023, which is this year. However, after the release of the PS5 console, the support for remote play was taken away from the handheld.

Until PlayStation 4, the in-house handheld device from Sony was remote play enabled. While having official support, the remote-play feature wasn’t extended for PS5 after its release worldwide. This might have been done since plans for PS Portal were already in motion.

Now, the PS Vita has its dedicated hardware which allows players to enjoy games natively, if released for PS1 or PSP. The device became a quick success in the year 2011 when it was originally released. Additionally, the handheld was available at $250, which is only $50 more than the PS Portal.

Looking at PS Portal in 2023, the handheld has no such features that allow it to play older games natively despite having high pricing. The only good thing it has is the remote play feature, which is available on mobile devices via an app as well.