{"id":39710,"date":"2023-11-15T15:08:06","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T14:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1926542"},"modified":"2023-11-15T15:09:22","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T14:09:22","slug":"ps-portal-reviews-round-up-is-the-playstation-handheld-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/ps-portal-reviews-round-up-is-the-playstation-handheld-worth-it\/","title":{"rendered":"PS Portal reviews round-up: Is the PlayStation handheld worth it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our portal to the PS Portal reviews. <\/p>

By Cole Luke\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 15 November 2023 at 14:08 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Sony\u2019s PlayStation Portal<\/a> has just launched, so to help answer the question, \u201cIs the PlayStation handheld worth it?\u201d we\u2019ve got our PS Portal reviews round-up to see how the nascent device has fared with the critics.<\/p>\n

The PlayStation Earbuds<\/a> have also launched alongside the PS Portal, and will play nice with them \u2013 something not guaranteed for other Bluetooth audio devices, as we\u2019ll see below.<\/p>\n

Without spoiling too much, the PS Portal has been met with a very mixed reaction, with some loving the device and others questioning the need for it.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that the PS Portal can only work when your PS5 is in the same Wi-FI network, which limits it to being used at home.<\/p>\n

If you need something that will play games anywhere, you could pick up a Steam Deck OLED<\/a> or, seeing as there\u2019s a next-gen Switch 2<\/a> on the horizon, you can find some great Nintendo Switch deals<\/a> if you believe the device is still worth it<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s quite enough from us, on to the reviews!<\/p>\n

PS Portal reviews round-up<\/b><\/h2>\n

The reviews are in, and given the niche case for a streaming device that can only be used at home, many critics are quite baffled as to why it exists.<\/p>\n

That said, the Sony quality seems to be there \u2013 save for the LCD screen, which seems to be the device\u2019s biggest letdown other than only being able to use it at home.<\/p>\n

Will Greenwald for PCMag<\/a> gave it 2.5\/5 stars, saying: \u201cIt\u2019s just too limited for the price, especially when there are more economical options that perform just as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jen Glennon of Kotaku<\/a> had a much better experience with the Portal, as they got a lot of use out of it when they wanted to game in bed \u2013 but did note that there are teething issues: \u201cWhile there are tweaks I\u2019d like to see in the weeks and months ahead, I\u2019ve been quite impressed with the time I\u2019ve spent with Portal so far.\u201d<\/p>

IGN<\/a>\u2019s Seth G Macy was also quite enamoured by the device \u2013 something they were genuinely shocked about \u2013 and gave the PS Portal 8\/10.<\/p>\n

They really felt that the device got its legs when used to diffuse any television-tension, saying, \u201cI really love the freedom it gives me to play my PS5 from anywhere with decent WiFi coverage, especially when the rest of my family was using the TV.\u201d<\/p>\n

They did highlight the issues surrounding connecting to certain Wi-Fi networks and wireless headphones, however: \u201cThe biggest things keeping the Portal from being a truly amazing device are its current lack of a way to access WiFi that requires a web browser to log in, and its lack of Bluetooth support for audio.\u201d<\/p>\n

Writing for Engadget<\/a>, Devindra Hardawar was less than impressed, giving the Portal 68\/100, as they felt the PS Portal \u201calready feels obsolete before it launches\u201d as \u201cits downsides are so immediately apparent that it\u2019s unclear why anyone should get one\u201d.<\/p>\n

They did note that the DualSense controller feels as excellent as ever, though: \u201cOn the bright side, the Portal includes the DualSense\u2019s satisfying haptics.\u201d<\/p>