We thought it might be a mistake. And we don’t mean that as a negative thing, far from it. It’s just that when we first heard about a handheld console from Sony, we all got excited. After learning what PlayStation Portal was all about… many of us wanted to believe it was a joke.
Sony already has a date for its “PS5 remote player,” which is not a portable console at all. The company’s new streaming device that only works via WiFi and a PS5 will get into the hands of gamers on November 15, and can already be pre-ordered from Sony’s PlayStation Direct online store.
As explained on the company’s official website, the device is limited to one per customer and will be launched in the U.S., U.K. and several European countries on November 15 through Sony directly.
PlayStation Portal will also be available through selected distributors in Canada and Japan. So you won’t see it in stores this Christmas, unless you live in these two countries.
Is it normal that they only sell it online?
Sony’s pre-order limitations seem to point to limited supply or high sales expectations. But since the company first offered us details about the device last month, we were more surprised by what it couldn’t do than what it could.
For starters, the €219 device will not support PlayStation’s fledgling attempt to stream games in the cloud. In other words, PlayStation Portal requires a PS5 to be connected via WiFi in order to work.
It is, in a nutshell, just a DualSense controller attached to an 8-inch LCD screen. It includes all the functions of the company’s main PlayStation 5 controller, but with WiFi connectivity, which means you can’t really play outside the home unless you’re in a place with at least 5 Mbps connectivity.
Even so, you will probably need a high-speed Internet connection of 15 Mbps to get the most out of remote gaming. And the problem isn’t finding this, it’s finding a WiFi with no latency or connection spikes.
Forget about using your headphones
Then come the problems with third-party headphones. You have the typical 3.5mm headphone jack, but the device does not support Bluetooth.
Instead, the company uses its own PlayStation Link to connect to its new Pulse Explore and Pulse Elite headsets. Announced with prices of €199 for the headset and €149 for the headset.
The Elite and Explore should also work with other devices, as they are Bluetooth compatible, but need to insert a USB dongle into the PlayStation 5 to work with Sony’s main console.
With all this it is very difficult to advise to buy a PS5 player that can only work if you have a PlayStation on, connected to PlayStation Portable and if you have high speed WiFi connection.
Sony has set so many requirements to be able to use this player, not console, that it will only be worthwhile for those who cannot play PS5 at home because the only TV in the house is occupied.
It occurs to me that many kids will want to play the PS5 while their parents watch the news or Netflix, but I find it hard to see this as a niche where Sony is going to scratch sales. Kids living with their parents are not characterized by high purchasing power.
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