PlayStation Portal Review: A Mixed Bag
The PlayStation Portal review is finally here, and it’s quite the mixed bag. On the one hand, it’s a great little streamer that can play a fantastic library of games. On the other hand, it’s a strange attempt to sell a holiday product that has very limited compatibility with PlayStation’s own cloud gaming service.
The PlayStation Portal is a device that’s bound to get people talking, and that’s largely due to its $300 (£330) price tag. It’s certainly not cheap, especially when you consider that you could buy a Nintendo Switch 2 and a Steam Deck for the same price and get a much better experience overall.
The PlayStation Portal has received a mixed bag of reactions from users, with many expressing disappointment that the device can only stream purchased games and not cloud games from PlayStation Plus. The lack of compatibility between Sony’s cloud gaming service and the streaming-only device is seen as a major drawback that’s difficult to get around.
“I would never, ever buy this over a Steam Deck,” one user replies to a PlayStation Portal Twitter announcement. “I already have a Deck, and it has a much more robust gaming library and can stream as well.” Another adds, “I’m completely baffled by this. The Steam Deck is a handheld PC and a mini PC that can run a full operating system and can play console games.”
Others take a more positive view, arguing that there is an audience for a cloud-gaming-only device that provides good internet and doesn’t want to buy a console. “I’m sure there are people who just want a streaming device for their good internet,” one replies. “I can see it being a niche for people.”
The PlayStation Portal gets a lot of flak for being a streaming device, but it’s difficult to deny that it’s a solid experience overall. It’s easy to get hung up on the fact that you can’t play PlayStation games on it, but if you look at it like a console that happens to stream games it actually stacks up pretty well.
In fact, I’d argue that the Steam Deck is a better value proposition when compared to the PlayStation Portal, as you get the ability to play PC Games natively and stream console games. Even if you don’t care about the latter, you’re still getting a full operating system and compatibility with all the same peripherals.
In contrast, the appeal of the Steam Deck lies in its portability. It’s easy to toss it in your bag and continue the gaming experience in a more comfortable environment, whether that’s on the couch or a hotel bed. The PlayStation Portal’s limitations, on the other hand, are immediately apparent, and the fact that it can’t play cloud games or requires a stable internet connection are serious drawbacks.
For a device that’s being positioned as a portable console, that’s a bit of a head-scratcher. Not only does it cost more than the portable-focused Nintendo Switch 2, but it’s also more expensive than its desktop counterpart. The PlayStation Portal is like the Wii U gamepad without the console to back it up, and it’s hard to justify the price when you can get a much more complete experience with a Steam Deck.
The biggest criticism of the PlayStation Portal lies in the cloud gaming experience itself, which is shaky at best. Numerous users highlight the fact that they’ve had difficulties with lag and the difficulties certain game genres like FPS pose with streaming.
Others bring up Google Stadia and its rocky road to success, with one user remarking, “Google Stadia is still struggling to get off the ground and Sony has their own cloud gaming service.” Another replies, “Google Stadia is still struggling to get off the ground, and that’s after Google’s name and money.”
Sony has received a lot of flak over the years, particularly with the missed opportunities of the PSP and its poor track record with gaming hardware. However, it’s hard not to see this as a company with compartmentalized divisions rather than a unified entity.
For example, why release a streaming-only device when you already have your own cloud gaming service? And why release a portable device that can’t play PlayStation games when you have an existing handheld console with a massive library of games?
