Sony has officially revealed the long-awaited PlayStation Portal handheld device.
Highlights.
- The PlayStation Portal will retail for $199.99/£199.99.
- The device is primarily designed for streaming games from a PlayStation 5 console.
- The game streaming handheld will not be compatible with Sony’s game streaming platform.
- Does not feature Bluetooth.
The Full Story.
Sony has finally lifted the lid on its remote play device now called the PlayStation Portal.
The device will let users stream games they own from a PlayStation 5 console to the device providing their Internet is at least 5Mbps (Sony recommends 15Mbps for the best experience).
The handheld device boasts a 1080p screen capable of 60 frames per second and sports a headphone jack. Only Sony headphones and earbuds will work with the device as it doesn’t have Bluetooth. It instead uses Sony’s new tech called PlayStation Link to connect external devices. In short, if you wanted to use that headset you love, you can’t. Go buy some Sony ones.
Sony is also keen to make users aware while the device is a remote play device, it isn’t compatible with the company’s cloud streaming service included with PS Plus subscriptions.
Sony also hasn’t gone into detail about what operating system the device will be using. It’s rumored to be running Android, which in theory could give it access to Google Play, and in turn Xbox Game Pass. You won’t be able to hook up an Xbox controller to play, though. That’ll need Bluetooth.
The device, which features a Dualsense controller split down the middle with a screen inserted, also isn’t compatible with VR games.
Lastly, we also don’t know what type of sticks are being used. The Dualsense is notorious for stick drift, so you’d hope Sony is opting for Hall effect sensors to avoid problems down the line.
Battery life and a release date were also not revealed, though rumor has it November is the likely month it’ll arrive.
Additional information sourced from The Verge’s writeup.
