© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
Sometimes confused with a new portable console, the PlayStation Portal is an accessory that necessarily goes hand in hand with the PS5, this one being used to exploit the possibilities of Remote Play, or Remote Play for Anglophobes.
If this niche product may interest players who often have to give up their right to television, its price from 219.99 eurosfor a functionality available on smartphones for free still raises questions about its usefulness. After testing the Portal as well as the Remote Play functions on Smartphone and on the Steam Deck, here is our opinion on Sony's new PS5 accessory.
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© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
The first worry we could have when seeing this long 8-inch tablet equipped with a DualSense controller, it was to end up with a fragile machine. However, the PlayStation Portal's frame offers a solid structure, which gives confidence in its durability.
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
As for its design Sony offers here a beautiful, well-finished machine. I particularly appreciated the lighting signature present on the Portal, which offers a premium feeling to the whole. However, we will criticize the placement of the USB-C charging port behind the screen, which turns out to be quite impractical to use.
Fortunately, you might say, but the advantage of offering a device solely for Remote Play lies in its ease of use. When you first turn on the Portal, it will ask you to connect to your WI-FI network then pair with your PS5 by following the instructions which are disconcertingly simple. strong>.
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
Within a few minutes and after updating the machine, the remote play function is launched, then everything is ready to play. This is where the strong point of having a dedicated peripheral lies, this ability to be able to play for 5 minutes before having to let go of the Portal, then restart the game in the space of a few seconds, like what is made with PCs in the form of consoles.
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
Ergonomically speaking, the PlayStation Portal demonstrates great qualities. Indeed, it offers an experience similar to the PS5 controller, with the difference that its joysticks are slightly smaller. An element which is not at all disturbing in itself.
The Portal uses the same vibration system as well as trigger resistance. Lightweight, the machine is not really felt on the wrists while playing, which is rather pleasant. Conversely, the large gap between the two parts of the controller is quite disturbing at first, which will require a little time to adapt.
This is still the essential point of the < strong>PlayStation Portal! It is obvious that providing a stable streaming experienceis essential to play correctly. And with this in mind, the device does very well. Initially tested with the console connected via WI-FI (on a Livebox 6 with a shared 2 Gbit/s fiber offer), the Portal happened to present a few snags.
On the other hand, once the PS5 was connected via Ethernet, the Portal streaming experience became foolproof. As for the image, the 1080p screenof the machine pays homage to the PS5 games, even if upon closer inspection, it is easy to realize that it is indeed a video stream from streaming. This is particularly noticeable during the rapid passages of Spider-Man 2, where the streaming lacks fluidity. So, I can only advise playing in Performance mode to try to compensate.
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
Strangely and against all expectations, the great stability of the PS Portal connection means that it is possible to play online with it. Tested during a match on Rocket League, the exemplary stability of streaming did not reveal any problems during the game, even allowing me to have better ping than some of my teammates.
Overall, < strong>the PlayStation Portal keeps its promises herefor a gaming experience that will not be interrupted by connectivity problems, provided you have an excellent connection, as well as connecting the console via Ethernet.
Given thatPlayStation Portal is a machine that has very little computing power since it only works through streaming, which consumes little energy. So during our tests, we were able to play Spider-Man 2 for more than 5 hours before getting a message indicating its low battery. A rather honorable autonomy therefore. Regarding its charging speed, it is necessary to wait1h45 to go from 0 to 100% according to our tests.
In a future update, it would be greatly useful if Sony displayed the remaining autonomy with a battery percentage, and not its current system similar to the DualSense. In addition, when the console charges while it is turned off, you will have to press the power button to see its charge level. And this is where, like the controller, the Portal's light signature should be used to indicate whether the charge is complete or not.
If there is indeed something to complain about at the PlayStation Portal, it is the fact of not allowing the possibility of using the Bluetooth headsets and earphones of our choice. In fact, Sony is forcing the purchase of the new Pulse Elite headset and the Pulse Explore headphones, which alone are wirelessly compatible with the machine using the brand's proprietary technology .
For others, you will have to use the jack port, when everyone has abandoned the format for years to concentrate on wireless technology. Knowing that the devices are respectively priced at 149.99 euros and 219.99 euros (the price of the Portal itself!), this is an absolutely shameful practice on the part of Sony here.
< /p> © Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
The irony is all the stronger when we know that the WH-1000XM5 headphones and the WF-1000XM5 headphones made by Sony itself are incompatible with the device. Fortunately, the Portal's speakers deliver decent, well-spatialized sound, even if that doesn't entirely solve the problem.
As previously explained, it has been possible to take advantage of Remote Play for years now, using a smartphone, a tablet, a PC and therefore many peripherals that we generally already have available. So, one might ask, what does PlayStation Portal offer that's better than this bunch of hardware?
Let's start with the PS Portal facing the smartphone. The advantage of this is to already own it, and therefore to reduce the price of the whole thing. In addition, it is possible to benefit from an OLED screen, unlike the LCD screen of the Portal, but also to connect headphones or earphones via Bluetooth. On the other hand, the advantage of having a dedicated machine and not having to install a controller support each time you want to play, benefit from better ergonomics, and have a machine that has its own battery (in order to avoid discharging that of the smartphone).
Let's now compare with the Steam Deck. It is possible to install the Chiaki software, which even if it requires more skill to install, offers to modify the streaming parameters. This allowed me to obtain greater image quality than on the PS Portal despite a lower resolution, as well as lag-free sound. Suffice to say that with the Steam Deck OLED, the experience must be quite incredible.
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
© Presse-citron.net © Robin Sabbadini
Regarding the Steam Deck LCD, you have to realize that with the arrival of the new model, it has seen its price drop to 369 euros. If we do a quick calculation, for 150 euros more than the PlayStation Portal you will be able to benefit from a better visual experience (a little less practical to set up of course), from a machine allowing you to play games by itself and not just by streaming, working Bluetooth, and even playing PS Plus PC games without the need for PS5. This is still something to take into account before taking the plunge and buying the Sony device.
Although I haven't had the opportunity to test the thing, it also seems to me Obviously it is possible to do the same with the ROG Ally and the Legion GO using the official PS Remote Play software, thus taking advantage of certain advantages of the Steam Deck without the disadvantages of installing Chiaki.
Overall, PlayStation Portal is a good machine that does exactly what Sonypromised. Solid and well made, the Portal meets a need for people who have little opportunity to sit down and start long games. The advantage of the machine is precisely to be able to resume a game in a few seconds, and to free up the TV if necessary.
We also like the fact of being able to play the PS5 while being away from homealthough Sony should obviously offer a charging dock and a protective cover in order to offer a more complete experience. However, we will criticize its price placement in comparison to a Steam Deck offering a much more complete machine, especially when purchasing a PlayStation Link compatible headset or earphones.
All the same, for someone wanting a turnkey experience and a very easy to use machine, the PS Portal is a good product, for those who would of course have a solid connection.