The PlayStation Portal: unfortunately great

Controversial is the wrong word. But the PlayStation Portal was not exactly praised beforehand by the loud faction of the PlayStation scene. 220 francs for a controller with a screen on which your own PlayStation 5 games can be streamed? A feature that has been available for tablets and smartphones for years?

I bought the portal anyway.

With the following expectation: that I can play a game on the couch or in bed in the evening. Yes. That is it. That’s the only reason. The key word is ‘cozy’. My PS5 is in the basement of the office. Going downstairs in the evening is often too much of an obstacle – and in winter it is certainly no alternative to a warm bed.

After a week I now draw a conclusion: and because the Portal will be available for sale in Switzerland from tomorrow, I will answer the most important questions here.

Is it even comfortable to play on the couch or in bed?

Yes that is true. The elbows rest comfortably on the surface and thanks to the width of the device, the arms do not need to be strained extra. Works well.

Don’t your hands fall asleep?

But. For me it takes about an hour to get there. Get up quickly, shake your arms and the problem is solved. In any case, it is not wrong to get up every now and then.

How long does it take to start up?

From pressing the start button to firing the first shot in Cyberpunk 2077 takes less than a minute (56 seconds). This includes starting the PS5, which must first be woken from rest mode.

Does the PS5 need a lot more power now?

One downside to the portal (for easy access) is the requirement that the PS5 doze in rest mode. According to various sources, the PS5 should never draw more than 3 watts, which corresponds to a maximum of 72 Wh per day, 504 Wh per week and 26.3 kWh per year. That’s at least 150 kilometers with an electric car – but not the world.

Aren’t the sticks too small?

The built-in portal controller is almost completely identical to the conventional dual-senses. But only almost. The only noticeable difference is in the sticks. These have a diameter of 1.5 centimeters in the portal. That is 3 millimeters less than the Dual Senses. But you don’t really care. And I really don’t have Trump hands.

Is the screen good enough to be completely immersed in?

One discussion I don’t understand is whether you prefer to read a physical book or a book on an e-reader. If the content is correct, you become so involved in the story that the person behind it is no longer noticed. The situation is similar with fencing. Of course, “Play me the Song of Death” adds more pressure to the big screen – the immersion effect, losing yourself in the story until the medium becomes irrelevant, also works on the Portal’s small screen. Every now and then you will be taken out of the séance in small font menus. Yes, an OLED screen would have been nicer. The quality of the LED screen, let’s put it this way, “also works”.

Can you play on the toilet?

No. I will say something now: for 80 percent of people this will not be possible in a satisfactory way. The reason: in an estimated 80 percent of cases, the light source dangles above the throne in the retirade. The highly reflective screen of the Portal cannot handle the light. Gaming almost impossible. That gives you negative points.

How bad is the latency?

Of course this depends on the speed of the WiFi. A broadband WLAN with at least 5, preferably 15 Mbps is recommended. That’s not much. On the couch and in bed I receive 300 Mbps from my old Fritzbox. That’s why I didn’t notice any stuttering during the entire test week. I doubt if the portal also runs smoothly in the hotel WiFi in Fuerteventura.

Um, where’s the touchpad?

Built into the screen. A gentle touch will cause the two fields to appear (left and/or right). Something that takes some getting used to is that you have to double-click to click.

And how long does the battery last?

Apparently between 7 and 9 am. Mine was in the shaft after almost 5 hours of service. And Sony isn’t kidding: it warns you exactly once, about a minute before the device angrily turns off. The problem: the PS5 remains in use and must be sent to the realm of dreams with mixed feelings. I’m sure the alert system will be refined in one of the next updates.

Does the device give you that typical Sony feeling?

Yes, the device is very neatly processed, typical Sony quality. When you launch it, the portal will appear with a classic Sony soundscape. This feels like home. It’s a bit annoying that the Portal doesn’t accept Bluetooth headphones. Headphones are traditionally connected with a jack plug – that doesn’t bother me as much. But you can also have a different opinion. Moreover, no charger is included. A USB-C cable that can charge the device on the PS5 should be sufficient. Opinions may also be divided on this. I belong to the group that likes not having to buy a new charging part with every new purchase. Even if that means I still have to climb into the basement to get to the loaded portal.

Have your expectations been met?

Absolute. I’ve played every day for the past seven days. Sometimes only briefly (less than an hour). These are exactly the kind of fast-paced gamer shades I was hoping for. Play for a few minutes, complete a mission quickly, then put the device back away. My basement setting was not suitable for this, the Portal now fills this gap with a touch of elegance.

(Yes, even those who have to fight in front of the screen at home will have an ace up their sleeve in the future with the Portal.)