Size 8″
Key specifications
- Operating system
- Not disclosed
- SoC
- Not disclosed
- RAM
- Not disclosed
- Size
- 8″
- Resolution
- 1080p
- Capacity
- Not disclosed
- Weight
- Not disclosed
PlayStation PortalOverview
The PlayStation Portal is a remote player that connects to a PS5 console (sold separately) over Wi-Fi. It has an 8-inch LCD screen able to show 1080p at 60 frames per second depending on the game and the connection quality, and it carries the main features of the DualSense controller: adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, when the game supports them.
For audio, it offers built-in speakers, a 3.5 mm jack and PlayStation Link earbuds and headsets. Sony states a connection of at least 5 Mbps to use the device and recommends 15 Mbps. Cloud streaming of PS5 games, separate from Remote Play, requires a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription. A “1080p High Quality” mode is offered alongside the standard mode. Colours: white and Midnight Black.
PlayStation PortalOur test
This test, published in early December 2024, covers the PlayStation Portal in its cloud gaming version, after several weeks of use without a PS5. It describes the service as it stood then: PlayStation Plus Premium cloud streaming was in beta, with limits that may have changed since.
The hardware is the strong point. The 8-inch 1080p LCD (60 Hz) is one of the screens we liked best, for its colours and depth. At 530 g the console holds very well: the two halves follow the DualSense, with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that add real immersion (we checked this in World War Z). The light bars adapt to the picture in some games. It has two decent speakers and a headphone jack; Bluetooth is not used, so wireless audio goes through a PS Link-compatible headset. The USB-C port is for charging only. We measured about 5 hours of battery on 5 GHz Wi-Fi, 1080p, with brightness at 75%.
On the cloud side, the experience is playable and smooth (Spider-Man Miles Morales, with the PS5’s graphics modes), latency sitting in our view closer to Boosteroid than to xCloud, though behind GeForce Now. Over 5G tethering, play remains usable with some artefacts. The limits are the service’s: a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription is mandatory, a catalogue of 120 to 150 games with no way to play your own purchases, a list with no sorting or search, no demos or 3D audio, voice chat sometimes unsupported, and a console locked against other services.
Our view: appealing, at around €220, for someone without a PS5 who wants the Premium catalogue; of no use to someone who already plays on other services.
What we liked
- 8-inch 1080p LCD with carefully rendered colours
- DualSense grip: haptics and adaptive triggers
- Headphone jack and two decent speakers
- Smooth cloud, latency close to Boosteroid
- About 5 hours of battery on Wi-Fi at 1080p
What convinced us less
- PlayStation Plus Premium subscription required for cloud
- Limited catalogue, cannot play your own games
- Game list with no sorting or search
- No usable Bluetooth, USB-C for charging only
- Locked console, no other cloud gaming services
PlayStation PortalFull specifications
System
| Operating system | Not disclosed |
|---|
Processor
| SoC | Not disclosed |
|---|
Memory and storage
| RAM | Not disclosed |
|---|
Display
| Panel type | LCD |
|---|---|
| Size | 8″ |
| Resolution | 1080p |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi (5 Mbps minimum, 15 Mbps recommended) |
|---|
Battery
| Capacity | Not disclosed |
|---|
Dimensions
| Weight | Not disclosed |
|---|
Controls
| Rumble | Yes |
|---|
Audio
| Speakers | Built-in speakers |
|---|---|
| 3.5 mm headphone jack | Yes |
Other
| Colours | White, Midnight Black |
|---|
PlayStation PortalCreator videos
Videos open on YouTube.
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