The PlayStation 5 and its successor the PS5 Slim are finally much easier to buy – but are you constantly fighting over the TV in your living room when you just want to kick back and play some Marvel’s Spider-Man 2? Sony has a solution in the form of its new PlayStation Portal remote player, which launched last month.
The Portal is a handheld device, but not a portable console in its own right like the PSP or PlayStation Vita of old. What you’re actually getting here is an 8-inch LCD tablet sandwiched between both halves of a DualSense PS5 controller, and you can play any game installed on your PS5 on this display by streaming them over your home Wi-Fi. Performance tops out at 1080p at 60fps.
Now, tech enthusiasts will know that remote play is nothing new. Chances are the phone you have in your pocket right now can install the PS Remote Play app and perform the same function as Sony’s new £200 accessory. What the company is betting on, though, is that the convenience of having a dedicated device with a larger display and all the tech buried in the DualSense, like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, makes it worth splashing out on.
We’ve been using the Portal for a few weeks now, and provided your Wi-Fi network is fast enough (Sony recommends a minimum speed of 15Mbps for good quality streaming), it’s a fun way of playing your PS5 in any room in the house, while freeing up the TV so someone else can watch Strictly while you game.
The PlayStation Portal can be purchased directly from Sony, as well as through other retailers, though it’s proving hard to track one down at the moment.
We’ve rounded up all the best standalone prices and bundles below. Our last price and stock check took place on Wednesday, December 13.
Where to buy PlayStation Portal
The obvious place to start is with PlayStation itself. The PS Portal costs £199.99 and can only be purchased on its own right now. Customers are limited to one device purchase each (and in any event, only one PS Portal device can be connected to a PS5 console at any one time).
At the time of writing, it’s unavailable to buy directly from PlayStation, with no word of when stock will be replenished.
The PS Portal Remote Player is also stocked by Very, Amazon and GAME, but it’s sold out on all three right now, again, with no information on when new stock will arrive. GAME notes that the product “might be available in store”, if you happen to be passing by a branch.
To give you the best chance, here are all the retailers with product listings for the PlayStation Portal at the moment. Unfortunately, as of 10.30am on Wednesday, December 13, none are showing as in stock. We have seen a few retailers receive small stock resupplies, so it’s not impossible to get hold of one if you’re quick.
Your best bet is to keep revisiting the above retailers daily, to give yourself the best chance of grabbing a PlayStation Portal when more do appear.
In the meantime, why not check out the best PS5 deals and the best PlayStation VR 2 bundles available right now?
What games can I play on PlayStation Portal?
The PlayStation Portal doesn’t actually play games using its own dedicated processor. Instead, it streams games from your PS5 over Wi-Fi. If a game is installed on your PS5 (and inserted in the disc drive if it’s a physical copy), you’ll be able to play it on your PlayStation Portal.
That said, there are some exceptions to this. The PS Portal does not support cloud streaming (all streaming is from the console over a Wi-Fi network), which confusingly means it can’t stream games that are only available to play via cloud streaming – namely any PS3 game you access through a PlayStation Plus Premium membership.
You’re also unable to play PSVR2 titles on PS Portal, and it’s not compatible with the PlayStation 4.
Do I need a TV to play games on PlayStation Portal?
One of the main benefits of PS Portal is that it allows you to continue playing PS5 games while someone else watches TV. As both the PS5 interface and all your games are streamed from your PS5 console to your Portal’s display over Wi-Fi, you don’t need to look at the TV at all. You can also leave it turned off if you’d prefer.
You don’t even need to be in the same room as the TV that’s connected to your PS5, as long as your device can still connect to your router. Bear in mind that the further away you move from your PS5, the more likely you are to experience latency (the time between your button inputs being registered in a game) which can be a problem in fast-paced games where you need to react quickly.
You’re likely to experience a smoother gameplay experience if you stay close to your Wi-Fi router when using the Portal.
Does the PlayStation Portal have Bluetooth?
The PS Portal doesn’t support Bluetooth, so you can’t pair your wireless headphones, such as AirPods, while you game. You can use wired headphones, and the Portal is the first device to have PlayStation’s new wireless audio standard, PlayStation Link, built in.
Promising low latency and high-quality lossless audio, and the ability to quickly switch between devices, this new tech debuts in the Pulse Explore wireless earbuds, which launched on December 6, and will also feature in the Pulse Elite headset which will be on sale in early 2024.
For PS5 use, you’ll need to plug in a USB dongle to connect to these new headsets, but PS Portal has PlayStation Link built in, so it should pair with them just like your iPhone does with your AirPods.
Do I need a PS Plus membership to use the PS Portal?
You don’t need to be a PS Plus member to use the PS Portal with your PS5, but without one you won’t be able to play online multiplayer games or download free monthly games to stream to your Portal from the console.
If you do want to become a PS Plus member, you can currently save up to 11% on a new membership by taking advantage of a gift card trick.
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
