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PlayStation Portal peeps. Still digging it?

If you haven't used remote play before, I'd strongly suggest to try the remote play app on your phone or tablet before actually getting the Portal to see if you have a good experience (which is obviously home network dependent).
I tried this and I am shocked at how well it works on my son's tablet (some 10" Samsung galaxy tab). My last experience of local streaming a game was 6 years ago using my PC and Steam Link, which was a dogshit experience. I do not even have any specialised router, just the default one supplied by my ISP with PS5 and tablet connected to 5 GHz network. Now, I patiently wait for a PS portal sale.
 
What is better... Having a portable console where you will have the largest catalog of video games of all consoles....

Or a poorly made piece of already let with unaesthetic controls that can only be played if you have the Internet or the PS5 on?

Excuse me, I am a big enemy of PS portal
The latest games will always look better on PS portal, plus 60 fps is actually achievable with some sacrifices. Also, the dualsense is the best controller on the market (do not give a shit about battery life as I have usb c chargers all over the house) and its features do not work on most PC ports. Sleeping to suspend on PC games does not always work as well as suspend-resume on console. I will hang on to my Deck for long train journeys and flights, but the Portal-PS5 will replace it for local gaming.
Uhm, for someone that only owns a PS5 and buys all their games on there....who has the largest collection again? People aren't going to rebuy their games to play worse versions.
This really needs to be kept in mind. Monster Hunter World looks like ass and runs poorly on my Deck, 30 fps feels really sluggish, 60 fps is unattainable without butchering IQ. Smooth 60 fps via remote play. I am expecting it to work the same for Wilds. Sure Wilds 60 fps mode will look bad on a big telly with the base PS5, but I am expecting it to shine on small remote play screens.
 
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Justin9mm

Member
I’m about to treat myself with one. Seems perfect for cozy gaming with the Christmas tree up and cold football games. Annoyed at myself for missing the 30th anniversary edition. But, white is fine. Did read about the black one but not a big deal.

Thoughts? End up being worth it? I’m thinking a good time to snuggle up and jump back in Hogwarts.
I personally never thought it was worth it for the price. I travel insterstate to see family like twice a year for xmas etc. This would be a good use case or using it in bed. But still at retail price, it's a fancy device only to use it every now and then. Fast forward to a few months ago, I picked up one secondhand, someone had used it maybe once or twice and on sold, was in new condition, got it for nearly half of retail. I have found myself using it so much. Times when I was a bit tired to stay up, I would take it to bed and its very nice to get half an hour or more in and just put it down and go to bed. I work from home a few days a week and I'm finding it's far easier just to pick it up and play for a bit when I take lunch etc. Something I had never done on my TV before it. For some reason it's just very easy to pick up and play. I used to (rarely) use my phone with a mount and then I bought the Gilileo G8 telescopic controller a while ago and that thing was really good but even a 6.7-6.8" phone screen is just too small, the aspect ratio on a phone is not right so you can't even use full screen. The thing you will realise is that compared to other options, the 8 inch screen size on the portal is perfect and that honestly makes a huge difference to the experience.

Edit: One personal caveat I have with it, is the on screen touchpad, if you are playing a game when needing to use it alot, it becomes a little annoying. Thinking about it, they should of had the on screen touchpad but also a button to push for when you just need to press it. Some games you just need to push it to access a map or equipment etc. But with the Portal you have to double tap it on the sreeen instead of traditionally pushing once on the standard controller. I dunno, it could of just been designed better.
 
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I personally never thought it was worth it for the price. I travel insterstate to see family like twice a year for xmas etc. This would be a good use case or using it in bed. But still at retail price, it's a fancy device only to use it every now and then. Fast forward to a few months ago, I picked up one secondhand, someone had used it maybe once or twice and on sold, was in new condition, got it for nearly half of retail. I have found myself using it so much. Times when I was a bit tired to stay up, I would take it to bed and its very nice to get half an hour or more in and just put it down and go to bed. I work from home a few days a week and I'm finding it's far easier just to pick it up and play for a bit when I take lunch etc. Something I had never done on my TV before it. For some reason it's just very easy to pick up and play. I used to (rarely) use my phone with a mount and then I bought the Gilileo G8 telescopic controller a while ago and that thing was really good but even a 6.7-6.8" phone screen is just too small. The thing you will realise is that compared to other options, the 8 inch screen size is perfect and that honestly makes a big difference to the experience.
I concur that it is not worth it at the MSRP. At that price, I would want an OLED or a 120 Hz display with VRR. Secondhand like new at half price seems like a great deal.
 

Justin9mm

Member
I concur that it is not worth it at the MSRP. At that price, I would want an OLED or a 120 Hz display with VRR. Secondhand like new at half price seems like a great deal.
There are so many people in my country selling them on places like FB marketplace etc. They buy them, use it a couple times and then sell it because they realised they don't need it or waste of money not using it.
 

Robb

Gold Member
When I get a Ps5 it’s the first peripheral I’ll get alongside it. Used it at a friend and thought it was really great tbh.

And I was one of the people who questioned its use case and existence before release.
 
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jm89

Member
Those flat handhelds suck once you're holding an actual controller. The Portal is comfortable and feels like a DualSense and a PlayStation on the go. It's a perfect compliment and an ecosystem enhancement.
I hope Sony don't regress on the ergonomics and don't follow trend of the other handhelds, portal is without a doubt the most comfortable handheld I've had.

I think they can still maintain the same ergonomics but just close the gap between the controller and the screen to make it feel less like a dualsense attached to a screen.
 
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playXray

Member
I barely use this thing. Thought about selling it multiple times.

My experience has never been great with it despite having 1GB down fiber and being in the same room as my wired PS5 and the router.

Me and a couple people in another thread think it’s related to me using a mesh router as supposedly it came cause issue with stuff like this.
It must depend on the mesh - I have a Deco mesh and I’ve had a flawless experience since using it. Previously I had drop-outs every 10 - 15 mins.
 

FrankWza

Member
I hope Sony don't regress on the ergonomics and don't follow trend of the other handhelds, portal is without a doubt the most comfortable handheld I've had. I think they can still maintain the same ergonomics but just close the gap between the controller and the screen to make it feel less like a dualsense attached to a screen.
I would like to see a sliding screen that you can adjust upwards. If they could add a tilt feature to the screen that would be great too. And add some back buttons.
 
It must depend on the mesh - I have a Deco mesh and I’ve had a flawless experience since using it. Previously I had drop-outs every 10 - 15 mins.
Damn. That’s the brand I have as well.

If you don’t mind me asking. How many routers are you using? Are you using it as an extension in the settings or replacing the router?

I’m only using 2/3 and I’m using it as the primary router. I actually had pretty good experiences with using a Steam Deck and using Chiaki but the Portal is so hit or miss but more miss then hit.
 

Zacfoldor

Member
Mine is great. Use it mainly for farming/grinding but it works great.

I wouldn't buy a steam deck, they are about to do a new one, and this one is already obsolete. Same for Switch. Switch 2 right around the corner. Buying random offbrand babyback bullshit posers instead of a popular one? Also a no go.

The only handheld that isn't a waste of money right now is a Portal, at least until Switch 2 or Steamdeck 2 come out.

Enjoy trying to make your rog ally x a thing until it is forgotten to the history of gaming in less than a year. Here's a tip. There is safety in numbers. Stop buying things that aren't popular and your shit will always work and always be warrantied and always be wanted and valued by you. When you buy the unpopular thing you are unprotected with your ass hanging in the wind praying that it doesn't have some random unalterable foible that will color your entire gaming experience.

The more people that own what you own the better it is for you because they can't screw everybody as easily as they can screw a small group.
 
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If I have issues with remote play on my MacBook in certain parts of the house, would I also have issues with this thing? There’s just enough noticeable input delay that it ruins it for me. The problem is is that my modem is very far away from somewhere like my bedroom. If I’m in the living room watching TV no problem, modem is close enough, but if I want to lay in bed and play then it doesn’t work well enough to be enjoyable.
 

onQ123

Member
I play rpgs and visual novels on it. I wouldn't play fighting games on it though.
I play Mortal Kombat One , Mortal Kombat 11 , Tekken 8 & some Capcom arcade fighting games on it just fine. Even playing against someone who was using a controller & the TV I won while using the Portal as a second controller
 

playXray

Member
Damn. That’s the brand I have as well.

If you don’t mind me asking. How many routers are you using? Are you using it as an extension in the settings or replacing the router?

I’m only using 2/3 and I’m using it as the primary router. I actually had pretty good experiences with using a Steam Deck and using Chiaki but the Portal is so hit or miss but more miss then hit.
I have one ‘BT Home Hub’, which is my original router and is the one connected to my ISP. I then bought a 3-pack of Deco S4 - one of these is connected directly to my BT router, and the others are in other rooms throughout the house. I still have my BT router active, but I have removed the saved connection from all my devices, so basically everything connects to that Decos now.

To be honest, I didn’t get many issues setting things up except for one thing - while the connection stays live, I kept seeing the resolution drop after a few minutes. However, I rebooted my Portal and it’s literally been flawless since then, and that was several months ago.

I hope that helps a bit - let me know if you want me info.
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
I concur that it is not worth it at the MSRP. At that price, I would want an OLED or a 120 Hz display with VRR. Secondhand like new at half price seems like a great deal.

Yall are weird for acting like $199 is some super high price. It's even more weird when I seem "some" on these same people acting like the Portal is too expensive talk about PC gaming being their main place to play games.

Weird world....
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Those flat handhelds suck once you're holding an actual controller. The Portal is comfortable and feels like a DualSense and a PlayStation on the go. It's a perfect compliment and an ecosystem enhancement.

1000% agree with you on this!!!!
 
Yall are weird for acting like $199 is some super high price. It's even more weird when I seem "some" on these same people acting like the Portal is too expensive talk about PC gaming being their main place to play games.

Weird world....
I don't know man and it is not like I can't afford it. I just do not want to spend more than 150 GBP on it. It is similar to how I waited for the PS5 to drop below 300 GBP.
I am using an app called chiaki-ng to remote play on my Steam Deck. It is good enough for now, though I miss the rumble and triggers.
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
I don't know man and it is not like I can't afford it. I just do not want to spend more than 150 GBP on it. It is similar to how I waited for the PS5 to drop below 300 GBP.
I am using an app called chiaki-ng to remote play on my Steam Deck. It is good enough for now, though I miss the rumble and triggers.

Oh if you have a Steam Deck, then I get it. You have no need for a Portal.
 
HI

Question to all Portal Owners.

I just purchased one and the latency is impressive but I am having lots of stutters and the overall IQ looks blurry/muddy. I am wondering if it is my internet connection.

Currently I get about 200 Mbps. I don't believe the router is "Wifi 6", but I do have a PS5 Pro which is Wifi 6 capable.

My PS5 Pro is NOT hooked up through ethernet to my router, but it is not a big deal for me to do so. Is the problem my internet speed or the fact that I don't have the ethernet cord? Should I start first with the ethernet before changing my internet? There's another ISP in my area that offers Fiber. It's a little bit more expensive but not a big deal.

Is the IQ on a better connection going to be much sharper without all the stutters? It's playable, but not a consistently good experience.
 
HI

Question to all Portal Owners.

I just purchased one and the latency is impressive but I am having lots of stutters and the overall IQ looks blurry/muddy. I am wondering if it is my internet connection.

Currently I get about 200 Mbps. I don't believe the router is "Wifi 6", but I do have a PS5 Pro which is Wifi 6 capable.

My PS5 Pro is NOT hooked up through ethernet to my router, but it is not a big deal for me to do so. Is the problem my internet speed or the fact that I don't have the ethernet cord? Should I start first with the ethernet before changing my internet? There's another ISP in my area that offers Fiber. It's a little bit more expensive but not a big deal.

Is the IQ on a better connection going to be much sharper without all the stutters? It's playable, but not a consistently good experience.
Is this on local play i.e. console and portal connected to same wifi network?
 

onQ123

Member
HI

Question to all Portal Owners.

I just purchased one and the latency is impressive but I am having lots of stutters and the overall IQ looks blurry/muddy. I am wondering if it is my internet connection.

Currently I get about 200 Mbps. I don't believe the router is "Wifi 6", but I do have a PS5 Pro which is Wifi 6 capable.

My PS5 Pro is NOT hooked up through ethernet to my router, but it is not a big deal for me to do so. Is the problem my internet speed or the fact that I don't have the ethernet cord? Should I start first with the ethernet before changing my internet? There's another ISP in my area that offers Fiber. It's a little bit more expensive but not a big deal.

Is the IQ on a better connection going to be much sharper without all the stutters? It's playable, but not a consistently good experience.
Hook it up through Ethernet unless you have Wifi 7
 
Yes, it's in my same room as where my PS5 Pro is.
I have a PS5 slim and Steam Deck connected to the same 50 Mbps internet connection (5 GHz wifi on both ends) via a bog standard cheap ISP supplied router and remote play is flawless in all aspects. The internet speed should not affect local play. Local remote play runs well on my phone (Pixel 6 pro) as well. Any heavy downloads in your household might impact remote play.
 
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I have a PS5 slim and Steam Deck connected to the same 50 Mbps internet connection (5 GHz wifi on both ends) via a bog standard cheap ISP supplied router and remote play is flawless in all aspects. The internet speed should not affect local play.

I wonder if I have a setting or something that's causing it. Do you still have your pS5 connected through ethernet to your router?

Do I need to enable a certain Wifi setting on my router or PS5?
 
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Gamerguy84

Member
HI

Question to all Portal Owners.

I just purchased one and the latency is impressive but I am having lots of stutters and the overall IQ looks blurry/muddy. I am wondering if it is my internet connection.

Currently I get about 200 Mbps. I don't believe the router is "Wifi 6", but I do have a PS5 Pro which is Wifi 6 capable.

My PS5 Pro is NOT hooked up through ethernet to my router, but it is not a big deal for me to do so. Is the problem my internet speed or the fact that I don't have the ethernet cord? Should I start first with the ethernet before changing my internet? There's another ISP in my area that offers Fiber. It's a little bit more expensive but not a big deal.

Is the IQ on a better connection going to be much sharper without all the stutters? It's playable, but not a consistently good experience.
Yes hardwire your PS5. I know a few people that personally did this and it changed the experience. Sony recommends hardwire it.

Before you take time to run a wire just grab one and throw it across the room and hook in.

The only other thing I'd ask is how many devices hooked up wireless to your router?
 
Yes hardwire your PS5. I know a few people that personally did this and it changed the experience. Sony recommends hardwire it.

Before you take time to run a wire just grab one and throw it across the room and hook in.

The only other thing I'd ask is how many devices hooked up wireless to your router?

I have a PC, laptop, phone, PS5, Switch that are hooked up....but I'm not bogging down the network while trying the Portal out. They are just idle
 

Gamerguy84

Member
Sounds good. Yea a hardwire should work. I've hardwired everything in my house that don't move. TVs, PC, consoles, etc. Everything that is wired is faster and more responsive.
 
I wonder if I have a setting or something that's causing it. Do you still have your pS5 connected through ethernet to your router?

Do I need to enable a certain Wifi setting on my router or PS5?
My PS5 and deck are connected to the 5 GHz wifi network. I would not know about router settings as it is locked down and I do not have the admin id and password.
 
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consoul

Member
It's brilliant. I can play my PS5 anywhere in the house and it feels just like using the Dual Sense.

I occasionally use it when I'm away from home though the results are highly variable. Sometimes perfect, but more often patchy. Best to play something turn based and non twitchy when connection is subpar.
 
Yes hardwire your PS5. I know a few people that personally did this and it changed the experience. Sony recommends hardwire it.

Before you take time to run a wire just grab one and throw it across the room and hook in.

The only other thing I'd ask is how many devices hooked up wireless to your router?
Hook it up through Ethernet unless you have Wifi 7
My PS5 and deck are connected to the 5 GHz wifi network. I would not know about router settings as it is locked down and I do not have the admin id and password.


OK Ethernet connection did the trick!

Flawless playback.

Wow I am impressed with this device. So much better than my Switch, I can't really tell the latency at all for the games I tend to play. The controller is fantastic and the visuals are amazing for a handheld.
 
OK Ethernet connection did the trick!

Flawless playback.

Wow I am impressed with this device. So much better than my Switch, I can't really tell the latency at all for the games I tend to play. The controller is fantastic and the visuals are amazing for a handheld.
I tolerate the switch and the greedy ass gremlins at Nintendo due to Xenoblade Chronicles. If XC was multi-plat, I would have sold the Switch ages back. It is an ergonomic nightmare for any human with normal sized hands.

The dualsense adds a lot to all games, people really undersell the haptics engine when they say its just like a Switch or a Deck. No its not, it uses the same technology but the actuators are beefed up. What feels like a whimper on the Switch/Deck haptics, feels like a roar on the dualsense. I hope they beefed up the vibration on Switch 2, but judging from the unchanged ergonomics, I do not have high hopes.
 

onQ123

Member
OK Ethernet connection did the trick!

Flawless playback.

Wow I am impressed with this device. So much better than my Switch, I can't really tell the latency at all for the games I tend to play. The controller is fantastic and the visuals are amazing for a handheld.
I mean it's basically your PS5/PS5 Pro in your hands at 1080p , soon you will understand that I'm not insane


 

gamer82

Member
Got the 30th portal recently but its under the tree from me to me 😬 this time of year is a rough one so hopefully this helps the mood.

Anyways i see people say hardwire the ps5 but my router is on the other side of the room and bt wouldn't move it when it was installed .

How does hardwiring the ps5 make a difference if the portal is wireless anyway .

If wifi is poor hardwire wont make a difference especially if your doing the cloud streaming ? In a wifi only device ?

I will say the 30th edition looks really nice and deffo has a little weight to it which i wasnt expecting.

One plus for sony another step closer to digital only and more subscribers .

i wasn’t on ps plus or used my ps5 of lately till this got me hooked in 🤣

here’s hoping over the year the service gets improved and works well.

Hope you all have a good one however you spend it .

Happy Gaming🎮🎄
 

onQ123

Member
Got the 30th portal recently but its under the tree from me to me 😬 this time of year is a rough one so hopefully this helps the mood.

Anyways i see people say hardwire the ps5 but my router is on the other side of the room and bt wouldn't move it when it was installed .

How does hardwiring the ps5 make a difference if the portal is wireless anyway .

If wifi is poor hardwire wont make a difference especially if your doing the cloud streaming ? In a wifi only device ?

I will say the 30th edition looks really nice and deffo has a little weight to it which i wasnt expecting.

One plus for sony another step closer to digital only and more subscribers .

i wasn’t on ps plus or used my ps5 of lately till this got me hooked in 🤣

here’s hoping over the year the service gets improved and works well.

Hope you all have a good one however you spend it .

Happy Gaming🎮🎄
Buying yourself a gift for Christmas & not opening it until Christmas is beyond me lol
 

Magister

Member
I changed my router to a very good recommended one and the remote play app still has dropped frames every 1.5-2 minutes or when circling the camera around the character (Astrobot). They are barely noticeable though. Not much of a difference even on Wifi6. Phone chip is Snapdragon 778G.

I heard that the Portal is 50% worse than phone and remote play. Will I have worse experience? My PS5 is wired via Ethernet cable. I live in an apartment with thick walls and the router is in the next room (nearby). My Remote Play is not a flawless experience even after upgrading my network and that's why I'm worried.
 
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