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Playstation Portal reviews

Gamerguy84

Member
DFs review sounded way too harsh and frankly the same way they review anything PS and why most PS fans think they are full of shit.

I can almost agree with every word they said even though they downplayed. It's the tone and choice of words that makes this sound very disappointing.

Jon compared it to WiiU. Sorry Jon the Wii U was 480 resolution. One of them said this is all you get for about the same price as Vita and PSP. Those were a long time ago. Google the price of a steamdeck and rog or other stand-alone if so inclined.

When they omit the negatives in anything xbox review and go out of their way to find a flaw in GT7. Or take pics together at an event you sort of know.

They wondered why they got it a week after everyone else hmmm.

Although I completely agree it needs a big firmware update for Video features and apps.
 
One of them said this is all you get for about the same price as Vita and PSP. Those were a long time ago. Google the price of a steamdeck and rog or other stand-alone if so inclined.
Not going to dispute anything you've said, but Sony could do it (release a 200 USD handheld) if they wanted to. Of course it would lack in the performance department, but that hasn't stopped devs to build great games before. Imagine Sony having a more affordable handheld than Nintendo. Yeah I know it won't happen. A man can dream.
 

Sleepwalker

Member
Alright, Ive been using mine since thursday morning, here are my impressions and "review"

Before we begin it must be stated I have a 3gbps fiber connection and that my PS5 is hardwired to my router. I also used the Portal a couple rooms away from it, nothing crazy like being in different floors or outside.

Positives:

- Setup and ease of use were incredibly easy, no need to fiddle with a ton of options, just scan a QR code and you're in.

- Comfort, this is the comfiest handheld I've used, because there's barely any guts it really isn't heavy and the cut in half dualsense is really good for ergonomics.

- Haptics, these are your standard DS haptics, they rock.

- Streaming quality, for me this was really good, sharp and clear, barely any breaks or artifacting while in gameplay, save for a couple instances while playing Star Ocean.

- Speakers are good, no complaints. Used a 3D pulse headset while wired and it worked really well too.

- Battery life was great, didn't really run out during my sessions, I just used my phone charger to charge it after I'm done.


As for the cons:

- This is just your regular remote play experience, now I'm not one of those people that expected this to play games natively or do other weird shit, but I did expect this being a Sony propietary solution to have some more in depth integration on a OS level.

Let me explain, when you set up remote play on your phone or other devices you do it via account linking and then you link it to the console, with the portal its the same, I was hoping to have some deeper control of my PS5, mainly being able to switch users without having to unlink and relink it to other user.

I would have liked to be able to remote play into the login menu and select which account I want to use. This is not a problem for most, but for me who uses different accounts for some games, this is a dealbreaker and going into this I was worried it would be like this, alas it is.

This also makes it so it's hard to pass it along to my wife so she can use it on her account for example.

The fact that it works the same as any other device makes it hard for me to justify keeping the portal when I can already do the same on other devices with better screens.


- The screen is just alright? It's not bad by any means, but it is underwhelming when compared to other screens around my house, at first it was easy to ignore with the games I was playing but then I decided to replay Ghost of Tsushima, and while the gameplay was fine you can really notice the washed out blacks and colors.

I also noticed when transitioning to a cutscene in GOT that the black bars were very gray and distracting, add to it a nice amount of backlight bleed on the top and lower right corner, once seen I could not unsee it. For me I really cannot tolerate backlight bleed, so any game with dark scenes and black bars became immediately unplayable.

Overall I think the Portal experience is very good for what it does but not quite there for me, it does not do enough to differentiate itself from other solutions (not phone with backphone, that shit sucks). So it is hard to justify keeping it at $305 cad after taxes.

If Sony ever gives us deeper OS integration and/or an OLED screen, I can see myself jumping back in, for now it's going back to Amazon.


It's a 7.5/10 for me if I had to give it a score.
 
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huh? you have a unit sold amount? selling out means nothing if it's a tiny number in the scheme of things
Sure it means something. It means its selling faster than Sony expected. Its just a peripheral, its not like its a whole console with manufacturing difficulties. If its selling faster than what Sony expected then it's a success. The only question now is just how successful it will become.
 
Alright, Ive been using mine since thursday morning, here are my impressions and "review"

Before we begin it must be stated I have a 3gbps fiber connection and that my PS5 is hardwired to my router. I also used the Portal a couple rooms away from it, nothing crazy like being in different floors or outside.

Positives:

- Setup and ease of use were incredibly easy, no need to fiddle with a ton of options, just scan a QR code and you're in.

- Comfort, this is the comfiest handheld I've used, because there's barely any guts it really isn't heavy and the cut in half dualsense is really good for ergonomics.

- Haptics, these are your standard DS haptics, they rock.

- Streaming quality, for me this was really good, sharp and clear, barely any breaks or artifacting while in gameplay, save for a couple instances while playing Star Ocean.

- Speakers are good, no complaints. Used a 3D pulse headset while wired and it worked really well too.

- Battery life was great, didn't really run out during my sessions, I just used my phone charger to charge it after I'm done.


As for the cons:

- This is just your regular remote play experience, now I'm not one of those people that expected this to play games natively or do other weird shit, but I did expect this being a Sony propietary solution to have some more in depth integration on a OS level.

Let me explain, when you set up remote play on your phone or other devices you do it via account linking and then you link it to the console, with the portal its the same, I was hoping to have some deeper control of my PS5, mainly being able to switch users without having to unlink and relink it to other user.

I would have liked to be able to remote play into the login menu and select which account I want to use. This is not a problem for most, but for me who uses different accounts for some games, this is a dealbreaker and going into this I was worried it would be like this, alas it is.

This also makes it so it's hard to pass it along to my wife so she can use it on her account for example.

The fact that it works the same as any other device makes it hard for me to justify keeping the portal when I can already do the same on other devices with better screens.


- The screen is just alright? It's not bad by any means, but it is underwhelming when compared to other screens around my house, at first it was easy to ignore with the games I was playing but then I decided to replay Ghost of Tsushima, and while the gameplay was fine you can really notice the washed out blacks and colors.

I also noticed when transitioning to a cutscene in GOT that the black bars were very gray and distracting, add to it a nice amount of backlight bleed on the top and lower right corner, once seen I could not unsee it. For me I really cannot tolerate backlight bleed, so any game with dark scenes and black bars became immediately unplayable.

Overall I think the Portal experience is very good for what it does but not quite there for me, it does not do enough to differentiate itself from other solutions (not phone with backphone, that shit sucks). So it is hard to justify keeping it at $305 cad after taxes.

If Sony ever gives us deeper OS integration and/or an OLED screen, I can see myself jumping back in, for now it's going back to Amazon.


It's a 7.5/10 for me if I had to give it a score.
Sounds pretty nit-picky tbh. I bought it knowing it's basically just the current remote play experience with the dualsense features.
Not sure why anyone was expecting more than that, and I think it's a hell of a lot better than the backbone or ipad with controller.
 

Senua

Member
Sounds pretty nit-picky tbh. I bought it knowing it's basically just the current remote play experience with the dualsense features.
Not sure why anyone was expecting more than that, and I think it's a hell of a lot better than the backbone or ipad with controller.
That's a lot of money to spend for some dual sense features
 

Sleepwalker

Member
Sounds pretty nit-picky tbh. I bought it knowing it's basically just the current remote play experience with the dualsense features.
Not sure why anyone was expecting more than that, and I think it's a hell of a lot better than the backbone or ipad with controller.

Well yes, it is nit picky I said it's not an issue for most, for me it is.

The account swapping stuff I can overlook even if I prefer it was there, but backlight bleed kills it for me. If it's not a problem for you then that's awesome, I sure as hell wish it wasn't for me. Its also the main reason I got rid of my steam deck for.
 
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Senua

Member
Sorry you're poor? I have a backbone and ipad and hardly touch remote play cause they suck to use.
Now I use the Portal almost daily. It's already vastly improved my gaming lifestyle.
I'm glad you're enjoying your PP I really am. Who knew remote play could be so incredibly incredible. My gaming lifestyle is severely limited until I make enough money to afford a peepee. Godspeed.
 
I'm glad you're enjoying your PP I really am. Who knew remote play could be so incredibly incredible. My gaming lifestyle is severely limited until I make enough money to afford a peepee. Godspeed.
You'll get there one day. I have faith in you. I can blow $200 on a weekend and not give two shits, so yes, it's worth it to me just have the best remote play experience.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
DF written review is here:


It seems fine? Not overly critical but does point out some of the flaws the device has.
I watched their DF direct. First John goes on a rant about how this thing got bad reviews then when he was corrected by Richard that it didnt, he went on a rant about how useless it is. Like wtf dude. You didnt even play it.

Then they praise the Wii U before casually mentioning it was only 480p. yay?

He also talks about having bad wifi coverage. I am sorry but thats not the fault of the system. I have played this thing in several rooms including upstairs and because i have good wifi coverage everywhere, i had no issues. Even the written review talks about this as if this is some kind of secret. of course, you will need a good wifi router to get good streaming. Whats next? reviewing tvs based on your wifi setups? reviewing multiplayer games based on what router you bought? wtf is he even talking about?

you are digital foundry. get better internet.
 

Senua

Member
You'll get there one day. I have faith in you. I can blow $200 on a weekend and not give two shits, so yes, it's worth it to me just have the best remote play experience.
God fucking damn you're a bad ass man. Genuinely look up to you. I knew it was my lack of PP that was holding me back. Bet you get mad fucking gash too. I've tried to be in your level but chicks aren't impressed by my Wii.
 

Zathalus

Member
I watched their DF direct. First John goes on a rant about how this thing got bad reviews then when he was corrected by Richard that it didnt, he went on a rant about how useless it is. Like wtf dude. You didnt even play it.

Then they praise the Wii U before casually mentioning it was only 480p. yay?

He also talks about having bad wifi coverage. I am sorry but thats not the fault of the system. I have played this thing in several rooms including upstairs and because i have good wifi coverage everywhere, i had no issues. Even the written review talks about this as if this is some kind of secret. of course, you will need a good wifi router to get good streaming. Whats next? reviewing tvs based on your wifi setups? reviewing multiplayer games based on what router you bought? wtf is he even talking about?

you are digital foundry. get better internet.
John hates streaming quite a bit. He also hates LCD (so much he never got a Steam Deck). For that matter he hates digital libraries on consoles as well. So he would obviously hate the Portal. Fair enough, not everyone will like it.

And DF is fully correct in pointing out your experience is dependent on your wifi, it's a reviewers job to point out things like that. They also make the excellent recommendation to test remote play out first and see if it works for you before purchasing the portal.
 

FrankWza

Member
John hates streaming quite a bit. He also hates LCD (so much he never got a Steam Deck). For that matter he hates digital libraries on consoles as well. So he would obviously hate the Portal. Fair enough, not everyone will like it.

And DF is fully correct in pointing out your experience is dependent on your wifi, it's a reviewers job to point out things like that. They also make the excellent recommendation to test remote play out first and see if it works for you before purchasing the portal.
Did they even mention the recommended settings? I know they start off angry that they didn't get a review unit early. Then 2 guys were chiming in basing their review and opinions on YouTube videos and other reviews. Were they expecting one each? How about they go out and buy one? It's $200. Its their job. It's like an NFL analyst not watching all22 or having Sunday ticket. Do the work.
 

bender

What time is it?
That intro to that DF segment sounded like scorned lovers because Sony didn't get them review units ahead of time. Otherwise the discussion seems mostly fair though the Wii U comparison is a little strange considering the limitations of that device. Others have praised the quality of the LCD more but coming off the Deck OLED, I'm sure doesn't help.
 

midnightAI

Member
John hates streaming quite a bit. He also hates LCD (so much he never got a Steam Deck). For that matter he hates digital libraries on consoles as well. So he would obviously hate the Portal. Fair enough, not everyone will like it.

And DF is fully correct in pointing out your experience is dependent on your wifi, it's a reviewers job to point out things like that. They also make the excellent recommendation to test remote play out first and see if it works for you before purchasing the portal.
To be honest, if he has plasterboard walls and moving 12m away from the router drops a bar and he then doesn't have 60fps and picture quality suffers then that sounds like his WiFi is screwed up, maybe on 2.4ghz band? Even in the best conditions they say it's 'ok'. It just seems like they aren't interested in it, and that's 'ok' also
 

midnightAI

Member
Yeah I don't use public wifi but I could see this being an issue for those that don't have cell plans that allow hotspot and are fast enough. Hopefully they patch in a solution. Isn't it possible to tether to your phone when it's connected to wifi? That would be a simple workaround
You can change your Mac address to that of your Portal if you login using a laptop or mobile (and software to be able to do that,) once logged in the Portal should just connect. It's a pain but should work.

I have asked previously about logging in with phone then hotspot ting, should work I think
 

danklord

Gold Member
Went out and upgraded my router to the asus ax11000 pro so I could guarantee the device's performance isn't hindered by the network. This is a dedicated 5ghz band only used by the PlayStation portal and the Logitech g cloud, the ps5 is wired in.

Right now the streaming quality is just ok, but there is inconsistent jitter that is pretty distracting. When playing on the Logitech g cloud with the same network conditions in the same spot, the streaming quality and performance is far superior, no jitter at all. Genuinely surprised by that.

I'm hope Sony continues updating their codec and potentially gives us bitrate customization so we can utilize a good home network, as the screen and controls are better than the g cloud.
 
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mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
One thing that everyone has been asking for is ps cloud streaming, I def think this device can do it, just add a ps plus icon and go from there, but TBH it would mean not needing to purchase a ps5 and just get a portal and a ps plus premium sub (159.99 and 199.99 respectively) ….. unsure when and if a feature like that would release, but I believe ps plus streaming is available on PC, this would be a better alternative as it would be a dedicated ps handheld.

I think PS will do PS Cloud gaming on this device once the PS5 hits around 80+ million sold. I think they'll allow cloud-gaming from this device. But I think they also increase the price of PS+ Premium to $180 base.
 

Gamerguy84

Member
Sounds pretty nit-picky tbh. I bought it knowing it's basically just the current remote play experience with the dualsense features.
Not sure why anyone was expecting more than that, and I think it's a hell of a lot better than the backbone or ipad with controller.

I hear you and I really like this thing. I do hope they open cloud streaming to PSNOW and maybe throw some video apps on it. Sometimes I watch my phone in bed and I like the size of this screen.
 
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mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Not going to dispute anything you've said, but Sony could do it (release a 200 USD handheld) if they wanted to. Of course it would lack in the performance department, but that hasn't stopped devs to build great games before. Imagine Sony having a more affordable handheld than Nintendo. Yeah I know it won't happen. A man can dream.

No they couldn't. Sony has NO ABILITY to make a better handheld device and games for it than Nintendo. 0% chance!

‘If you don’t want to spend £200 on a cheapo streaming tablet with haptics you’re poor’ :messenger_tears_of_joy: Ok mate.

If you aren't poor, then you are probably dumb (if your compliant is the price).
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
That intro to that DF segment sounded like scorned lovers because Sony didn't get them review units ahead of time. Otherwise the discussion seems mostly fair though the Wii U comparison is a little strange considering the limitations of that device. Others have praised the quality of the LCD more but coming off the Deck OLED, I'm sure doesn't help.

Maybe I'm remembering something wrong, but I thought the Wii U tablet couldn't be used if you were too far away from the Wii U console. Is that not true?
 

FrankWza

Member
You can change your Mac address to that of your Portal if you login using a laptop or mobile (and software to be able to do that,) once logged in the Portal should just connect. It's a pain but should work.

I have asked previously about logging in with phone then hotspot ting, should work I think
I meant using the phone as a repeater of public wifi. So, use the phones to authenticate then hotspot the wifi to portal
I think PS will do PS Cloud gaming on this device once the PS5 hits around 80+ million sold. I think they'll allow cloud-gaming from this device. But I think they also increase the price of PS+ Premium to $180 base.
Or, they can release a Portal that doesn't require a PS5 but requires a PS plus sub and sell it for $300-350
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
If you don’t think this thing is worth £200, you aren’t poor or dumb. Just like you aren’t smart and wealthy if you do want to drop £200 on it.

Nah man. It may not be worth $200 to you! Or to "some" people. But it's 100% worth $200. It'll be like me saying a Bugatti isn't worth $1 million, when it so clearly is. The demand says it is.
 

GHG

Gold Member
As an owner of a Steam Deck (and soon to be the OLED version) that does the same thing with my PS5 that a Portal will do, this is what I think of all portal owners:

Shonda Rhimes GIF by NETFLIX
 

midnightAI

Member
Maybe I'm remembering something wrong, but I thought the Wii U tablet couldn't be used if you were too far away from the Wii U console. Is that not true?
8m(ish) range, very minimal latency though, maybe Sony could offer direct connection at some point to do the same then even twitch shooters would be fine. Of course people would then complain about range in direct connect mode
 
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PaintTinJr

Member
I watched their DF direct. First John goes on a rant about how this thing got bad reviews then when he was corrected by Richard that it didnt, he went on a rant about how useless it is. Like wtf dude. You didnt even play it.

Then they praise the Wii U before casually mentioning it was only 480p. yay?

He also talks about having bad wifi coverage. I am sorry but thats not the fault of the system. I have played this thing in several rooms including upstairs and because i have good wifi coverage everywhere, i had no issues. Even the written review talks about this as if this is some kind of secret. of course, you will need a good wifi router to get good streaming. Whats next? reviewing tvs based on your wifi setups? reviewing multiplayer games based on what router you bought? wtf is he even talking about?

you are digital foundry. get better internet.
I agree with what you are saying, but it isn't consistently working at the game agnostic way the WiiU tablet controller delivers - regardless of resolution - while at the same time the device gives you no help in locating a network issue with its opaque and detail less feedback.

I've only recently discovered that in spite of my wifi coverage at 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz being excellent with fantastic throughput, it was generating errors that weren't an issue for lightweight skype/whatapps/teams video calling(isochronous traffic), but were causing major glitches every 20ssecs in games at 60fps using the portal. Just repositioning the antennas on the router to provide more reflected signal paths has massively improved things, and got the glitching down to less than than 1 per min, but now I get a bit of resolution dropping once every few minutes, so still lots of troubleshooting that was never needed with the WiiU to justify their non-technical feedback when it failed at distance from the console.

I'm really happy with the device for me, but I can certainly feels like it is a return to PS2 network card fire and forget situation with PlayStation where they expected the community to freely troubleshoot for sizable numbers having issues.
 

FunkMiller

Gold Member
This thing seems like the dumb trash it always looked to be.




Less than perfect performance in the same house. Impossible to use in public on any public Wi-Fi. Can’t stream any PS app. No cloud gaming. No internet connectivity. Literally no point, unless you’re playing close to your PS5.

Yeah, nah.
 
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Orbital2060

Member
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PaintTinJr

Member
That's what makes the comparison weird.
The comparison isn't weird IMO because the those of us that loved the WiiU see the value in offscreen play within the same lounge and are part of that target audience Portal is selling to. Expect it to work equally well in the first 8m is hardly unreasonable IMO.
 

Dr.Morris79

Gold Member
This thing seems like the dumb trash it always looked to be.




Less than perfect performance in the same house. Impossible to use in public on any public Wi-Fi. Can’t stream any PS app. No cloud gaming. No internet connectivity. Literally no point, unless you’re playing close to your PS5.

Yeah, nah.

Don't forget You're just dumb and poor for not liking it though 👍
 

bender

What time is it?
The comparison isn't weird IMO because the those of us that loved the WiiU see the value in offscreen play within the same lounge and are part of that target audience Portal is selling to. Expect it to work equally well in the first 8m is hardly unreasonable IMO.

What does loving the Wii U have to do with the conversation? The PlayStation Portal allows you to go well beyond the meager distance limitations of the Wii U streaming. Expecting "secret sauce" for a device advertised as a Remote Play device is weird. That's not discounting the tech that was in the Wii U, but it had limitations and the entire system was designed around it. That's not the case for Sony's device.
 

Codes 208

Member
Don't forget You're just dumb and poor for not liking it though 👍
yeah reading through the last few pages just felt like circle-jerking and “yeah, well df are just biased xbox fanboys and, uhh, YOUR MOM!” To what i considered legitimate complaints. For all intents and purposes its just a wii u gamepade that runs on wi-fi using remote play and uses the ps5 controllers haptics, which frankly is not enough to justify the pricetag for me. I could buy a backbone for $60 and achieve pretty much the same thing minus haptics.
 
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Banjo64

cumsessed
yeah reading through the last few pages just felt like circle-jerking and “yeah, well df are just biased xbox fanboys and, uhh, YOUR MOM!” To what i considered legitimate complaints. For all intents and purposes its just a wii u gamepade that runs on wi-fi using remote play and uses the ps5 controllers haptics, which frankly is not enough to justify the pricetag for me. I could buy a backbone for $60 and achieve pretty much the same thing minus haptics.
The Wii U gamepad was exceptional in the fact that it had a supremely low amount of latency.

The result is a major vindication for Nintendo's streaming technology, because we could find absolutely no difference between the input latencies of the PlayStation 3D monitor and the Wii U GamePad based on the 60FPS sample we got from our camera. We've slowed down our camera shots here, so you can see the results of our testing. Quality isn't great (we filmed in the dark owing to the unwelcome reflective glare of the PS3 monitor's screen) but the snippets we see here of the NSMBU attract sequence speak for themselves - we have a match between both screens on a per-frame basis, confirming an overall latency in the 33ms area. That's a remarkable achievement.


All of these streaming alternatives are absolute cack in comparison. Using the Wii U gamepad was essentially like playing natively on a handheld console.
 

PaintTinJr

Member
What does loving the Wii U have to do with the conversation? The PlayStation Portal allows you to go well beyond the meager distance limitations of the Wii U streaming. Expecting "secret sauce" for a device advertised as a Remote Play device is weird. That's not discounting the tech that was in the Wii U, but it had limitations and the entire system was designed around it. That's not the case for Sony's device.
Are you suggesting that the WiiU tablet range isn't the typical way the portal will get used by those that bought? IMHO the device fails at its primary purpose if it can't be used with a similar experience as the WiiU tablet controller for non-technical PlayStation portal users, and I say that as someone that can and will get that experience as close as possible and very much like the Portal so far and welcome the increased range over the WiiU.
 

bender

What time is it?
Are you suggesting that the WiiU tablet range isn't the typical way the portal will get used by those that bought? IMHO the device fails at its primary purpose if it can't be used with a similar experience as the WiiU tablet controller for non-technical PlayStation portal users, and I say that as someone that can and will get that experience as close as possible and very much like the Portal so far and welcome the increased range over the WiiU.

I'm suggesting that the Portal doesn't have the same limitations as the Wii U which is less than 30 feet which would struggle to be used in moderate sized homes, much less outside of them.
 

PaintTinJr

Member
I'm suggesting that the Portal doesn't have the same limitations as the Wii U which is less than 30 feet which would struggle to be used in moderate sized homes, much less outside of them.
Which I agree with, but if the majority of the buyers are using it like a WiiU tablet controller first and foremost, the lack of ability to achieve that experience by default out of the box for 99.9% of users with ease, makes the latter experience of no consequence to those users, even if a great additional selling point.
 
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