The PlayStation Portal is a perplexing single-purpose device.
  • @Wogi@lemmy.worldEnglish
    38•1 year ago

    Hi. It’s me. I’m the one it’s for.

    I have a den where my PlayStation is hooked up to the nice TV. I don’t necessarily always want to be down there to play games, for any number of reasons. Sometimes my wife wants to watch TV while I want to play a game, and this allows us to be in the same room and do that.

        • ripcord
          6•1 year ago

          Bought in heavy to the PS ecosystem already? Or just prefer it? Don’t want to pay the extra $100 or $200 (steam deck)? It’s not for me but I could see people doing it.

          Just not many people.

            • @Jrockwar@feddit.ukEnglish
              8•1 year ago

              I’m trying to defend here a product I don’t really believe in, so bear with me.

              The portal lets you play PS5 games, in PS5-ish quality (-ish because it’s obviously not the same as a 4k TV). The best the switch can do is 7-year-old No Man’s Sky, with no multiplayer. Recent Pokémon and Zelda (first party Nintendo games) can’t even reach a constant 30 FPS in the whole of the game.

              I don’t think graphics are THAT important, but I know there are people who think that. And in that case, the PS5+Portal is going to beat a standalone steam deck or a switch. If you have a beefy PC maybe a steam deck can stream in better quality, but if you’re in the PS5 ecosystem it’s the best quality handheld gaming you can achieve.

              Would I buy it? Absolutely not. 80% of the fun with my steam deck is taking it places. The airport, the plane, a hotel on a business trip, my partner’s place, the dentist waiting room, the bus/train… All that’s missing with the Portal, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see a (niche) market for it.

      • @kaitco@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6•1 year ago

        This is really my biggest issue with the device.

        Yes, there’s a desire to game away from the sofa, which is why Steam Deck and Nvidia or even a phone with the PS app are all available. I can’t see the need to buy something like when there are better alternatives available for cheaper or even for free.

    • @lechatron@lemmy.todayEnglish
      12•1 year ago

      Remote play runs on just about anything though, you could use a phone, chromecast, computer. I bought a $15 phone mount that hooks onto my PS5 controller and it’s essentially this device, but with the added benefit of using a device with more than one use.