Sony’s upcoming handheld game streaming device, announced at PlayStation Showcase in May, has a new name. The PlayStation Portal, earlier known as Project Q, will arrive later this year, enabling users to stream PS5 games remotely over a Wi-Fi connection. The PlayStation Portal remote player, as Sony calls it, will include an eight-inch LCD display capable of streaming games in 1080p resolution at 60fps. While a concrete release date is still missing, Sony’s handheld now has a confirmed price — $199.99, or about Rs. 16,500.
“PlayStation Portal is the perfect device for gamers in households where they might need to share their living room TV or simply want to play PS5 games in another room of the house,” Hideaki Nishino, senior vice president of platform experience at Sony Interactive Entertainment said in a PlayStation blog announcement.
The PlayStation Portal will connect to the PS5 remotely over Wi-Fi, tapping into the games installed on the console. The handheld can also use the DualSense controller. However, VR games, which require the PS VR2 headset, and games supported on the PS5’s upcoming cloud streaming feature, will not be playable on the PlayStation Portal. The handheld device will also require a 5Mbps broadband connection — at the very least — for basic use; Sony recommends at least a 15Mbps Internet connection for a “better play experience.”
The PlayStation Portal will only play games installed on the PS5
Photo Credit: Sony
The PlayStation Portal, essentially, will act a sister device to your PS5, incapable of running games on its own, but promising seamless switching from the console. The handheld device includes a DualSense-inspired controller interface attached to the sides of its screen, featuring adaptive triggers and haptic feedback functions from the PS5’s controller. While Sony confirmed the presence of a 3.5mm audio jack on the device, IGN’s hands-on test revealed a few other features and some eyebrow-raising omissions.
According to IGN, the PlayStation Portal’s display includes two touch-enabled zones to mirror the touch pad on the regular Dualsense controller, a USB Type-C port for charging, and a couple of speaker grilles on its shoulders. However, support for Bluetooth is missing, making it impossible to pair wireless Bluetooth headphones with the device.
Instead, the handheld supports Sony’s new proprietary wireless connection protocol, called the PlayStation Link, which would let it connect to audio devices that use the same standard. It’s no surprise that Sony, in its blog, also announced the Pulse Elite wireless headset and Pulse Explore wireless earbuds, both of which are compatible with the Portal via PlayStation Link.
Sony said they’ll soon provide pre-order details for the PlayStation Portal. Official pricing for the device (or a launch confirmation, for that matter) for the Indian market has not yet been revealed.