Sony is officially launching its portable PlayStation later this year, the PlayStation Portal remote player. The handheld device will stream PS5 games over Wi-Fi and features an eight-inch LCD screen running at 1080p resolution at 60fps. Sony says the PlayStation Portal will be available later this year priced at $199.99.
“PlayStation Portal will connect remotely to your PS5 over Wi-Fi, so you’ll be able to swiftly jump from playing on your PS5 to your PlayStation Portal,” says Hideaki Nishino, senior vice president of platform experience at Sony Interactive Entertainment. “PlayStation Portal can play supported games that are installed on your PS5 console and use the Dualsense controller.”
The PlayStation Portal features prominent controllers on each side that look very much like Sony’s PS5 DualSense controllers. They support adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, so PS5 games will feel similar to using a dedicated DualSense controller. The PlayStation Portal will also be capable of playing media, as the homescreen has a dedicated section for it much like the PS5.
Strangely, the $199.99 handheld won’t work with Sony’s upcoming cloud streaming for PS5 games. “Games that must be streamed on PS5 using a PS Plus Premium membership are not compatible,” says Sony. So the PlayStation Portal is really a way to stream PS5 games you already have installed on your own PS5 onto a handheld for remote play. You’ll need an internet connection capable of at least 5Mbps, and Sony is recommending 15Mbps for the best experience.
The PlayStation Portal was previously known as Project Q and was officially announced in May, with a rumored release date in November. Sony still isn’t ready to say exactly when PlayStation fans will be able to get their hands on the PlayStation Portal, but for now, we have a $199.99 price.
