7 min readDoes anyone else remember the PSP? This handheld console from Sony was such a game changer for me as a kid because I was able to play a variety of games on the go that were of a higher graphical quality compared to those with my Nintendo DS. It also felt like the cool kid console to have at the time because you could play “grown up” games like Grand Theft Auto, Tekken, Persona, and more.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved my DS, and I think it’s still the stronger of the two handhelds from the early 2000s. But Sony does such a great job with graphics and media compatibility (you could even watch movies and videos, listen to music, and go on the internet on the PSP), that it makes sense to have both of these consoles for different reasons.
This is exactly how I feel about being a Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation Portal owner in 2026. While I do think the Switch 2 has the dominant library (in terms of Switch 1 games—we’re still waiting on a few more Switch 2 exclusives), the PlayStation 5 still has some wonderful exclusives, alongside solid apps, and higher graphical fidelity.
I mention the PlayStation 5 specifically because the PlayStation Portal is a remote console that essentially lets you play your PlayStation 5 without using the TV. If you were one of the twelve Wii U owners like myself, this will sound familiar, as this device had the main console that you plugged in, and it also had a tablet that you could play a Wii U game on. Personally, I believe that this console walked so the PlayStation Portal could run.
I’ve had my PlayStation Portal for about a year now, and I’m pretty happy with it overall. It still blows my mind that I could play games like Persona 5 Royal, Bloodborne, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and more on a relatively small handheld device. While it lacks the polish of a truly portable console like the Switch 2, it’s still worth considering if you want to play titles like these from anywhere with a WiFi connection.
Cons
- Connection to the console can be spotty at times
- Requires a bit of set up to ensure a stable connection
- Heavy
| Dimensions | 14 x 3.88 x 6 inches |
| Weight | 1.2 pounds |
Things Didn’t Start Off So Great
I felt like a kid begging my parents for the latest gaming console when I decided I wanted a Portal, because that’s exactly what I did. It didn’t take much convincing since my parents were more than happy to splurge on a birthday gift for me (didn’t need to pull out the tears this time). My reasoning for this gift though? My husband was getting tired of sharing the TV with me every time I wanted to use my PlayStation.
Once it arrived, we were both ecstatic—I finally got my shiny new toy, and my husband finally got full custody of the TV. The Portal took a second to set up because you have to create a profile, connect to the Internet and your PlayStation 5, and download a fair amount of patches. But once it was ready, I was eager to try it out.
To my horror, the Portal didn’t work the way I expected it to. I was playing Octopath Traveler II, and what I saw on my screen was essentially low-quality, Perler bead-esque graphics.
Okay, so the game didn’t look great, but I was confident that the game would still play well. I was wrong on that front too, because the second I started to move my character across the screen, the frame rate plummeted. The screen started to tear, and no more than a few seconds later, my Portal disconnected from my PlayStation 5.
I tried again.
This time, I was met with a beautiful connection that made me think my first attempt was a fluke. However, the second I started to move my character across the screen, the audio and visuals started to distort, and the Portal disconnected again. I was getting mad.
I tried several times to get this thing to work that entire night. I remember my stomach dropping every time the Portal disconnected, and I felt so horrible because my parents had spent $200 on something that barely functioned. In a last-ditch effort, I went on Reddit to see if anyone else also dealt with the same problem, and it turned out I was one of thousands who were experiencing a variety of bugs, glitches, and crashes with the Portal. After reading through everyone’s horror stories, the general consensus was that if you had crappy internet, the Portal was basically unusable.
I Needed to Upgrade My Internet Set Up
My husband hated seeing me spiral about the Portal, so he also took it upon himself to do his own research. After some digging, he learned that if we were to “split” our WiFi to 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, we could have one WiFi route dedicated to the Portal and PlayStation (the 5 GHz one, which is faster), and the other to all of our other, less-demanding devices.
My husband is the more tech-savvy of the two of us, so he fiddled with the WiFi, and within a few minutes we had two available networks to connect to. I rebooted my Portal, connected it to the faster WiFi network, and tried playing again.
This time, the Portal didn’t lag at all. The resolution hit 1080 and the game was running flawlessly at 60fps. I thought we were in the clear, and my parents didn’t waste their money.
This excitement was short-lived though, because after about 15- to 20 minutes of flawless gameplay, my Portal disconnected yet again from the PlayStation. I gave up.
I wasn’t about to call Verizon to pay for better internet, so I started to accept that the Portal was just a cash-grab made by Sony to cash in on what the Nintendo was doing with the Switch. That is, until I found one Reddit thread that told me that using an ethernet cable on your PlayStation 5 was the way to go.
I quickly ran into our bedroom and found an old Ethernet cable that I hadn’t used for anything, ever. I plugged one end into the PlayStation, and the other into our router, and hoped for the best. What happened next blew my mind.
The Portal was finally working. It didn’t drop any frames, it didn’t disconnect, and I got to play on it flawlessly for about two hours. I didn’t even mind how slightly heavy it felt in my hands, I was just happy that I got it to finally work correctly.
This lasted for about a week.
Sony Finally Stepped In
I couldn’t tell you why the Portal went back to its screen-tearing, disconnecting ways. It felt like it had a mind of its own. There were weeks where it worked without any issues, and then weeks where it refused to connect to my PlayStation. All I could really do was add myself among those who were disappointed in Sony.
However, Sony eventually picked up on the bad rap the Portal was getting, because the company started dropping patches to help with stability. It must’ve been around spring of last year when I was finally able to get a consistent one- to two hours of gameplay.
Since then, it’s really been uphill. The first time I tried playing my Portal in another state it connected to my PlayStation 5 without issue, allowing me to play Hollow Knight: Silksong and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dozens of miles away from home, but I noticed something while playing.
When you’re playing on the Portal, there’s some slight input lag. It’s subtle, but if you’re playing a game that requires lightning-fast reflexes, you’re going to see the Portal struggling to keep up with your inputs—this was especially apparent during intense boss fights in Silksong when my character would jump just a half a second after I pressed the jump button. This used to be worse before Sony started releasing patches, but it’s still slightly present to this day.
For that reason, if you’re someone who primarily plays fighting or first-person shooter games online, the Portal isn’t going to be your best option. Keep those types of games for your main console, and consider using the Portal for titles that are more relaxed, or even turn-based ones (the latter of which I used my Portal for mostly).
Final Thoughts
One year later, and I’m pretty content with the Portal. It’s not my favorite way of playing my PlayStation games, but it does feel great to bring it with me on vacation to boot up a game that’s sitting in my PlayStation 5. I also appreciate all of the tech support that it’s gotten over the past few months.
In fact, just a few months ago, Sony released an update for PlayStation Plus Premium members that gives you access to remote play for hundreds of titles that are compatible with PlayStation Cloud Streaming. This essentially means you can use the Portal to directly connect to Sony’s servers to get access to a library of games like Ghost of Yōtei, The Last of Us, and more without needing to physically own these titles.
I’m not a PlayStation Plus Premium member, so I haven’t tried this service. But the general sentiment on places like Reddit regarding this update is positive. It’s good that Sony is listening, I just wish it happened sooner considering that the Portal dropped in November 2023, so most of us had to suffer for over a year before Sony finally started releasing patches that actually worked.
Today, my Portal is my go-to whenever my husband is watching TV and I want to play my game. It’s been great for this reason alone, and it feels even better to play with it in bed. It ain’t the Switch 2, or even the PSP, but for now, I’m just glad that it finally works.
Xavier Piedra is a Senior Reviews editor at Popular Mechanics, Runner’s World, and Best Products. Xavier’s previous experience includes editing shopping, home, and lifestyle content at major outlets such as Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, Popsugar, and more. When he isn’t thinking about the best products for readers, Xavier is likely watching the latest flicks at a nearby AMC, or filling out his physical video game collection.