We’re learning more about the PlayStation Portal all the time - after Sony unveiled its streaming handheld for PS5 in May 2023 (then called just Project Q), we now know a lot more, including its price and release date.
The handheld looks like it could be a really interesting proposition for those who want to playtheir PS5away from a display, so here are all the key details you need to know.
PlayStation Portal pre-orders and release date
We now know that PlayStation Portal will be released on15 November 2023- and pre-orders are already available through plenty of retailers.
PlayStation Portal
Pre-order the Portal now to reserve your device ahead of release!
PlayStation Portal price
We were nervous that the Portal would cost enough to make it a niche proposition, but those fears were put to bed when Sony confirmed its price in August 2023. The PlayStation Portal will cost $199.99, €219.99 or £199.99.
That’s a really sensible price that puts it below the all-important $200 mark and ensures that the PlayStation Portal doesn’t come in at too premium a point - in comparison, for example to the price of a PS5 itself, or aPSVR 2.
PlayStation Portal design
Something that we can delve properly into after the PlayStation Showcase is the design and layout of the PlayStation Portal, since it has now been shown off visually a few times. The handheld will have an 8-inch display sandwiched between two halves of aDualSense controller, and it actually looks almost exactly as you might sketch out such a design if you’d never seen it.
The familiar white colourway of the PS5’s controller, therefore, is very much present, and the display itself looks really quite slim and thin, which makes us hope that the handheld won’t be hugely heavier than a DualSense on its own, to help with lounging about and playing it.
Since it’s not a standalone handheld but rather a streaming one, there is unlikely to be much additional functionality needed, just space for a battery - there’s been no mention of extra buttons or paddles to match the likes of theDualSense Edge, for example.
All of this was underlined in a bit more detail in August 2023 when IGN got an exclusive hands-on with the Portal, and was able to show it off in-use and in someone’s hands.
PlayStation Portal screen
The screen is perhaps the biggest single factor that will determine how Project Q holds up when playing the latest PS5 games, and while the announcement was thin on detail, Sony has confirmed some interesting specs subsequently.
We know that the 8-inch display will be an LCD panel, not OLED, but also that it’ll have 1080p resolution at 60Hz, which is a great match for the console games it’ll be playing.
While the PS5 can output at 1440p, 4K and 120Hz in various combinations, those resolutions wouldn’t be worth it on a screen so small, while higher frame rates might push the device’s cost up.
PlayStation Portal features
PlayStation Portal is going to be a Wi-Fi streaming device, meaning it will work with PlayStation’s existingRemote Playsystem to let you stream games from your PS5 to the handheld. Crucially, this means it isnota cloud-streaming handheld by nature, and Sony has confirmed that you won’t be able to play cloud-streamed games on ithe Portal.
You will be able to play from remote locations though - the Portal needs an internet connection of at least 5 Mbps, and your PS5 will need a connection too, but those are the only requirements.
Because the handheld’s controls are basically a DualSense split in half, Jim Ryan confirmed that Project Q will be able to use all the haptics and trigger effects that make the PS5 controller so special, so it’s clear that it’ll feel great in the hand.
PlayStation Portal announcement
Sony took the wraps off the PlayStation Portal in a slightly unconventional way, during itsMay 2023 PlayStation Showcase- quickly mentioning the handheld and codenaming it Project Q with a brief look at its design, before moving on.
This still gave us a lot to go on, but given it was clear the name wasn’t even final, we had a lot of questions.
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