PS Portal Still Going Strong, Demand in USA Exceeds Supply

Kind of forgot about these as I just couldn’t get one by hook or by crook… might have another look for one now that their a bit more available.

I’m thinking about getting one. It would work well when the wife wants to watch some TV so I can continue playing.

It's only a handheld in the sense that you can hold it in your hands. 😂

I sold mine because it was too glitchy.

More or less unplayable unless I was in the house on my own and nobody else was putting a strain on the WiFi

I hope Sony sees the success of the Portal, the Switch, Steam Deck, and ROG Ally and makes a legitimate successor to the PSP and Vita.

So good for those who have to share a screen with others or who just want to play a game in bed

My favorite thing about Portal was the anger it would bring out of people when dudes who bought it were actually enjoying it.

Id get one if it was native. Just not into a streaming accessory. But honestly have been recommending my brother to get one to share between him and his GF to keep the TV free

Just got one last week and it's really awesome. Ergonomic, lightweight, and have had zero issues with connectivity. Looking forward to testing it on a weekend getaway soon where I'm not on my home wi-fi. PS5 is hardwired to fiber internet.

I like to use mine to play chill games in bed, like Power Washer Pro, when I’m winding down. Also comes in handy on occasions when my wife wants to watch TV while I’d like to game. I’ll probably use it a bit more when I’m watching over my son later, but he’s just a couple months old now, so unless he’s sleeping it’s still all hands on deck. 😂

Sorry I'm not gonna touch it. Maybe it's of use in household's with a big network setup. But relying in on wi-fi connection router etc. It's not for me.

I’m loving my portal and has allowed me to play and complete Cyberpunk, Haydes and Spiderman 2. For anyone doubting the machine I hope you can get one soon

@AhmadSumadi couldn’t agree more! Probably the most hated machine ever and misunderstood

@Member_the_game

Man you should’ve held out! I got it at launch and was regretting my purchase tbh. It stuttered, but also I forked out cash for the earbuds and they NEVER connected when (or where) I wanted them to. I stuck it out though and through updates everything is running very smoothly now.

Great little device. Hoping for a successor that’ll play natively 👌

Sony's secret plan is to have it be able to stream games directly from PSN. If it can stream from a Playstation (essentially a server when coupled with the Portal) it can stream from the PSN servers. Am I wrong? Is there a reason this can never happen? If they can/do they will sell substantially more Potals and increase subs to PS+ Premium. It may even convince me to go digital and stream my new games over portal

@MikeOrator
Good point. I think you cracked the plan!

It's underpowered and overpriced.

I got one when they came out and I use it more often than my actual PS5.

@AhmadSumadi Same. And not even just consumers - most of the supposedly informed media were falling over themselves to cuss it and predict it would fail too!

@koverby

Yeah with the benefit of hindsight, part of me wishes that I'd kept it...... At the time though, it was alot of money to just potentially write off for something that might never work the way I wanted it too, I just thought it was best to get rid of it whilst it was still in high demand.

I didn't sell it for a profit as I hate scalpers who do that sort of thing... I was happy to just get back what I paid for it and break even.

Well I'm impressed. Some numbers would be nice, I've spent enough time searching for amiibo to know that anything can be sold out, but for the price and limited functionality I'm impressed they can sell what they're making, however many that is. 🤷‍♂️

Love mine. Works well at home and away from home as well. Been amazed actually by how well it streams. Top job.

@MegaManX-7 - Sony barely supported Vita and barely supported PSVR (1 and 2). I just can't see them supporting a native/proper handheld these days.

@AhmadSumadi Bemusement is not the same thing as anger and it is unwise to confuse the two.

I do not know why anyone would buy this and even after having it explained to me I still do not understand. But only someone with severe mental issues would actually get angry by what someone else is enjoying. I haven't met any of these people and I suspect that you haven't either.

I love playing third person action games on my Portal as I feel the slight delay is completely unnoticeable most of the time. I stay away from FPS games as those seem to be less snappy especially Destiny. However, Cyberpunk works really well though. Yakuza has been my favorite game to play on the device. Played through Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1, Judgment, and now I’m working on Kiwami 2 and Yakuza 7 simultaneously. These have been my favorite Portal games so far. The style of these games feel awesome to play in the handheld format.

@LifeGirl what don’t you understand? I can play my ps5 anywhere in my house, on my deck, in bed, wherever. If you don’t mind handhelds, it’s certainly cheaper than buying a second tv and ps5, and cheaper than a phone good enough to do the same thing. It’s not the most practical thing I’ve ever bought, but I certainly use and enjoy it.

@feral1975
Right?! If it were “all that” there would be supply issues.

Oh wait, there are…because it keeps selling out of stock.

But hey, believe what you wanna believe.

Out of curiosity, how does it compare to using a phone/backbone combo? Obviously a larger screen, but I’ve had a lot of success using that combo to play Hogwarts Legacy.

I tried Midnight Suns, but the print was too small.

@ED_209 You’re very correct. That didn’t stop me from buying a ton of games for PSP and Vita, though! Vita Island was often times a very lonely place but I’m still a resident 😎

I’m waiting for a proper Sony handheld. Might be waiting forever, but still :’)

So how much supply do they have? 50-100 units?

@LifeGirl so when people are calling others names and telling them they’re stupid or “paid off by Sony” because they’re enjoying their Portal. That’s not anger and ridiculousness? Hell, even in this thread there are people accusing others of being paid by Sony because they enjoy their Portal. Or do you not read those comments on purpose?

@feral1975 Man oh man, been ages since I saw such pathetic attempts at trolling.

I've had my Portal for 2 months and the only annoying part was setting up port forwarding on my router and creating a static IP address for my PS5. Worked like a charm at home and even abroad since then.

@Foxhound I'm not trolling by any means, it's a very honest opinion and, as my previous posts were well put, with no disrespect to others, but now unreadable, It further places foul play in certain quarters.

Bought mine day 1, its become a staple for me. Ive had a ps5 since launch but always found when i sat down to play games id default to my xbox, the portal has helped change that by moving where i play from my media room to anywhere in the house.

It’s certainly not for everyone, but for parents like me who have jobs and family obligations that consume most of our time, its a very good way to get some gaming in.

@lacerz For me atleast, i bought a backbone first and even got a dedicated phone with its own line for it, but the lack of it being a dedicated device made it less than ideal. More of a mental thing, but i find the portal a much better experience than the backbone.

@feral1975 a good network is important. I have 4 aps, wired consoles, and a 1gb fiber connection. Needless to say, i have no dead areas and a 600-800mb wifi connection with low latency and on rare occasions I still experience some lag. I also live in the suburbs of a major hub city in the us, so no latency to the servers. (Im not sure if its purely console to device or if it routes out to in)

So if your connection is less than ideal than id be hesitant.

@colonelkilgore Amazon currently has it in stock

I actually use mine more than I thought I would.

Worked over Mother's day when visiting the in-laws for the weekend. Surprised how well it connected over their wi-fi to my PS5 in the city

Having the PS5 on ethernet at home, seems to be the trick.

@LifeGirl I did have a user on here call people who bought a Portal “idiots.” I’m not joking — that was the word he used. He was a semi-regular too and not a clear troll. He went on a tirade about us being shills or whatever and somehow sending the wrong message to Sony and ruining gaming for everyone. 🤷🏻‍♂️

As for this idiot, I enjoy my Portal. 😄

@lacerz from what I've heard from my friend: Bigger screen, better controls and less battery drainage on your phone.

If it was native I’d probably get one. My home internet is iffy at the best of times. And that’s rare. So I stuck with my Switch. Which is fully native.

@lacerz I am actually playing Midnight Suns on mine right now and the print is small, but readable. I did use the game’s accessibility menu options to enlarge the print a little which made it fine. Because Midnight Suns is a great use for the device (or any streaming option).

I bought this badboy on a whim and it quickly became my most-used means of playing games, more than my Switch surprisingly. You gotta understand it's limitations but for what it is it's a solid effort. Screen is surprisingly nice. I could definitely see why it's not necessary if you already have a steam deck though (there's a big price difference however).

@Runex2121
Well probably ok if you're subscribed to a decent internet provider and have a decent WiFi hub.
But to people like myself who aren't, it's disappointing they didn't implement it working on a local level without going through a Wi-Fi Network.
It seems like they just threw it out there to sell as many as they can and then abandon it as they have with so many other peripherals as they have in the past.

Had mine for about 3 months now and I've enjoyed my time with it, feels great to hold and so far there's been no lag. Great for playing JRPG's in bed or downstairs when the TV is in use, I think half of my playtime of Unicorn Overlord and FF ReBirth was done on it. So I think it's been worth the money so far, I've gotten much more gaming done since I've had it.

@slips666 what's the build quality like? I'd use it as an indie machine more than hardcore gaming but it looks like it'll bend and creek (similar to how to switch does with it's wobbly joycons). I know it's one solid unit but in my head, it looks like I'll put it down and it'll snap.

Absolutely love mine. It's been a game-changer with a new baby. So happy with it and highly recommend it if you have a strong home network speed (or a hard-wired PS5) - but do your research! Strong home network (packet loss, latency) is not the same as fast internet.

The comment section so far.

I am happy with my portal purchase. It allows me to play games while roaming around my house.

vs

I am angry that something exists that isn’t made just for me.

As soon as there is a deal on one, not just MSRP, I am going to buy one. I'd even take the standard 5% off at Target (with Circle Card).

@NinjaNicky build quality is great. Feels light but solid. Love playing it on the couch or in bed. Really enjoying Eiyuden on it right now. RPG machine for sure. Tunic is great too!

Been able to jam some Stellar Blade on my Portal here and there, and it’s been very playable. Looking forward to playing Baldur’s Gate 3 whenever my physical copy shows up. Super happy with the Portal!

@The_Wailing_Doom check open box on Best Buy. Got mine $169. Used my Amex for the free extra year of warranty the card covers.

@slips666
Not a bad idea!!

This is awesome news. I love my Portal, and I’ve been playing on it every day for several months. It’s a fantastic device, and I hope the sales show that people still want handheld games. I would love a Vita 2.

The Portal is a great proof of concept that Sony needs to consider truly re-entering the handheld market. The Vita, in particular, was ahead of its time.

@CWill97 life’s to short not to enjoy the finer things.

@NinjaNicky Im very happy with the build quality. I did get a case off Amazon, as it doesn't come with it, which is such a weird omission.

I've got a few hundred hours on it, even toted it to work a few odd times.

Didn't work great out of home, where it's flawless. I only get about 8mb up vs 180mb down. Hadn't tried port forwarding for out of home so it may yet work.

It's good build quality though

Thanks, Nintendo!!!

I didn't care about this device when it was first announced, but lately I've had an itch to get this, because playing PS games in bed sounds really nice and convenient. If Sony came out with an OLED model or if the base model goes on sale, that may push me to get it.

@Member_the_game
Nice. Well, I’m glad you didn’t scalp it even though you could have taken advantage of the demand.

Happy gaming!!

@MikeOrator I find it astounding that Sony has a streaming service. Sony makes a weird streaming only handheld........ And it does not work with sonys streaming service...... Just how.... How does that happen?

Or that fact that it doesn't work with Bluetooth headphones......... While Sony...... Makes Bluetooth headphones......... And even freaking Nintendo supports them....

@Luigia On most things I’d agree with this sentiment. For this scenario though, I’d rather wait it out even if it never happens.

Most YouTubers and commenters said this would be *****. But now it is still not released in my country because there is a lot of demand for it.

Have had a Portal since launch, and find it excellent. Use it all the time, and would 100% recommend so long as you have a good WiFi setup.

Im still waiting for ps vita 2... i dont really care for streaming handhelds. Ill stick with my nintendo switch til sony starts caring

@Shwing i tried using it for multiplayer online games and boy this thing sucked so hard i had to return it. I have good wifi and it cant even play call of duty. Just return it unless you only play visual novels on it lmao

@CallMeDuraSouka @slips666 I'm very tempted. Argos is only a 5 minute walk from my work and they have it in stock... It would replace my Switch as an indie machine until Switch 2 is released, I forget how slow the Switch is and the Portal seems very tempting.. even when I have free use of TV, sometimes I just want to lay on the sofa and play which I can't do with a TV.

@NinjaNicky sounds like the only downside for you may be portability since switch doesn’t need internet whereas the portal does…mainly thinking travel.

@NEStalgia

I know. It's like half measures or icecream with hot ketchup instead of hot fudge

@koverby

I wish!!

@MikeOrator The really sad thing is if Xbox releases a well made full handheld console that does everything, streams, runs Office, checks your email, feeds your dog, and plays FFXVI ports at 60fps, the press will rip it to shreds and nobody will buy it and it will fail. Sony can release a dedicated streaming device, (**streaming not supported) and they can't keep the things in stock.

Sometimes I find it embarrassing to be a gamer. It seems to be a breadth of people that obey marketing commands as a hobby.

@Zeroo Just a reminder that this device doesn't work well.

@NEStalgia you’re full of 💩! You have 0 reference to put some foolishness like this out there. MS has never been crapped all over by the gaming press. But MS is also consistently in last place each generation and therefore gets the least coverage. When you’re 3rd in a 3-man race you shouldn’t expect to get the same recognition as those who are ahead of you. That’s how it works in every walk of life.

@AhmadSumadi Unfortunately gaming "journalism" has devolved to a point where you can tell the author's bias in their coverage, be it ps, Nintendo, or pcmr. (Or anti vr etc). Yes you're right Ms is in third and has less biased press in favor of it, but the point is, no matter how good it is, it wouldn't get a warm reception even though their hardware is usually pretty well thought out. Meanwhile Sony gets praised for a streaming box that can't stream from their own streaming service. The Ms comment wasn't meant to praise Ms but just contrast this reaction to a pretty throw away box.

If it used their streaming I'd have bought it day 1 and subscribed to plus premium. I actually nearly bought one even though I have a g cloud, at least the 8 inch screen would be nice. Then I saw comparisons where the stream quality is worse than psplay on cloud, and then found out about the non Bluetooth. The price isn't terrible but it's such a miss of a product really.

I say that as someone that bought vita PRIMARILY for remote play!

@BansheeNorn
I've played a few multiplayer games myself on Portal, and they've all played well. HellDivers 2, Sea of Thieves amongst others. Of course playing a twitch shooter like CoD probably isn't advised, at least in the PvP modes .

@MikeOrator it probably can, I know Sony was working on save states for cloud gaming, meaning you are playing a game and it picks up where you left off, something the ps portal can do but with remote play only. But I have heard this rumor too, am hoping it will come