Project Q is PlayStation Portal and it's coming out later this year

With Remote Play, when you're gaming on your Portal, your PS5 is your server. It doesn't matter if you're inside your home or thousands of miles away, your PS5 powers up, runs your game, and sends it directly to your device. This real-time streaming ensures that your PS5's home screen, trophies, progress, and even other applications are all accessible. Imagine switching between games or even transitioning to Netflix without missing a beat. That's the level of smoothness Sony's aiming for.

A commendable feature of the PlayStation Portal is its immersion capability. It embraces the adaptive triggers as well as the haptic feedback from the DualSense controllers, ensuring that playing on the Portal feels almost identical to playing on the PS5. However, the device isn't without its limitations. For instance, while the PlayStation Portal flaunts access to the PlayStation Link, a proprietary wireless technology for lossless and low-latency audio, it doesn't possess Bluetooth connectivity. This absence means the device cannot pair with wireless headphones or Sony's Pulse 3D headset. However, Sony has introduced new audio gadgets like the Pulse Explore earbuds and Pulse Elite headset, both supporting the PlayStation Link tech. Moreover, the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack ensures that wired audio enthusiasts aren't left out.

Despite its promising features, the PlayStation Portal has a significant dependency: it can't function autonomously. All of its operations, from gaming to media consumption, are reliant on the PS5. So, if your Wi-Fi falters or someone else accesses your PS5, the Portal loses its purpose. This limitation, while significant, might not deter hardcore Sony fans, especially with rumors of other complementary devices in the pipeline.

For tech enthusiasts and gamers, the question that often arises with such handheld devices is battery life. While the exact specifications are yet to be unveiled, Sony is supposedly targeting a battery life akin to the DualSense, estimating around seven to nine hours.

Ultimately, the price point of the former Project Q isn't going to ruffle as many feathers as expected - for $199.99, many PS5 owners will flock to this device simply because they can afford it.

Whether the PlayStation Portal becomes the start of a new line of PlayStation accessories or if it will become more of a novelty is something only time will tell.