We’ve got bad news for those hoping that PlayStation Portal will tank and force Sony to consider releasing a standalone handheld gaming console instead of a complementary device for the PlayStation 5.
Sony’s upcoming remote console, which will sell for $199.99, is apparently a huge hit ahead of its launch. At least, this is in Japan.
According to Genki_JPN, it took all of half a day for the pre-orders for the PlayStation Portal in Japan to sell out.
Source: https://t.co/ilyQceXzsM
— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) September 29, 2023
Of course, there are caveats. For starters, it’s unclear if majority of the sales came from the PlayStation Store or Japanese retailers. Not to mention, scalpers, which remain an issue worldwide, likely make a huge chunk of the sales. Still, a win’s a win and when you’re introducing a new product that’s part of an entire lineup of devices that take advantage of a new proprietary wireless connection, the PlayStation Link, you take what you can get.
Besides, when you look past the novelty of Sony introducing a device exclusively for remote play, it’s easy to understand why the PlayStation Portal may have a chance to carve out a sizable niche.
Granted, the PlayStation Portal isn’t for everybody, but do you realize just how cool it is to play PlayStation 5 wirelessly? Also, keep in mind that not everyone has a separate television that they use for gaming. Most have to share their TVs in the living room, which means that they can’t exactly hog it all the time. Between the financial and space constraints of buying a TV specifically only for gaming, the PlayStation Portal could cater to gamers looking for a dedicated device that’s based on the DualSense with an 8-inch screen and a 3.5mm jack for wired audio connections.
Adult gamers with kids would specifically love to get the chance to sit back, relax, and game on their couches while the kids use the TV to stream their favourite shows.
As a bonus, the PlayStation Portal effectively doubles as an extra PS5 controller for couch co-op if you’re willing to jump through a couple of hoops.
The main concern about PlayStation Portal is remote play. Despite years of pushing it as the next big thing, internet connections for most people still isn’t good enough to let them enjoy wireless video game streaming at home. However, most don’t realize that internet speed isn’t the limiting factor with the PlayStation Portal; it’s the latency. It’s possible to get away with a 5mbps internet to enjoy streaming PS5 games wireless on the PlayStation Portal if you hardwire your PS5.
The biggest issue with using the PlayStation Portal is if you rely on a slow WiFi connection, which is why it’s important that your PS5 is hardwired and physically tethered to the internet via an Ethernet cable. For better results, invest in a Gigabit Ethernet router that use 10/100/1000 wired connections (the cheaper ones use 10/100).
If you do that, a PlayStation Portal becomes less of a $200 paperweight and something that you might actually enjoy if you buy one.
With the PlayStation Portal set to release on November 15, you still have over a month to decide if it’s for you. But, be quick, because it might not be long before the rest of the world catches on what Japan seems to have realized ahead of everyone else.
