Sony presented the PlayStation Portal at Gamescom, but what exactly is it? A Nintendo Switch, Wii U, or something completely different after all?
Like Nintendo, Sony has a history of making handhelds. Years ago, the company produced the PSP and the PlayStation Vita, among others. Secretly, they were genius devices that were sadly underrated. Now they are coming out with a new handheld that does look a bit like the Nintendo Switch.
Will Sony come out with its own Nintendo Switch variant?
There had been rumors for some time that Sony was working on a handheld, but during Gamescom the confirmation came. The PlayStation Portal will hit the market later this year and will cost $219. Is this really a competitor to the Nintendo Switch, or the Steam Deck?
To get right to the point: no. The PlayStation Portal makes it possible to stream PS5 games. Unfortunately, it works a little differently than a Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch. You can only stream on your own Wi-Fi network, which means the games are not on the device. That means you can’t take the device anywhere.
The PlayStation Portal has an 8-inch LCD screen and 1080p resolution. The images have a maximum refresh rate of 60 frames per second. The main purpose of the device is to play the games anywhere in your home, even if the television is already in use. Something that is not necessary with the Nintendo Switch.
Even more than just the PlayStation Portal
In addition to the PlayStation Portal, Sony also announced a new headset and earbuds for the console. These use a new AI technology to ensure ideal noise cancellation. Considering Sony’s other headsets and earbuds, this is something the company is credited with ensuring good quality.
The new products. (Image: sony)
The nice thing is that you can pair them to two devices at the same time. So you can use both your phone and the PlayStation 5, which of course can be handy.
You do have to pay quite a bit for the two accessories. The headset costs 149.99 euros and the earbuds as much as 219.99 euros.
