I'm 3 years too late to take advantage of a Portal in the new born age, man, it would have been so good! Best of both worlds when they're napping on you I bet!
Great video! I too suffer from the guilt of wanting to game but not wanting to be in a separate room to my partner after the kids have gone to bed and the portal is absolutely perfect for this. We’re fortunate enough to have a strong mesh WiFi set up at home and the PS5 is wired so it’s a best use case scenario but I’ve experienced no issues whatsoever using my portal and it has become my main way to enjoy my PS5 library.
100% it's been an absolute game changer for me for those exact reasons. Last night I was playing FF7 Rebirth on the Portal lying on the sofa with my wife. It's so much better having the best of both worlds!
I’ve played about 90% of my gaming time on my Portal since getting it at Christmas which includes 150 hours of Baldurs Gate 3 from start to finish. That and Powerwash simulator have been my most played games this year thanks to it.
There's just something about Power Washer Simulator isn't there 😅 it's really going to help with some of the non-main quest line stuff on FFVII Rebirth for me over the next couple of weeks, it's going to be a god send!
@@dxthing7477 Hah! Well, I'm totally with your wife on that one, I have been putting in some serious hours on Rebirth via the Portal. Glad you have some other options though!
Backbone = £70 You get no haptic feedback, no adaptive triggers, no gyro and you have to use your phone which can be a pain at times. Plus the build quality just doesn't feel as good in your hand. Calling everyone stupid for buying a Portal reeks of someone that hasn't even tried one. The backbone isn't bad, and you're right, it does cost about 1/3 as much as a Portal and can be used as a controller for other things. But they really aren't comparable in the way you're suggesting.
I don't have any young kids, only a teen stepdaughter but read about this device....I checked on the Sony website earlier and was unavailable but just earlier because available so took the jump to order one for my birthday present later this month. This will be great where I can play my 5 games anywhere in my house. With my PSP for the older stuff and this accessory this will be awesome!
I love mine too got it to my 40. Birthday three weeks ago and I can’t stop playing Fallout76 on it, it’s awesome. I play at home at my parents in other town and from Smartphone Hotspot at my lunch break at work…. We just need some Gadgets like the Browser or probably Screen share back on a big TV away from home…that would be so nice, but won’t happen
The biggest annoyance I have with the portal is the getting the track pad to work. Especially playing god of war and the last of us. I have to tap the screen a million times for it to work. And compared to using the steam deck the screen isn’t as smooth. But the haptic feedback on the portal makes gaming in it more fun.
Yep, I have to agree with you that the touchpad can be a pain, and like you said, it's more difficult on some games than others. Alan Wake 2 was one of them for me. The steam deck is the superior of the devices, no doubt with better hardware, but also comes at a higher cost too so I guess that's only fair. Still, I can't imagine being without the Portal now, it's just so damn convenient!
LOVE my portal get more gaming time with it replaying all my games that haven’t touched in awhile on PS5 and the fact I finally figured out how to connect to my iPhones hotspot it’s even better now
With the release of FF7 Remake I have become highly interested in getting a PS Portal. This was a much needed video! Thank you so much! I’ll be getting my at home Internet optimized for the portal!
@@andyackerman7123 that is actually very helpful! I have been testing my network at home and on my phone for the wireless hotspot and we’re lookin super solid. Fingers are being crossed that the experience is also the same. I’ll be getting my portal today and I’m super excited! Work has been super slow so to have this is going to be amazing! Thank you for letting me know! Safe travels and thank you for doing what you do! 👊🏻
I'm so excited for you! I literally spent all night last night (once the kids were in bed) playing Rebirth on it and it's been an absolute BLAST! Phenomenal game on a superb little device.
@@TheGameFatherUK Thank you! I appreciate your response! I’m about to pick it up as we speak! I’m excited to get it set up and ready to go! I’ll be getting a case ordered as well so I can take it with me to work and enjoy it while it’s slow! Fantastic to hear that you’re enjoying it as much as you are on the PS Portal! Your content has been an extreme motivation for me to get one of these and know it’s going to be able to handle what I want it to do!
I really appreciate that my friend :) There are loads of decent cases out there now so plenty to choose from. I hope you managed to get a hold of it and it's been smooth sailing!
I love my portal and people need to stop hating on it! If it’s not for you then it’s not! My portal goes with me everywhere and i have not had all these issues some say they have had over 5g. Yes the things you mentioned need to be fixed, but I am also a father and husband and this makes gaming convenient! I have finished task in games I would have never finished due to being strapped to my desk.
I totally agree with you, the thing is all about convenience and I can't imagine my 'gaming life' without it now. I've been able to put WAY more time into FF7 Rebirth because of it 🙂
Been using it since release, only at home. So no problems so far.. Previously using a Switch. Which doesn't get used now. Loving the Portal. Currently playing through Baulders gate 3
Soon as I'm done with FFVII Rebirth I'm on Baulders Gate 3. I didn't get on with the switch so much when I had one, can't even really say why, it just didn't click with me. My son wants one for his birthday though so I'll give it another bash then 🙂
I own some expensive handheld like a legion go. Portal alright, i had to wire in my connection but now its smooth. Screen nice, no go screen or rog ally, but its definitely good enough. Weight really good and feels good in the hands. Easy to protect. Got a screen protector and clear shell for under £20. I think its a winner at £200. If it legit works outdoors, gonna be a steal. Im in hospital tomorrow, test it out.
@@TheGameFatherUKthe menu looked a little rough, like a slightly fuzzy picture. Games played and looked fine on NHS WiFi. Tested up road at mother in laws for Easter, that looked better, took a few mins for connection to catch up. Worked flawless. Call me impressed for £200. I do wish I could play stream games on it.
Still debating getting one of these myself as me and the wife share the tv in the living room where my PS5 & Switch is. Also work and family as you know gets in the way of my gaming lol. Might have to pick one up when they are available again
I finished my first run through on Rebirth last night, I don't think I'd even be half way there if it wasn't for the Portal :) stock does still seem to be a nightmare though :(
@@TheGameFatherUK I’m 90 hours in so far and loving the hell out of it, a portal would probs help due to the family/wife/work haha! I think judging by other comments this is a total Dad piece of kit 😂😂
It's a tough one isn't it? I'm sure it'll come one day, but I'm not sure what'll have to happen for that to be realised. It would essentially rule out the need for a console which I'm sure Sony aren't ready for. If I were to guess, they'll roll it out slowly with certain games only. But I don't think it'll be any time soon.
Ps5 in tv is rare if you have a portal tbh… haha going back to the tv after like a month of not using it was weird. As the controllers is smaller and lighter now.. haha. The portal is a 10/10. But I did Mossi using my tv and now Iv been using the tv for about 3 weeks. Will switch back to my portal soon I think. It’s more of a rotation now haha
I'm glad it's not just me that suffers from 'giant hand syndrome' when switching back to the dual sense 😅. I also keep activating the R2 trigger by accident too, it's driving me CRAZY on FFVII Rebirth!
Yes it does, but it's very much dependant on the quality of the network on both ends. If your home setup is solid (stable internet, well configured) then that just leaves the connection away from home. Some WiFi will be locked behind a login (like at hotels) which makes connecting tricky. Mobile hotspot works well in good 4G and 5G areas, but again, it needs to be solid. The best advice I can possibly give you is to setup the free app on a mobile device, tablet or laptop and try it in the places you'd imagine yourself using a Portal. If it works great in those places, the Portal should too :)
PS Portal is still a messed up job. I love it when it works but...I am using mesh (wifi router setting) wifi from TP-LINK and everything else is buttery smooth since I acquired these. PS Portal sometimes works without a hitch, on either 2.4 or 5Ghz (with no interference and priority channels and usage from PS5 to Portal) and sometimes its unplayable. Its definitely on SONY's part. Wifi6 on the portal would have gone a long way...but they went cheap...also, testing remote play with anything else is NOT a good tip. It works great with Steam Deck, a tablet or even a phone but NOT the Portal. Why? Wifi6. That's it.
WiFi 6 would have been better for sure, just for the multiple stream capabilities it offers over 5. However, the Portal does work just fine on WiFi 5 as it needs so little in terms of throughput, it only really needs stability. Unfortunately, stability isn't a simple thing to achieve since there are so many variables at play. It's not on Sony to fix that, it just isn't. They need to sort the refresh rate sync and i think it'd be an improvement to have a browser for public WiFi, but networking is networking. It's extremely rare for my Portal to drop in quality and when it does, there's usually a good explanation and I use a MESH system too.
What charging docks are u guys using I bought one on release from China and it’s trash. Just ordered another one on Amazon with led lights built in hope that does the job. I saw another one that has a portable battery that docks to the stand that looks interesting. Specifically if the battery is portable. Thought Sony would come out with one by now.
Is the network adjustments necessary? in our house we have virgin fibre and get about 250mb upload but we are unable to hardwire our consoles to the router because of other things
Your internet speed only matters if you're playing away from home. If you're on the WiFi at home, it's just your internal network quality that matters. There's a really great android app called WiFiMan that can help you test the network quality at home.
The best thing is to try it on the free app and see how well it performs if you're thinking of getting a Portal. If it works great on the free app (phone, tablet, laptop, PC, Mac) then it'll likely be fine on the Portal too :)
I just got mine yesterday and I just can't get a decent connection. I've no option but to use WiFi. I'm going to buy a better router than the one my service provider supplied and hope that does the trick......
Yeah it may well do, some of the ISP supplied routers are a horror show 🫣 are the LAN over power plugs not an option for you? I have to use a couple of them at my house, they're not fantastic but they do help!
Hey there, that my friend is Army of Ruin. If you've ever played Vampire Survivors it's basically a clone of that but with fancier graphics. It's a great casual game with tons of unlocks and I'm pretty sure it only cost £6 on the PS store :)
Another jewelsense 😂 oh dear it’s a dualsense 🤦🏻♂️, I’m still single at 43 and haven’t even started dating yet 🤣 more time for games doubt I ever will be dad seems a very hard job to me. But the portal does seem good to me for bed because my tv is never in use by someone else because I live on my own.
My biggest fear is stick drift. All PS5 controllers I’ve ever bought have had some stick drift. Easily fixed by breaking it apart and cleaning. Idk how I’d feel about stick drift on a portable.
I can't remember where I saw it, but someone did a breakdown of the portal along with replacing the thumb sticks and it didn't seem too bad at all. But obviously I'm just hoping that doesn't become a thing in the first place!
@@TheGameFatherUK just saw it. Doesn’t look too bad! I wish tho the manufacturers (not just PlayStation) recognize this. In 2024 stick drift shouldn’t be a problem on a controller that costs near $100 after tax.
If you’re debating on getting this I recommend it. I get to play all of my single player games on my couch upstairs. However internet speed is CRUCIAL and also having your PS5 hardwired
For me this is a fantastic device I've had no issues with lag or any kind of connectivity issues. Your reviews have been spot on for the portal. With two young kids at home and never getting near the tv i can finally get some good use out of my ps5
Thank you!! It's a gaming revolution for parents 😄 So glad you're having a similar experience to me with it, can't wait to get some FFVII Rebirth action in on it over the weekend!
@@TheGameFatherUK well how did your weekend on FFVII Rebirth work out? My plan is to finish Hogwarts legacy on the portal and then move onto Baldurs gate 3
Thanks for asking! I have been having an absolute BLAST on it, honestly, it might be one of my favourite games of all time. Still got a way to go on it though! I bought Hogwarts Legacy and played the first couple of hours on it and then didn't pick it back up. I will return to it one day but Silent Hill 2 is out at some point (although I think horror games tend to work better on a big TV).
5:52 this is EXACTLY why I bought a Portal! I no longer have to feel guilty going into another room to play games when my wife and kids are watching something I couldn’t care less about in the living room.
Yes! As much as I love the Disney version of being a dad that loves spending every single second being totally into everything about my wife and kids... They have TERRIBLE taste in TV 😂
just got mine. something I've seen nobody mention is how it seems to settle with time. when I first set it up, the text looked really low res. However as time went on it just looked better. same with the games, once it settled, they looked as good as anyone could hope, for a handheld device in 2024. The big test for me next week, is whether it works away from home using my 4g mobile router. If it does, great, otherwise I'm just going to buy a digital only PS5 to keep in my lorry. thanks for all the info/tips, great channel, subbed.
Appreciate that my friend! I'm fairly sure that the settling in is down to the router figuring out how and if to prioritise the traffic on the network. Almost certainly true if you have any kind of QoS on the router that operates on the LAN. The same happens when my Portal is trying to figure out which MESH node has the strongest signal.
Thank you for this detailed breakdown of your experiences with the device. I've been on the fence for awhile but I think you've convinced me to purchase one.
I bought this only for convenience. I tried to play with the iPad and controller but it's painful to keep the iPad on your lap every time. Since I've got the Portal, the time I spend gaming has gone up by tenfold just like I wanted.
Ah thanks :) if you haven't done so already, definitely give remote play a bash on another device first. Hope it works out for you because the Portal has been such a great little addition.
It really depends on how competitive you are. An elite FPS player would probably notice a bit of input lag, but I'm certainly not elite 😅 I can play Overwatch, Fortnite and other similar games without any issue.
Hey @Thegamefather, thanks for this video! I did remote play on my iPad Pro and it worked perfectly! I upgraded to a cable ISP, got a new gaming router, and did all you said. I still have some issues with stutter on the portal, but it’s flawless on IPad like I said. Do you think Sony will patch it or it can be fixed by an update?
The thing that worries me the most (aside from my obvious failing eyesight) is that Sony MUST know about it by now. So if a fairly simple software patch would fix it, why haven't they released one? I really hope I'm wrong, but Sony have a bit of a mixed reputation when it comes to these things :/
@@TheGameFatherUK Is it possible that it's more than a software issue and that it's faulty hardware? I really hope not. I have 29 days to return it lol.
Yes, well, I think it's probably a mixture of the two. A hardware mismatch between the 2 that hopefully is resolved with a software patch. Since Sony haven't even acknowledged the issue, I wouldn't hold my breath over 29 days :/ I guess it really depends how much the stutter bothers you?
I just got mine a few days ago and I’m actually more than impressed by the performance of the portal! Playing God of War right now and it’s been too much fun!
I’ve been using the pulse explore with my ps5 not bad really. obviously not as good as my Astro A50s but they did the job. I’m sure they will work great with the portal when it arrives Saturday.
Pulse was just Convenience lol. Granted I don’t pay full price as I get my staff discount so only payed 340 for both. The connection was terrible on my 2ghz channel as I have loads of WiFi products using it kids wife lol. using 5GHz for portal only with no dropouts so far. Even played a game of Warzone worked great but I use it more for non competitive games.
Yeah, it's without doubt one of the best things I've bought in years. Some of the new update features are quite nice, but the public WiFi update is nothing short of a horror show. Sony owe a lot of people an apology that bought one thinking it would actually work on a public WiFi network, when reality, it's not true.
@@erwin757 I honestly don't know. I really hope they do, but they did it like that on purpose. Kinda defies belief really but they don't have a great track record of going back on things. Fingers crossed though.
This thing is just too niche since it requires Wi-Fi to play and couldn’t connect it to public servers and does not even play games offline. And you couldn’t even travel everywhere with it. And Bluetooth audio is proprietary. You have to connect it with specific headphones.
I think alot of the big issues people have with the Portal are things people who have previously remote played. I love my Portal and I remote play ALOT due to not always having access to TV. Like you said not perfect but a great device. Good video.
Great summary :) I've been putting in some serious hours on FFV7 Rebirth on it, it's been mega! But for some reason, I just cannot seem to play the minigames well on it :( have to switch to the dual sense, no idea why I'm so bad on it!
Fucking Amazing Love it got a few days ago and for those that don’t have one sucks for you I can play anytime anywhere around my house 100% Satisfied with my Purchase hope they make a Pro one with an OLED Screen but for now It’s Amazing 💯💯
Getting mine Saturday finally back in stock with argos. I’ve bought every accessory available for it finally not just a pile of stuff sitting in the corner lol.
Im about to return mine i can deal with input lag but the stutter and fps drop is unplayable.my pixel 8 pro ps remote works flawless i just buy backbone and return tgis gaebage
I guess it depends wholly on how successful Sony deem it to be. I don't think they've really shared much about its financial figures since release. I wonder if they are saving full Sony Cloud Gaming support for a next gen version or whether it'll come in this iteration.
Amazing video! I currently have a steam deck and have been considering getting a ps portal when i get the chance. My reason being the weight of the portal being less than the deck, the ease of use to just pick up and play. Do you know what kind of upload and download speeds i would need to comfortably play out the house?
Thanks! In my experience you'll be ok with anything above 25Mbps whilst out and about. It'll work on less than that but the connection at both ends will need to be very stable, and if you're using mobile data, stability is harder to achieve. You're actually in an ideal position to test it for yourself though. If you haven't done so already, get chiaki4deck installed on the Steam Deck and test it in the places you think you'd use the Portal :)
@@TheGameFatherUK fantastic idea, Thank you! I'll give that a try tomorrow morning. If all goes well with the deck, do you think it's worth getting a portal considering only advantages are ease of use, weight and screen. also haptics are nice
@@jakehamm6930 I don't own a Steam Deck personally, but I've used one a fair bit. You're spot on with advantages you listed. It's a tough one really. For me it'd all come down to the ergonomics. The ease of use, weight and haptics are all 'nice-to-haves' but I do very much like the feel of the PS controllers and prefer them over the Deck (but then again, I haven't used one long enough for that to be fair).
@@TheGameFatherUK I think I'll be going to get a ps portalwhen I get the chance. Upgraded my internet package( I managed to get a free upgrade) and got a new router coming soon so should be golden. I'll keep the deck to pc gaming and indies and use the portal for steaming. Thank you so much for your replies. I've taken a look at your other videos relating to the portal and they're the best, most informative I've seen yet. You've got yourself another subscriber.
I was skeptical about it at first - but the positive feedback upon launch from some trusted sources had me re-think my attitude towards it. Now it's actually my favourite way to play the PS5!
I been playin the crap out of mine since launch... i only go up stairs for Top Shooters for the 120z tv...but i made my patio amd camping a dream..i was playing chilling by the fire on my atv trip between breaks and refuel..having a 5g tmobile box off the zero e generator made camping with a connection perfect for the portal and the pulse headphones connection the dual connects to a phone or music player is awesome.
Yes! That sounds amazing! Portal by the camp fire! I still haven't tried the pulse headphones yet, I can't justify the cost against my old apple cabled headphones. Worth the money in your opinion?
My girlfriend got me it for bday and I play it everyday don’t touch my ps5 anymore. I play apex, warzon ,Fortnite on it and plays perfectly fine love it
What a great birthday present ☺️ I'm even worse at FPS games on the portal than I am on a DS4 controller 😅 but I've played the shit out of FF7 Rebirth on it!
Boy, when you were a kid in the 90`s did you have a machine like that to play... NO. All of the "bad" points are first world "problems", i think the portal Playstatin is good and cool, and way better than i had back in the 80's and 90's.
Ehh… honestly it turned out to just look cool for me. I pawned mines bcuz the pawnshop had a Steam deck for 220. I pawned it JUST in case my kid wants it later. Realistically the limitations make it more of a liability. The screen is a LITTLE too wide. If it were a bit shorter it could be more comfortable. Sony went thru so much effort to lock it down that it’s really limited to a controller with a screen. Kinda like the Wii U. It’s battery life was extremely limiting. Sony of course wins the looks and style, but Gcloud and every other handheld seem to be better for actually using it as a handheld option. But just my opinion tho
It takes me a few minutes to get used to the different feel between playing on the Portal and a dualsense controller. For me, the worst thing is that I keep pressing L2 or R2 by accident on the DS.
I'll say this this has completely changed how I play Playstation games 100% of the time on the portal because it so easy to play while watching TV and now I can get through games so much faster
I would like to get one. I played Last of Us part 2 from start to finish by using remote play on my laptop at 720p. Had no real issues. I still enjoyed it. The portal would be a bit of an upgrade.
Stock is still a bit hit and miss but I've been loving mine, it's been such a useful addition. Ive quite a lot on remote play myself over the years which has been great, but the Portal took it up a level for me :)
Well, it's been a over month since I bought mine. Usually the wifi connection never feels nor looks right when it comes to PS Portal--I always have it lags and stutters and blurry shit. So much so that I've been thinking heavily to just sell it and accept my losses. Suddenly, after about over a week I left it neglected, last night I tried to play and it held on so strong for hours on end. Perfect dreamy gameplay sessions that I've never gotten before from the device. This morning I tried again, and it held on strong, still. It's not just a fluke it's so awesome! I don't really know what happened, but if this keeps up, I'm gonna hold on to this for good!
How strange! Well, I'm glad it's working well for you now, even if it wasn't to start with. There was an update for the Portal released today, hope it fixes some issues for folk that are struggling with it.
@@TheGameFatherUK yesterday night I completed the last legs of FF7 Rebirth (chapter 13 and 14) purely on the PS Portal, lying down on my bed in the master bedroom, rather away from the router. I played for three and a half hours straight. The experience was not as smooth as the other day when I played in the living room, directly below the router, but it wasn’t also as bad as it used to be. It stuttered every 15 minutes or so, but not as severe. The picture stayed sharp, not blurry crap. It was a rather fine gameplay. I’m gonna try it again tonight with Dragon’s Dogma and some light JRPGs.
They did indeed. I'm literally just finishing editing my new video from this new update. It'll be uploaded later today. I went out and tested it in a whoooolllleeeee bunch of different public WiFi locations over the last few days. The results are pretty.... Well. No one will be surprised. Let's put it that way 🫣
That's a shame my friend. I suspect the poor battery life might be related to the Portal struggling to maintain it's connection to the console. That's a network performance issue. If you haven't already returned it, there are things you can do to improve that.
Thank you! Glad you managed to get hold of one with all the stock issues. What games have you found yourself to be playing on it? I never thought in a million years that I'd be playing Power Washer Simulator 😂
Curious what you paid for it since they are still being sold more than the MSRP of $199. I haven't seen any for less than this price and Sony hasn't released anymore from what I have seen.
You either need to clone the mac address of your portal using a laptop that's already been authenticated on the network, or ask for the hotel or wherever you are to add the MAC address manually. So it's a toss up between having to perform a technical task with the addition of having to carry a laptop... or being fortunate enough to contact someone that can actually change the network settings for you on the network.
Awesome! Congrats on being able to find one! If you haven't done so already, check to see how well remote play works away from home on the app. Then you can get any network changes (like port forwarding) configured whilst you're waiting for it.
Unsure if I've misunderstood your comment, but the output resolution of the PS5 is irrelevant when it comes to the Portal, the stream streams at 1080p even if your PS5 is hooked up to your TV at 4k.
It needs very little in terms of throughput, 15Mbps is more than enough, it really doesn't need much at all. What it does need though, and where a lot of networks fall down, is low latency, low interference and stability. Those are also a bit more difficult to measure, but if you have an Android mobile device, you can download a free app called WiFiMan which can be very useful for testing those things.
i got mine 5 days ago, it makes no sense to me you can't watch streaming from your ps5 on it. admittedly not my main use, im using it for games but it should be able to do all the same stuff the ps5 does
I got one yesterday and it ran great when in the same room as router but soon as i go to different room the network keep getting disconnected. My other device connected to same 5Ghz doesn't disconnect but it seems Portal has a weak antenna. So after rerouting my router location and wires, it is more great. Very usable.
Great video! I don’t suppose you’re aware of the freezing and disconnecting? This happens to me with my portal every 20 minutes. Just freezes up and then after about 30 seconds it disconnects. You or anyone else in the is that aware of this?
I can't say that I've come across that myself. Sounds properly annoying though! Quite a lot of the 'quirky' problems people have been having with the Portal seem to resolve if you put the Portal in airplane mode for a short while, then back off again. Failing that, it might be worth trying a factory reset on it since it only takes a few minutes to set up.
@@TheGameFatherUK so I tired the factory resetting and it work prefectly for the rest of that day. Then it went straight back to its ways! I will give the airplane mode a shot and see if that’s something can resolve the issue.
That is so strange! Did airplane mode do anything to help? If not, are you able to test it on a different network to see if the same thing happens there? Narrowing down the variables will be tough here I think :/
Sorry for the delayed response. No nothing seemed to work. I tried everything as mentioned and still no luck. However, I’ve used the portal for the first time in 2 weeks and I’ve not yet suffered the issue again, I recently changed my network to a mesh so not sure if that’s had a positive impact.
What is the recommended wifi speeds for this to function well? My wifi can be a bit up and down, so that is the only major concern I have for buying this..
My wife dubbed the portal "The Dadstation" I have 2 newborns and this has been revolutionary for me.
I'm 3 years too late to take advantage of a Portal in the new born age, man, it would have been so good! Best of both worlds when they're napping on you I bet!
Great video! I too suffer from the guilt of wanting to game but not wanting to be in a separate room to my partner after the kids have gone to bed and the portal is absolutely perfect for this. We’re fortunate enough to have a strong mesh WiFi set up at home and the PS5 is wired so it’s a best use case scenario but I’ve experienced no issues whatsoever using my portal and it has become my main way to enjoy my PS5 library.
100% it's been an absolute game changer for me for those exact reasons. Last night I was playing FF7 Rebirth on the Portal lying on the sofa with my wife. It's so much better having the best of both worlds!
I’ve played about 90% of my gaming time on my Portal since getting it at Christmas which includes 150 hours of Baldurs Gate 3 from start to finish. That and Powerwash simulator have been my most played games this year thanks to it.
There's just something about Power Washer Simulator isn't there 😅 it's really going to help with some of the non-main quest line stuff on FFVII Rebirth for me over the next couple of weeks, it's going to be a god send!
@@dxthing7477 Hah! Well, I'm totally with your wife on that one, I have been putting in some serious hours on Rebirth via the Portal. Glad you have some other options though!
@@TheGameFatherUKI really hope they make it so it’s a ps5 handheld without it being connected to a ps5
How’d you like balders gate on a portal, any issues?
@@TheGameFatherUK😂
Bro I bought the backbone, does the very same thing and its way cheaper 😂.
I laugh at everyone's stup***idity. 👎👎👎👎
Backbone = £70 You get no haptic feedback, no adaptive triggers, no gyro and you have to use your phone which can be a pain at times. Plus the build quality just doesn't feel as good in your hand.
Calling everyone stupid for buying a Portal reeks of someone that hasn't even tried one. The backbone isn't bad, and you're right, it does cost about 1/3 as much as a Portal and can be used as a controller for other things. But they really aren't comparable in the way you're suggesting.
I don't have any young kids, only a teen stepdaughter but read about this device....I checked on the Sony website earlier and was unavailable but just earlier because available so took the jump to order one for my birthday present later this month. This will be great where I can play my 5 games anywhere in my house. With my PSP for the older stuff and this accessory this will be awesome!
Great birthday present! Stock has indeed been very hit and miss since November. Hope you enjoy it!
I 'kin love mine. Exactly the same as you, tv arguments with the wife have caused strains over the years
This has helped so much!
It's such a great little device, we are definitely the target audience 😅
More dads then they realized 😆
I love mine too got it to my 40. Birthday three weeks ago and I can’t stop playing Fallout76 on it, it’s awesome.
I play at home at my parents in other town and from Smartphone Hotspot at my lunch break at work…. We just need some Gadgets like the Browser or probably Screen share back on a big TV away from home…that would be so nice, but won’t happen
Next step:
A second TV 💡
@@dimensionfive1780 we have 4.
The biggest annoyance I have with the portal is the getting the track pad to work. Especially playing god of war and the last of us. I have to tap the screen a million times for it to work. And compared to using the steam deck the screen isn’t as smooth. But the haptic feedback on the portal makes gaming in it more fun.
Yep, I have to agree with you that the touchpad can be a pain, and like you said, it's more difficult on some games than others. Alan Wake 2 was one of them for me. The steam deck is the superior of the devices, no doubt with better hardware, but also comes at a higher cost too so I guess that's only fair. Still, I can't imagine being without the Portal now, it's just so damn convenient!
LOVE my portal get more gaming time with it replaying all my games that haven’t touched in awhile on PS5 and the fact I finally figured out how to connect to my iPhones hotspot it’s even better now
It's such a staple part of my 'gaming life' now, I don't think I could go back 😅
With the release of FF7 Remake I have become highly interested in getting a PS Portal. This was a much needed video! Thank you so much! I’ll be getting my at home Internet optimized for the portal!
I’ve been playing rebirth on my Portal, in a semi truck, 600 miles away from my ps5…. If that’s helpful
@@andyackerman7123 that is actually very helpful! I have been testing my network at home and on my phone for the wireless hotspot and we’re lookin super solid. Fingers are being crossed that the experience is also the same. I’ll be getting my portal today and I’m super excited! Work has been super slow so to have this is going to be amazing! Thank you for letting me know! Safe travels and thank you for doing what you do! 👊🏻
I'm so excited for you! I literally spent all night last night (once the kids were in bed) playing Rebirth on it and it's been an absolute BLAST! Phenomenal game on a superb little device.
@@TheGameFatherUK Thank you! I appreciate your response! I’m about to pick it up as we speak! I’m excited to get it set up and ready to go! I’ll be getting a case ordered as well so I can take it with me to work and enjoy it while it’s slow! Fantastic to hear that you’re enjoying it as much as you are on the PS Portal! Your content has been an extreme motivation for me to get one of these and know it’s going to be able to handle what I want it to do!
I really appreciate that my friend :) There are loads of decent cases out there now so plenty to choose from. I hope you managed to get a hold of it and it's been smooth sailing!
Regrets?.. hell nah.. i was actually thinking about getting another one 😂😂
As a newly dad, i love to death the ps portal! If you got a good internet, it plays much better than any other handheld out there.
Dadstation owners unite! It came just a little too late for the baby stage for me but works just as great for toddlers 😅
I love my portal and people need to stop hating on it! If it’s not for you then it’s not! My portal goes with me everywhere and i have not had all these issues some say they have had over 5g. Yes the things you mentioned need to be fixed, but I am also a father and husband and this makes gaming convenient! I have finished task in games I would have never finished due to being strapped to my desk.
I totally agree with you, the thing is all about convenience and I can't imagine my 'gaming life' without it now. I've been able to put WAY more time into FF7 Rebirth because of it 🙂
Been using it since release, only at home. So no problems so far.. Previously using a Switch. Which doesn't get used now. Loving the Portal. Currently playing through Baulders gate 3
Soon as I'm done with FFVII Rebirth I'm on Baulders Gate 3. I didn't get on with the switch so much when I had one, can't even really say why, it just didn't click with me. My son wants one for his birthday though so I'll give it another bash then 🙂
I have my PS5 in my office with it's own TV, I don't have kids etc... But it's still awesome to play for a while in bed before I go to sleep.
I own some expensive handheld like a legion go. Portal alright, i had to wire in my connection but now its smooth. Screen nice, no go screen or rog ally, but its definitely good enough. Weight really good and feels good in the hands. Easy to protect. Got a screen protector and clear shell for under £20. I think its a winner at £200. If it legit works outdoors, gonna be a steal. Im in hospital tomorrow, test it out.
Did it work for you in hospital? I agree with your summary, I think it's decent for the money :)
@@TheGameFatherUKthe menu looked a little rough, like a slightly fuzzy picture. Games played and looked fine on NHS WiFi. Tested up road at mother in laws for Easter, that looked better, took a few mins for connection to catch up. Worked flawless. Call me impressed for £200. I do wish I could play stream games on it.
Still debating getting one of these myself as me and the wife share the tv in the living room where my PS5 & Switch is. Also work and family as you know gets in the way of my gaming lol. Might have to pick one up when they are available again
I finished my first run through on Rebirth last night, I don't think I'd even be half way there if it wasn't for the Portal :) stock does still seem to be a nightmare though :(
@@TheGameFatherUK I’m 90 hours in so far and loving the hell out of it, a portal would probs help due to the family/wife/work haha! I think judging by other comments this is a total Dad piece of kit 😂😂
100% I keep seeing it being referred to as the Dadstation 😅😅 so true!
As a young dad/husband i love my portal . I can game while still spending time with the family
This is the way.
Helldivers II is great fun on it. Portal takes 90% of my time with PlayStation
I need to get on that, once Rebirth is finished, I'm gonna buy it.
the fact that it doesnt use the stream game feature thats included with ps+ is a sin
It's a tough one isn't it? I'm sure it'll come one day, but I'm not sure what'll have to happen for that to be realised. It would essentially rule out the need for a console which I'm sure Sony aren't ready for. If I were to guess, they'll roll it out slowly with certain games only. But I don't think it'll be any time soon.
As a dad , this is a godsend
Ps5 in tv is rare if you have a portal tbh… haha going back to the tv after like a month of not using it was weird. As the controllers is smaller and lighter now.. haha. The portal is a 10/10. But I did Mossi using my tv and now Iv been using the tv for about 3 weeks. Will switch back to my portal soon I think. It’s more of a rotation now haha
I'm glad it's not just me that suffers from 'giant hand syndrome' when switching back to the dual sense 😅. I also keep activating the R2 trigger by accident too, it's driving me CRAZY on FFVII Rebirth!
I’m buying one for EA Sports Football 25. Also have to get a ps5 cause I’m a pc player.
I'm traveling a lot. Does this work from far away? Like hotel or Airbnb wifi from other countries?
Yes it does, but it's very much dependant on the quality of the network on both ends. If your home setup is solid (stable internet, well configured) then that just leaves the connection away from home. Some WiFi will be locked behind a login (like at hotels) which makes connecting tricky. Mobile hotspot works well in good 4G and 5G areas, but again, it needs to be solid.
The best advice I can possibly give you is to setup the free app on a mobile device, tablet or laptop and try it in the places you'd imagine yourself using a Portal. If it works great in those places, the Portal should too :)
It’s sad that the ps5 has to be on in order to play it I tried to put it in sleep mode you can’t portal disconnects 😢
To be fair, it's the PS5 that's doing all the leg work with the processing and gfx so it's only right that it's on, rather than safe mode :)
PS Portal is still a messed up job. I love it when it works but...I am using mesh (wifi router setting) wifi from TP-LINK and everything else is buttery smooth since I acquired these. PS Portal sometimes works without a hitch, on either 2.4 or 5Ghz (with no interference and priority channels and usage from PS5 to Portal) and sometimes its unplayable. Its definitely on SONY's part. Wifi6 on the portal would have gone a long way...but they went cheap...also, testing remote play with anything else is NOT a good tip. It works great with Steam Deck, a tablet or even a phone but NOT the Portal. Why? Wifi6. That's it.
WiFi 6 would have been better for sure, just for the multiple stream capabilities it offers over 5. However, the Portal does work just fine on WiFi 5 as it needs so little in terms of throughput, it only really needs stability. Unfortunately, stability isn't a simple thing to achieve since there are so many variables at play. It's not on Sony to fix that, it just isn't. They need to sort the refresh rate sync and i think it'd be an improvement to have a browser for public WiFi, but networking is networking. It's extremely rare for my Portal to drop in quality and when it does, there's usually a good explanation and I use a MESH system too.
What charging docks are u guys using I bought one on release from China and it’s trash. Just ordered another one on Amazon with led lights built in hope that does the job. I saw another one that has a portable battery that docks to the stand that looks interesting. Specifically if the battery is portable. Thought Sony would come out with one by now.
I haven't bought one for those exact reasons too, so I'd be interested if anyone does have a solid recommendation 👍
What the heck did Love Island ever do to you, eh? Take it back, sir...TAKE IT BACK I SAY!
NEVAH! I shall take my hatred of that show to my grave SIR!
Not for me, I'm still using it, especially to play GOW right now
It's enabled me to get way more time in on Rebirth than I would have done otherwise. It's been such a great addition to the PS5.
Tellytubbies on TV for the baby well i play batman the telltale series or Spiderman or soon dragons dogma 2 (got today)
I love the portal
How are you finding DD2? I'm a bit lost now having finished FFVII Rebirth
I wanted to love it, but I couldn't get past the frame rate drops.
Yeah it's a deal breaker for a lot of people and understandably so. I really hope they acknowledge the issue and have a fix planned for it.
Waiting for stock issues to be resolved
Have you tried joining a discord group for stock alerts? Worked great when I got my PS5 originally.
Is the network adjustments necessary? in our house we have virgin fibre and get about 250mb upload but we are unable to hardwire our consoles to the router because of other things
Your internet speed only matters if you're playing away from home. If you're on the WiFi at home, it's just your internal network quality that matters. There's a really great android app called WiFiMan that can help you test the network quality at home.
@@TheGameFatherUK 250mb download I mean not upload 😂
The best thing is to try it on the free app and see how well it performs if you're thinking of getting a Portal. If it works great on the free app (phone, tablet, laptop, PC, Mac) then it'll likely be fine on the Portal too :)
Did they make the sound so loud that you would want to get the headphones?😅
Haha! Now that's a conspiracy theory I could get behind! You might be on to something there 😅
Lol I also hate love island... torture!
Soon to be used at Guantanamo I heard... More effective than any other technique known to humanity.
Is the fps parity fixed already?
Nope, Sony are yet to even acknowledge it still :/
I just got mine yesterday and I just can't get a decent connection.
I've no option but to use WiFi. I'm going to buy a better router than the one my service provider supplied and hope that does the trick......
Yeah it may well do, some of the ISP supplied routers are a horror show 🫣 are the LAN over power plugs not an option for you? I have to use a couple of them at my house, they're not fantastic but they do help!
Nothing new, that we had with the wii U
hi. what is the game on 6:52 thank you
Hey there, that my friend is Army of Ruin. If you've ever played Vampire Survivors it's basically a clone of that but with fancier graphics. It's a great casual game with tons of unlocks and I'm pretty sure it only cost £6 on the PS store :)
It looks extremely breakable
I've dropped it a few times to be fair, it's not as flimsy as you might think 😅
It's definitely stronger than you think. I mean I wouldn't trust dropping it screen down on the concrete 😂
Definitely not! Quality and build is on point
Another jewelsense 😂 oh dear it’s a dualsense 🤦🏻♂️, I’m still single at 43 and haven’t even started dating yet 🤣 more time for games doubt I ever will be dad seems a very hard job to me. But the portal does seem good to me for bed because my tv is never in use by someone else because I live on my own.
Haha, it's pretty standard for me to mispronounce something in one of my videos 😅 Playing the Portal in bed definitely has it's place 😄
My biggest fear is stick drift. All PS5 controllers I’ve ever bought have had some stick drift. Easily fixed by breaking it apart and cleaning. Idk how I’d feel about stick drift on a portable.
I can't remember where I saw it, but someone did a breakdown of the portal along with replacing the thumb sticks and it didn't seem too bad at all. But obviously I'm just hoping that doesn't become a thing in the first place!
@@TheGameFatherUK just saw it. Doesn’t look too bad! I wish tho the manufacturers (not just PlayStation) recognize this. In 2024 stick drift shouldn’t be a problem on a controller that costs near $100 after tax.
@@markcobero943I totally agree with you, it really should be better, especially as it's been known for years!
If you’re debating on getting this I recommend it. I get to play all of my single player games on my couch upstairs. However internet speed is CRUCIAL and also having your PS5 hardwired
For me this is a fantastic device I've had no issues with lag or any kind of connectivity issues. Your reviews have been spot on for the portal. With two young kids at home and never getting near the tv i can finally get some good use out of my ps5
Thank you!! It's a gaming revolution for parents 😄 So glad you're having a similar experience to me with it, can't wait to get some FFVII Rebirth action in on it over the weekend!
@@TheGameFatherUK well how did your weekend on FFVII Rebirth work out? My plan is to finish Hogwarts legacy on the portal and then move onto Baldurs gate 3
Thanks for asking! I have been having an absolute BLAST on it, honestly, it might be one of my favourite games of all time. Still got a way to go on it though! I bought Hogwarts Legacy and played the first couple of hours on it and then didn't pick it back up. I will return to it one day but Silent Hill 2 is out at some point (although I think horror games tend to work better on a big TV).
Same love it I feel sad for those that gave it a bad review but it’s a Must have Device for your PS5 just saying
5:52 this is EXACTLY why I bought a Portal! I no longer have to feel guilty going into another room to play games when my wife and kids are watching something I couldn’t care less about in the living room.
Yes! As much as I love the Disney version of being a dad that loves spending every single second being totally into everything about my wife and kids... They have TERRIBLE taste in TV 😂
Hahaha, love the Love Island reference. I use my portal in very similar situations, and it’s awesome!
just got mine. something I've seen nobody mention is how it seems to settle with time.
when I first set it up, the text looked really low res. However as time went on it just looked better. same with the games, once it settled, they looked as good as anyone could hope, for a handheld device in 2024. The big test for me next week, is whether it works away from home using my 4g mobile router. If it does, great, otherwise I'm just going to buy a digital only PS5 to keep in my lorry. thanks for all the info/tips, great channel, subbed.
Appreciate that my friend! I'm fairly sure that the settling in is down to the router figuring out how and if to prioritise the traffic on the network. Almost certainly true if you have any kind of QoS on the router that operates on the LAN. The same happens when my Portal is trying to figure out which MESH node has the strongest signal.
How was it on your mobile router?
Update ?
Thank you for this detailed breakdown of your experiences with the device. I've been on the fence for awhile but I think you've convinced me to purchase one.
I hope you manage to get hold of one, stock still seems a bit hit and miss. Thanks for the kind words by the way, love that!
If i leave my house without the portal i go back home and get it
What's the point of leaving your house? Just stay home and play your games.
this is basicly what i used my vita for i bought a vita to remoteplay overwatch and gta . when i didnt had acces to the television
Yeah imma just get a backbone it’s cheaper and basically the same thing and I can just use mobile data and play from anywhere
Each to their own :)
I bought this only for convenience. I tried to play with the iPad and controller but it's painful to keep the iPad on your lap every time. Since I've got the Portal, the time I spend gaming has gone up by tenfold just like I wanted.
i play hell diver 2 and atari games for now
to bad i actually need a ps5 to be able to play on it. If that wasnt the case i would buy it
I can't see Sony making another true handheld, not with Cloud gaming on the doorstep. Happy to be wrong about that though, the Vita was amazing.
Great video. Kinda helped me consider buying one.
Ah thanks :) if you haven't done so already, definitely give remote play a bash on another device first. Hope it works out for you because the Portal has been such a great little addition.
It's definitely worth it I love mine
Is there input lag? Can you play only competitive, or is it too far behind?
It really depends on how competitive you are. An elite FPS player would probably notice a bit of input lag, but I'm certainly not elite 😅 I can play Overwatch, Fortnite and other similar games without any issue.
Hey @Thegamefather, thanks for this video! I did remote play on my iPad Pro and it worked perfectly! I upgraded to a cable ISP, got a new gaming router, and did all you said. I still have some issues with stutter on the portal, but it’s flawless on IPad like I said.
Do you think Sony will patch it or it can be fixed by an update?
The thing that worries me the most (aside from my obvious failing eyesight) is that Sony MUST know about it by now. So if a fairly simple software patch would fix it, why haven't they released one? I really hope I'm wrong, but Sony have a bit of a mixed reputation when it comes to these things :/
@@TheGameFatherUK Is it possible that it's more than a software issue and that it's faulty hardware? I really hope not. I have 29 days to return it lol.
Yes, well, I think it's probably a mixture of the two. A hardware mismatch between the 2 that hopefully is resolved with a software patch. Since Sony haven't even acknowledged the issue, I wouldn't hold my breath over 29 days :/ I guess it really depends how much the stutter bothers you?
I just got mine a few days ago and I’m actually more than impressed by the performance of the portal! Playing God of War right now and it’s been too much fun!
I had an absolute blast on GoW using the Portal. Just playing some of FFVII Rebirth on it at the moment, also absolutely mega on the Portal! 💪
I’ve been using the pulse explore with my ps5 not bad really. obviously not as good as my Astro A50s but they did the job. I’m sure they will work great with the portal when it arrives Saturday.
I'd like to try the pulse explores but I just can't justify the cost of them. Well done on managing to get one by the way! Hope you have fun with it!
Pulse was just Convenience lol. Granted I don’t pay full price as I get my staff discount so only payed 340 for both. The connection was terrible on my 2ghz channel as I have loads of WiFi products using it kids wife lol. using 5GHz for portal only with no dropouts so far. Even played a game of Warzone worked great but I use it more for non competitive games.
The portal is awesome as dad. I can only agree. Especially with the new update. It is just awesome!
Yeah, it's without doubt one of the best things I've bought in years. Some of the new update features are quite nice, but the public WiFi update is nothing short of a horror show. Sony owe a lot of people an apology that bought one thinking it would actually work on a public WiFi network, when reality, it's not true.
@@TheGameFatherUK yeah I saw your vid about this. That is just a blamage. Do you think they will address it?
@@erwin757 I honestly don't know. I really hope they do, but they did it like that on purpose. Kinda defies belief really but they don't have a great track record of going back on things. Fingers crossed though.
This thing is just too niche since it requires Wi-Fi to play and couldn’t connect it to public servers and does not even play games offline. And you couldn’t even travel everywhere with it. And Bluetooth audio is proprietary. You have to connect it with specific headphones.
I think alot of the big issues people have with the Portal are things people who have previously remote played. I love my Portal and I remote play ALOT due to not always having access to TV. Like you said not perfect but a great device. Good video.
Great summary :) I've been putting in some serious hours on FFV7 Rebirth on it, it's been mega! But for some reason, I just cannot seem to play the minigames well on it :( have to switch to the dual sense, no idea why I'm so bad on it!
Fucking Amazing Love it got a few days ago and for those that don’t have one sucks for you I can play anytime anywhere around my house 100% Satisfied with my Purchase hope they make a Pro one with an OLED Screen but for now It’s Amazing 💯💯
No hall effect joysticks? Instant no buy.
No such thing. I’ve been playing and beating all my games in here. It’s the best accessory to have come out in a long time
Totally agree with you, it's been a game changer for me, especially for FFVII Rebirth.
Getting mine Saturday finally back in stock with argos. I’ve bought every accessory available for it finally not just a pile of stuff sitting in the corner lol.
Im about to return mine i can deal with input lag but the stutter and fps drop is unplayable.my pixel 8 pro ps remote works flawless i just buy backbone and return tgis gaebage
i'd definitely get one but not under the msrp.
I'm interested to see how Sony will build the 2nd gen - or will they ever.
I guess it depends wholly on how successful Sony deem it to be. I don't think they've really shared much about its financial figures since release. I wonder if they are saving full Sony Cloud Gaming support for a next gen version or whether it'll come in this iteration.
Amazing video! I currently have a steam deck and have been considering getting a ps portal when i get the chance. My reason being the weight of the portal being less than the deck, the ease of use to just pick up and play. Do you know what kind of upload and download speeds i would need to comfortably play out the house?
Thanks! In my experience you'll be ok with anything above 25Mbps whilst out and about. It'll work on less than that but the connection at both ends will need to be very stable, and if you're using mobile data, stability is harder to achieve. You're actually in an ideal position to test it for yourself though. If you haven't done so already, get chiaki4deck installed on the Steam Deck and test it in the places you think you'd use the Portal :)
@@TheGameFatherUK fantastic idea, Thank you! I'll give that a try tomorrow morning. If all goes well with the deck, do you think it's worth getting a portal considering only advantages are ease of use, weight and screen. also haptics are nice
@@jakehamm6930 I don't own a Steam Deck personally, but I've used one a fair bit. You're spot on with advantages you listed. It's a tough one really. For me it'd all come down to the ergonomics. The ease of use, weight and haptics are all 'nice-to-haves' but I do very much like the feel of the PS controllers and prefer them over the Deck (but then again, I haven't used one long enough for that to be fair).
@@TheGameFatherUK I think I'll be going to get a ps portalwhen I get the chance. Upgraded my internet package( I managed to get a free upgrade) and got a new router coming soon so should be golden. I'll keep the deck to pc gaming and indies and use the portal for steaming. Thank you so much for your replies. I've taken a look at your other videos relating to the portal and they're the best, most informative I've seen yet. You've got yourself another subscriber.
@@jakehamm6930 My genuine pleasure, glad it was helpful! Hope you don't have too much trouble with stock!
I love my ps portal for casual gaming the best, and battery last longer than all Handheld devices
Absolute game changer for me, it's a beast!
I was skeptical about it at first - but the positive feedback upon launch from some trusted sources had me re-think my attitude towards it. Now it's actually my favourite way to play the PS5!
That's awesome, I love having the choice of going big on the TV or just relaxing with it on the sofa. Absolute game changer.
I been playin the crap out of mine since launch... i only go up stairs for Top Shooters for the 120z tv...but i made my patio amd camping a dream..i was playing chilling by the fire on my atv trip between breaks and refuel..having a 5g tmobile box off the zero e generator made camping with a connection perfect for the portal and the pulse headphones connection the dual connects to a phone or music player is awesome.
Yes! That sounds amazing! Portal by the camp fire! I still haven't tried the pulse headphones yet, I can't justify the cost against my old apple cabled headphones. Worth the money in your opinion?
My girlfriend got me it for bday and I play it everyday don’t touch my ps5 anymore. I play apex, warzon ,Fortnite on it and plays perfectly fine love it
What a great birthday present ☺️ I'm even worse at FPS games on the portal than I am on a DS4 controller 😅 but I've played the shit out of FF7 Rebirth on it!
Boy, when you were a kid in the 90`s did you have a machine like that to play... NO.
All of the "bad" points are first world "problems", i think the portal Playstatin is good and cool, and way better than i had back in the 80's and 90's.
Yeah, that's basically what I said, it's great.
I think it's a huge POS. I have decent internet and it still sucks balls with lag
Ehh… honestly it turned out to just look cool for me. I pawned mines bcuz the pawnshop had a Steam deck for 220. I pawned it JUST in case my kid wants it later. Realistically the limitations make it more of a liability. The screen is a LITTLE too wide. If it were a bit shorter it could be more comfortable. Sony went thru so much effort to lock it down that it’s really limited to a controller with a screen. Kinda like the Wii U. It’s battery life was extremely limiting. Sony of course wins the looks and style, but Gcloud and every other handheld seem to be better for actually using it as a handheld option. But just my opinion tho
It’s been good. I don’t like the thumbsticks and I play Destiny and get a ton of motion blur
It takes me a few minutes to get used to the different feel between playing on the Portal and a dualsense controller. For me, the worst thing is that I keep pressing L2 or R2 by accident on the DS.
I'll say this this has completely changed how I play Playstation games 100% of the time on the portal because it so easy to play while watching TV and now I can get through games so much faster
I'm with you on that my friend, I have played a ton of Vampire Survivors over the last week via the Portal. Perfect game for it :D
@TheGameFatherUK I feel this is perfect for your rpgs, cozy game, and maybe adventure games. Having that perfect connection is so crucial
I would like to get one. I played Last of Us part 2 from start to finish by using remote play on my laptop at 720p. Had no real issues. I still enjoyed it. The portal would be a bit of an upgrade.
Stock is still a bit hit and miss but I've been loving mine, it's been such a useful addition. Ive quite a lot on remote play myself over the years which has been great, but the Portal took it up a level for me :)
The kids running around you is hilarious for some reason, PlayStation Portal target audience moment
100% Only challenge now is keeping it out of their hands too 😫
@@TheGameFatherUK 😂
Well, it's been a over month since I bought mine. Usually the wifi connection never feels nor looks right when it comes to PS Portal--I always have it lags and stutters and blurry shit. So much so that I've been thinking heavily to just sell it and accept my losses. Suddenly, after about over a week I left it neglected, last night I tried to play and it held on so strong for hours on end. Perfect dreamy gameplay sessions that I've never gotten before from the device. This morning I tried again, and it held on strong, still. It's not just a fluke it's so awesome!
I don't really know what happened, but if this keeps up, I'm gonna hold on to this for good!
How strange! Well, I'm glad it's working well for you now, even if it wasn't to start with. There was an update for the Portal released today, hope it fixes some issues for folk that are struggling with it.
@@TheGameFatherUK yesterday night I completed the last legs of FF7 Rebirth (chapter 13 and 14) purely on the PS Portal, lying down on my bed in the master bedroom, rather away from the router.
I played for three and a half hours straight. The experience was not as smooth as the other day when I played in the living room, directly below the router, but it wasn’t also as bad as it used to be. It stuttered every 15 minutes or so, but not as severe. The picture stayed sharp, not blurry crap.
It was a rather fine gameplay. I’m gonna try it again tonight with Dragon’s Dogma and some light JRPGs.
Around 3 hours of gaming not bad a nornal weekday but Didn't think Love island would get a review as well 😂😂😂
It's gotta be one of the worst things that's ever been broadcast on a screen, and I've watched Birdemic 😳😁
i can't play it with the stutters every 10 seconds.
i hope that sony will fix it because its very comfortable and the screen looks amazing
There was a new update released today, some have said it's been an improvement (some not), might be worth checking out!
Mine comes today or tomorrow. Can’t wait. My friend loves his.
Did you get it? How's it been?
how’s it been?
Sony just recently announced that with the new update, you can now use public WiFi on the portal
They did indeed. I'm literally just finishing editing my new video from this new update. It'll be uploaded later today. I went out and tested it in a whoooolllleeeee bunch of different public WiFi locations over the last few days. The results are pretty.... Well. No one will be surprised. Let's put it that way 🫣
I have the portal and i regret buying it! Super laggy, battery dies fast. Not worth $200
That's a shame my friend. I suspect the poor battery life might be related to the Portal struggling to maintain it's connection to the console. That's a network performance issue. If you haven't already returned it, there are things you can do to improve that.
Thanks man this is great video.. i have been using PS Portal for more than two weeks and loving it...
Thank you! Glad you managed to get hold of one with all the stock issues. What games have you found yourself to be playing on it? I never thought in a million years that I'd be playing Power Washer Simulator 😂
I swear the Portal is so underrated and under looked at. People want a Vita 2, I do as well but I love what the Portal exist for!!
Curious what you paid for it since they are still being sold more than the MSRP of $199. I haven't seen any for less than this price and Sony hasn't released anymore from what I have seen.
The Wi-Fi hotspot has been on pretty much every android phone since forever. Are you telling me that apple phones still don't have this? :D
That's as I understand it, there are a few lower end androids I tested on that don't support it too, but most of the flagships seem to.
a lot of phones disconnect you from wifi and offer hotspot with connection to internet only via your SIM.
Has anyone figured out how to get past splash page required logins? Aka hotel wifi, mcdonalds etc
You either need to clone the mac address of your portal using a laptop that's already been authenticated on the network, or ask for the hotel or wherever you are to add the MAC address manually. So it's a toss up between having to perform a technical task with the addition of having to carry a laptop... or being fortunate enough to contact someone that can actually change the network settings for you on the network.
@TheGameFatherUK thank you. I didn't know there was a work around
Why s everyone who s using ps portal forgetting that u can play ps4 and 5 games on a phone via remote play
No one is forgetting, I did that for years and it was fine. It's just better on the Portal :)
Finally getting one arriving early next week hoping to use it when I’m out of the house
Awesome! Congrats on being able to find one! If you haven't done so already, check to see how well remote play works away from home on the app. Then you can get any network changes (like port forwarding) configured whilst you're waiting for it.
@@TheGameFatherUK I’ll let you know how it goes
@@wbgrl99u didn't though
I cant find a ps5 Portal. and Now im just happy to remote play on my laptop
I used remote play via laptop/tablet for years. It was great!
Which google pixel can I use to reroute the WiFi I’m logged into?
I'm pretty sure that it's all the Pixels from version 3 or 4 up to the current gen :)
Turn your ps5 setting to 1080p since the portal only supports 1080
Unsure if I've misunderstood your comment, but the output resolution of the PS5 is irrelevant when it comes to the Portal, the stream streams at 1080p even if your PS5 is hooked up to your TV at 4k.
what kind of wifi speeds does it need to run smoothly and could i test remote play in my phone to see
It needs very little in terms of throughput, 15Mbps is more than enough, it really doesn't need much at all. What it does need though, and where a lot of networks fall down, is low latency, low interference and stability. Those are also a bit more difficult to measure, but if you have an Android mobile device, you can download a free app called WiFiMan which can be very useful for testing those things.
Having the PS5 wired to Ethernet and not on WiFi makes a huge difference in playability. At least it did in my case.
i got mine 5 days ago, it makes no sense to me you can't watch streaming from your ps5 on it. admittedly not my main use, im using it for games but it should be able to do all the same stuff the ps5 does
No doubt it's something to do with licensing :(
Nearly use the think to much lag
I got one yesterday and it ran great when in the same room as router but soon as i go to different room the network keep getting disconnected. My other device connected to same 5Ghz doesn't disconnect but it seems Portal has a weak antenna. So after rerouting my router location and wires, it is more great. Very usable.
Great video! I don’t suppose you’re aware of the freezing and disconnecting? This happens to me with my portal every 20 minutes. Just freezes up and then after about 30 seconds it disconnects. You or anyone else in the is that aware of this?
I can't say that I've come across that myself. Sounds properly annoying though! Quite a lot of the 'quirky' problems people have been having with the Portal seem to resolve if you put the Portal in airplane mode for a short while, then back off again. Failing that, it might be worth trying a factory reset on it since it only takes a few minutes to set up.
@@TheGameFatherUK so I tired the factory resetting and it work prefectly for the rest of that day. Then it went straight back to its ways! I will give the airplane mode a shot and see if that’s something can resolve the issue.
That is so strange! Did airplane mode do anything to help? If not, are you able to test it on a different network to see if the same thing happens there? Narrowing down the variables will be tough here I think :/
Sorry for the delayed response. No nothing seemed to work. I tried everything as mentioned and still no luck. However, I’ve used the portal for the first time in 2 weeks and I’ve not yet suffered the issue again, I recently changed my network to a mesh so not sure if that’s had a positive impact.
What is the recommended wifi speeds for this to function well? My wifi can be a bit up and down, so that is the only major concern I have for buying this..
oneplus phones do have this twoway wifi capability
Awesome! The more that have it the better, just wish Apple would allow it too!