UPDATE: It looks like in the next day or so, the PlayStation Portal will receive an update to allow for public WiFi sign in. Do you think the portal is worth buying?
Probably going to be picking one up. I like being able to grind thru games while having something on tv in the background. My only fear is I may never sleep again.
Fellow dad gamer here, thinking of installing the Ps5 into our van and use the portal to play it whilst on the road. Got a WiFi router installed already so seems a great fit. Thanks for the updated review
@@quewinhuman2371 haha 😂 confirming PS5 now installed and works great even online gaming so long as our 4G signal is at least reasonable. For now I installed a 17" 12v TV for £100 but will upgrade to PSportal later when got a bit more funds, Uses around 300w of power so our 3.6kWh battery can run it all evening no problem and the TV. Now if only the UK could have some sunshine the solar will finally be giving me some charge 😂
You don’t, and the sticks are screwed in instead of being soldered so even a scrub like you (sorry for my assumptions) would be able to swap them out. People are so disconnected from the concept of fixing anything I feel like I’m Tony Stark just by doing the simplest fixes. Your opinion is invalid.
@@LoLFilmStudiosThis is good to know. The thought of dealing with drifting issues has made me hesitant. I'm not opposed to fixing, and fox drifting on my normal controllers, but it seems for me that once the issue starts, it comes back quickly after opening everything up and giving it a good clean to resolve the drifting. Good as new for a couple week, then, the drift sets back in. That's been my experience with the controllers at least, and I've been fearful of experiencing this with the Portal also. I'm really close to biting the bullet and getting one.
I use mine practically every day. Play in my bed before I go to sleep, play at my girlfriend's place when I'm over there. Play at work if I'm really desperate (hospital wifi is god awful)
How do you play at your GF's place? Can you be on her wifi and still be able to access the PS5? I thought the idea of this update was to go through the steps of singing into a Public wifi ( like hotels and airports do )
@@SteveThePersondude it's really really obvious but I'll explain for you. As long as you have a wifi connection, ANY wifi connection, you can connect to your ps5 and play with the portal. Yes, It's really that simple..
@@jubez187 im gonna cop 1 soon today qnd see how it works at work . Lol they have great wifi and I have good hot spot if need be but I appreciate the warning I'll let u know how it went
Unless the update create problems like in mine. It doesn't connect anymore and the R1 button cannot be pressed. And Sony says I need to send it for a repair!! I just bought it!!
@@jblack_75 just got a 75 Samsung with 4K LED love it we all spend time watching it but yes with the new update I’m gonna grab one just been waiting a bit 👍
The Portal is the absolute best purchase I’ve made in the last few years. I tried the backbone at first, mostly because I wasn’t sure how well game streaming would work with my internet. During that time, I improved my internet set up in the house, developed an appreciation for playing over a streaming device, and also noted a few things about the backbone that I wasn’t a fan of… Big draw backs to the backbone for me: first, set up is tedious - it’s easy enough to pop it in to the controller, but going through the app and hooking it up to your system each time takes a good while. Portal is much faster in this regard, I’d say it connects in about half the time on average. Second, it’s a huge pain having my phone be the device I’m playing on, because any time I get a call or need to look something up for a game I’m playing, I’ve gotta disconnect and go do xyz and then come back and reconnect. Much better to have a dedicated device. Third, using your phone absolutely kills your battery - there’s a way you can have it plugged in while you play with a power bank or something, but then I saw where it can cause long term damage to your phone battery. If there’s even a chance of that being true, I’d rather not mess with it. Anyway, got my portal and holy cow, it’s been amazing. As a dad, it’s been fantastic - went from my PS5 basically being a TV and Movie streaming device, to actually - finally - being able to play games on it. And at least for me personally, a lot of the biggest gripes about the system don’t bother me. I prefer wired headphones anyway, my internet is good enough - it’s just got everything I’m looking for. Oh and recently I was able to test out something I’ve been wanting to test for a while now. We were on a family trip several states away. I brought my Portal and hooked up to the internet at my relatives house and was able to play my PS5 sitting in my house near perfectly. Picture was perhaps a teeny bit on the blurry side, but seriously, that’s it. I’m not really a snob about visuals so it was a huge win for me.
So, I’m old enough to remember when the PlayStation 3 allowed you to stream your PS3 to your PSP. I remember playing Infamous, though the feature was really unstable. This sort of technology has been out for years. And then I’m old enough to remember, too, when the PlayStation 4 tried to reintroduce this with the PlayStation TV, which I still have, and it still barely functioned. When I say barely functioned, it was horrible. Now, I have a PS Portal. I am enjoying it so far. I think, if anything, cloud gaming for Sony has always been hit or miss. So, I don’t think it’s Sony purposely making third-party apps on the Steam Deck or the Backbone worse. It’s just that it’s always been kind of meh. But it’s a huge improvement from when I was on the PlayStation 3.
Thank you for mentioning the instability of using the stream deck for remote play, no one ever talks about how out of nowhere pc based products just stop working how they used to
I really appreciate this review. I’ve been on the fence because I paid $100 for the PlayStation Backbone. At the time I didn’t realize the nice game features advertised you only get with a subscription to their app. Ridiculous. Anyway, I hate how it feels because it’s just too small for my hands to get a comfortable grip. I’ve had to be very mobile this summer and playing remotely has been a great option, but frustrating. I also hate that when I have to use my phone for gaming, if I exit the app at all, I have to go through the tedious reconnecting process. So answering texts or phone calls is really frustrating. This review makes me realize I’ll probably enjoy gaming much more with the portal.
is there a way where u can plug it into an outlet and use it at the same time but NOT charge up the battery so in a way the battery wont heat up as it gets power directly from the power outlet?
When it first launched I didn't think it was for me. However at my new place, I don't have room for a multi monitor setup. Thus my PS5 and PC are connected to the same monitor. It's annoying that when I'm on my PS5, I can't use my PC for anything. There are lots of times I need my pc access AND ps5 at the same time. The portal would absolutely solve that for me. I can keep the portal next to me and let it be my primary PS5 device while I'm not gaming a game that has VR like GT7. But I would absolutely play it more if I had it.
When hot spotting, make sure you're sharing the Wi-Fi connection as well from your phone when you're at the hotel. You don't have to just use your cellular connection when hot spotting.
Chiaki4Deck works for me, but even with that experience, the button disconnect still throws me, and I've been playing the PlayStation and/or XBox consoles for decades. Also both the Deck and Switch were vastly improved for me with the Satisfye Grips.
I really appreciate this review, it goes over the struggles that I went through with the backbone and alternatives, I’m definitely going to try out a Portal, especially now that some of these issues have been fixed!
The portal is beautiful and I wanted it, but where I’m at it’s $300 and the backbone one is $100, main reason for wanting this type of platform was to play anywhere anytime on the go so I went with the backbone. As long as I have service to phone I can play.
I have both. Will never go back to my backbone. It’s an amazing thing if you’re TIGHT on money but as lame as it sounds, if you can’t afford it now. WAIT. Backbone is great if you can’t get the portal. Money is a big deal so make the best financial decision for yourself.
For me the Portal is amazing and above all a lag free experience up till now. I travel for work a lot trough Europe and went to 12 different countries and 18 different hotels since December and could game like i was home. I do have to say those where nice hotels with good wifi.
@@joshan6376 I'm a Freelance Graphic Designer and Illustrator. Mainly for European themeparks. Most of the time when i work on a project I stay close to the parks for meetings and stuff. I do believe personal contact is better than virtual meetings via Teams etc.. I make designs for Efteling (Netherlands), Europa Park (Germany), Phantasialand (Germany), Heide park (Germany) Walibi( Belgium and France), Port Aventura (Spain) Leolandia (Italy) Legendia (Poland) and some more smaller themeparks around Europe.
@@joshan6376 I'm a freelance Graphic designer and illustrator for European Themeparks. I work for Europapark, Efteling, Toverland, Leolandia, Puy du Fou, Parc Asterix, Bellewaerde, Walibi, Phantasialand, Enerylandia, PortAventura and some more. I often work close with the teams on location.
Without support for their back catalogue I cannot support this device. They have so many systems that should be supported on this thing and they just don’t open it up. It makes no sense. I built a high end gaming pc. That linked with my steam deck and I can play EVERYTHING. These companies are leaving money on the table.
Nice vid! It sounds like it has a few short-comings that the switch also had on release (like lacking bluetooth to headphones). I'm curious to see how both Nintendo and Sony improve the product even further with possible next generation versions
Why did sony choose to only let the Portal have the PS Plus Beta? I just bought the Lenovo Legion Go and sure i was able to access the PS plus game streaming but I'm missing Demon Souls and other titles
Hey, I like to have the portal, but I have some doubts. I got a free home at my job. And in games I get around 30/60 ping in games. So will it be playable on a portal? Is there somebody who can tell?
You click on your message and then it will bring you to the Google website or whatever website you wanna tape it you can do that and then click on your message and it will take you to that website and then you can search whatever you want including UA-cam
Question: I buy all my games physically, does the portal require the disc to be in the PS5? Would I have to change the disc every time I play a different game?
I know they already introduced a web browser for sign ups on wifis, but just wanted to tell back then you were able to cennect your phone to that wifi then sign in and use your phones Hotspot as a repeater for the wifi not your mobile data.
I’ve had the portal since first week launch. I normally just play casual games on it when I’m in bed or on the couch with UA-cam playing in the background. I’ve tried cod on it and it’s not my preferred way to play multiplayer type games. I do like it but my biggest gripe is the smaller thumb sticks. It’s not a crazy difference but it’s noticeable when you’re gaming
Got the portal but not able to get portal to connect to ps5 using mobile hotspot iPhone on EE network in the UK. WiFi is ok but the reason I’ve got it is so I can play in work. Hopefully my issue gets resolved
I barley play my ps5 anymore since I got the portal I always bring it to my friends house and when I connect to his wifi I could play my portal no problem I love it also with the new update making it even better with the new better performance
If I ever have 200 bucks to blow (won’t be happening anytime soon) I might actually pick this up! I thought it was a stupid idea until I found out that remote play works even when you’re not home as well, your ps5 just has to be on.
Thanks for your thorough review and opnions. Strongly considering one. I love having the PlayStation downstairs on the main TV but would like this to be able to play on nights where we decide to retreat to the upstairs earlier than normal.
It’s not perfect but I love the viability of it. With the updates, especially, I can go onto any WiFi network at a hotel or whatever and I can connect to my console. I’m surprised that with a good connection, I can play my ps5 anywhere! But it’s also nice to be able to play it on my bed haha.
Hey quick question pls answer. Let say i am playing warzone on my ps5, can my girlfriend play on the portal hogwarts legacy, but all from the same PS5 and same Account for trophy hunting? Thx for the answer. (Simoltaneously)
This is a really specific question. But does anyone know: If you unlock a trophy while using the portal, does the clip still save on your console, or does it just register the trophy on your account? Thanks friends :)
@@ThootjeGaming-f7wi was gonna say the same thing, but than you just gotta appreciate it because i wish i had no clue this was a device 😂 and experience it from scratch again
I got portal with Sony Ear Buds, its perfect but I couldn't set it up with LAN only and not using it without internet, see My country is under heavy Sanctions both from west and GOV itself and not be able to use it without the Internet is a bummer for me. Also I wish It could have it's own very light games, due to the internet issue I mentioned sometimes I cannot even login or the lag is so much the game is unplayable at all. I recommend to connect PS5 via cable to your router that way the lag is less. peace.
I am thinking about getting a portal. If I'm away from home for like 3-4 days, and I can't take the PS5. So I do i leave the PS5 on or on rest mode for the whole time that I'm away?
Yup, it turns your ps5 on while you’re playing. But when you’re done you can just put your ps5 in rest mode from the portal the same way you would if you were home
@Idksomethinginsane it's just annoying that I have to leave my PS5 on or on rest mode all day, until I'm ready to play. The PS5 doesnt have an automatic turn off and cannot be turned on remotely.
@@jacquesm1553 if you leave it in rest mode and and enable the other settings it’ll basically live in rest mode. And only turn on when your playing and when your done playing it’ll go back to rest mode. I just got mine yesterday
@@KinglaQwueefayou have to go on your ps5 and go into settings then scroll down to remote play. Click that and enable the settings in that section. Once you do that you should be able to. Also I just thought about this. Are you under the impression that the portal streams from the ps5 while it’s in rest mode. But the ps5 actually turns fully on to let you stream content. Then goes back into rest mode when you disconnect the portal. (As long as you have the proper settings)
A portal isn't for a household with more than one gamer under the same roof. It's ridiculous. Me and my daughter game on our console, so this won't make any difference, I'd still need another ps5 cause we use a separate tv anyways for gaming. They should've just made a vita.
My 2 biggest issues with the portal is it's portability and that it's locked to just my PlayStation. It's size means it's impossible to fit into my purse even when its the only thing in there and I really don't want to carry around a giant purse just to play my PlayStation on my lunch breaks. The backbone and even the gamesir g8 fit in my purse so much better and still leave space for the rest of my stuff. The backbone and gamesir also let me play my PC games through moonlight or steamlink and xbox eother through the gamepass app or remote play on the xbox. My husband and I share the consoles and while we've talked about the portal and how amazing it looks, it just wouldn't serve us any good over it's cheaper options.
I've been using a gamsir x2 with my oled table to stream ps5 games. I don't get the haptic effects but get to play on a larger and more beautiful display.
Picked one up after waiting a while. Portal works great. Being realistic, there is a little lag on the screen. For what it does, it works great. I can now play a game on the couch in another room where our fireplace is. First world convenience. I would recommend getting some kind of stick cover as the grip is a bit slick.
I think you wer right. Remote play is too laggy. I have brilliant internet and its still too laggy. And only gets worse if someones on the internet or playing and online game.
Backbone is there if you want to save money, but portal provides much better experience. Bigger screen, no need to assemble, won't interrupt game if I need to answer a call or use phone to check a game guide.
the main challenge is on the price tag side IMHO, the use cases they offer to cover and the $$$ they ask. i would believe lots people like it and would enjoy it, just disagree on the money part
This is probably a big no but.... If my husband is playing on the ps5 can i play games from my profile on the portal?... Probably need a second ps5 right? 😢
Unfortunately, yes. The Portal essentially just takes place of the TV. The PS5 can't play two games at once, So if you wanted to use the portal whule your husband is on the PS5, You would need a second PS5
I bought my ps portal a couple months ago after the newest update it has less lag & less disconnects from my wifi I absolutely love it even more I was gaming with it I was on assassin’s creed odyssey.🥂😎
Just got a portal and have had a similar change in opinion. Another thing i used to hate remote playing on my phone was menu text sizes etc. unreadable. Portal solves that.
If I could use this as a backup PS5 controller, I might be able to justify it... but as just a streaming device, I'll stick with the Deck and Chiaki4Deck, and just stop/start the stream when it starts acting up
I love my portal. But these speakers are super loud. Even on setting 1. So I found out you can use an RF adapter. That’s what I use and use some Bose earbuds.
7:47 the hotspot issue isn’t that bad. I use my company phone that gets unlimited data and has great connection. Even my phones hotspot works fine for it
Vital to know that you should avoid having any active downloads while playing. For some, seems obvious. But for me, who often streamed my PC to my phone via Moonlight or Steam Link, it was not as obvious. Sony just unfortunately has inferior streaming capabilities, but i do think the Portal will be good enough for many.
My main reason for getting a handheld gaming device is to play away from home with spotty or no wi-fi. The Portal cannot give me that so for me, it’s an entirely useless product. I also cannot stand any amount of streaming latency. This technology just isn’t ready imo.
Should have waited a few more days to do this revisit review with the new update. Not 100% what we wanted but Id say 90%. BTW Rogers in Canada 5G tether is almost flawless. I play every day tethered while at work. Not to say there are bad experiences but I would say its almost all positive.
So I travel for work and I’ve run into this where I couldn’t connect to the hotel Internet with my switch or portal you can actually connect your phone to the hotel wi-fi Internet and then turn your phones hotspot on at the same time and it’ll share the hotel Internet with your other devices through your phone that you couldn’t connect to before I find that works great I’m able to stream videos play games and everything
It's the best option if you have to share the tv and don't already have a steamdeck or android handheld. I still think it's a high cost for a single use case and would recommend going for the deck if you can afford it though.
Ive used the backbone since day one and loved it other than it being uncomfortable after a long gaming session. I will buy a portal soon just not yet until they update it because they gotta add Bluetooth n shit to it before i buy one. My backbone i use does everything the portal does for a lot less other than well the haptics n shit
"Playing Xbox with your Steam Deck" Sir, I can assure you, we Steam Deck players are playing games saved on the device and only relying on Cloud Saving. Steam Deck is native on the device, we ain't streaming.
They won't allow browsers on the Portal because it would open the gates for it to be jailbroken/exploited, matter of fact, this is how the PS3 ultra slim was jailbroken
I am thinking of getting this because honestly the psp ruined me. I dont know if it just me or i am just that lazy. I prefer a portable console vs sitting on a couch and playing. I guess its a habit because of the psp but i dont know. Before getting the psp I was a pc gamer and a pc gamer after a little while after the end of my psp era. Very confusing
UPDATE: It looks like in the next day or so, the PlayStation Portal will receive an update to allow for public WiFi sign in.
Do you think the portal is worth buying?
YESS
For me I think just being in the house is what I want. I don't really need to travel and play. But nice to know I can use it from a hotel.
Probably going to be picking one up. I like being able to grind thru games while having something on tv in the background. My only fear is I may never sleep again.
Very nicke
Really that’s cool??
Fellow dad gamer here, thinking of installing the Ps5 into our van and use the portal to play it whilst on the road. Got a WiFi router installed already so seems a great fit. Thanks for the updated review
that is like perfect setup for it
Pretty dope
Do it and come pick me up
@@quewinhuman2371 haha 😂 confirming PS5 now installed and works great even online gaming so long as our 4G signal is at least reasonable.
For now I installed a 17" 12v TV for £100 but will upgrade to PSportal later when got a bit more funds,
Uses around 300w of power so our 3.6kWh battery can run it all evening no problem and the TV.
Now if only the UK could have some sunshine the solar will finally be giving me some charge 😂
Interesting, seems feasible to use a PS4 and a PS Vita with that set up as well,
My only issue with portal is that controllers aren’t de-attachable. If you have any issue with it, you just have to throw the whole thing away.
This is literally the only thing holding me back from buying one after dealing with some really annoying drifting issues with my PS5 controller
You don’t, and the sticks are screwed in instead of being soldered so even a scrub like you (sorry for my assumptions) would be able to swap them out.
People are so disconnected from the concept of fixing anything I feel like I’m Tony Stark just by doing the simplest fixes.
Your opinion is invalid.
@@LoLFilmStudiosThis is good to know. The thought of dealing with drifting issues has made me hesitant. I'm not opposed to fixing, and fox drifting on my normal controllers, but it seems for me that once the issue starts, it comes back quickly after opening everything up and giving it a good clean to resolve the drifting. Good as new for a couple week, then, the drift sets back in. That's been my experience with the controllers at least, and I've been fearful of experiencing this with the Portal also. I'm really close to biting the bullet and getting one.
@@LoLFilmStudioswho is selling the replacement parts?
I use mine practically every day. Play in my bed before I go to sleep, play at my girlfriend's place when I'm over there. Play at work if I'm really desperate (hospital wifi is god awful)
How do you play at your GF's place? Can you be on her wifi and still be able to access the PS5? I thought the idea of this update was to go through the steps of singing into a Public wifi ( like hotels and airports do )
Agreed. I work at a hospital too and the wifi is terrible lol
@@SteveThePersondude it's really really obvious but I'll explain for you. As long as you have a wifi connection, ANY wifi connection, you can connect to your ps5 and play with the portal. Yes, It's really that simple..
Could you use the PSP as a tablet? it have a browser?
@@sodica81no, it doesn’t have a browser sadly
The new portal update lets you sign into any WiFi away from home
This comment is underrated. literally the only thing I was looking to know.. thank you
@@Spideylee23be careful. It only connects to 2.4 ghz public networks. Which is essentially 1%. Assume it won’t work on public WiFi.
@@jubez187 im gonna cop 1 soon today qnd see how it works at work . Lol they have great wifi and I have good hot spot if need be but I appreciate the warning
I'll let u know how it went
Unless the update create problems like in mine. It doesn't connect anymore and the R1 button cannot be pressed. And Sony says I need to send it for a repair!! I just bought it!!
@@dimitrispsahouliasdamn that sucks I had mine for 2 months and I love it thank god I don’t have none of those problems
I just became a dad and I want a portal so my family can watch tv instead of me sitting in front of it
I’m the same. My 4k tv is stuck on Disney+ all day if we are home so i got a portal
@@jblack_75 just got a 75 Samsung with 4K LED love it we all spend time watching it but yes with the new update I’m gonna grab one just been waiting a bit 👍
100% me too!
Just came back to say I returned it because if still streams pretty bad lags and I rather save my money
@@Stuckinthepast_you won't have time also
The Portal is the absolute best purchase I’ve made in the last few years.
I tried the backbone at first, mostly because I wasn’t sure how well game streaming would work with my internet. During that time, I improved my internet set up in the house, developed an appreciation for playing over a streaming device, and also noted a few things about the backbone that I wasn’t a fan of…
Big draw backs to the backbone for me: first, set up is tedious - it’s easy enough to pop it in to the controller, but going through the app and hooking it up to your system each time takes a good while. Portal is much faster in this regard, I’d say it connects in about half the time on average. Second, it’s a huge pain having my phone be the device I’m playing on, because any time I get a call or need to look something up for a game I’m playing, I’ve gotta disconnect and go do xyz and then come back and reconnect. Much better to have a dedicated device. Third, using your phone absolutely kills your battery - there’s a way you can have it plugged in while you play with a power bank or something, but then I saw where it can cause long term damage to your phone battery. If there’s even a chance of that being true, I’d rather not mess with it.
Anyway, got my portal and holy cow, it’s been amazing. As a dad, it’s been fantastic - went from my PS5 basically being a TV and Movie streaming device, to actually - finally - being able to play games on it. And at least for me personally, a lot of the biggest gripes about the system don’t bother me. I prefer wired headphones anyway, my internet is good enough - it’s just got everything I’m looking for.
Oh and recently I was able to test out something I’ve been wanting to test for a while now. We were on a family trip several states away. I brought my Portal and hooked up to the internet at my relatives house and was able to play my PS5 sitting in my house near perfectly. Picture was perhaps a teeny bit on the blurry side, but seriously, that’s it. I’m not really a snob about visuals so it was a huge win for me.
So, I’m old enough to remember when the PlayStation 3 allowed you to stream your PS3 to your PSP.
I remember playing Infamous, though the feature was really unstable. This sort of technology has been out for years.
And then I’m old enough to remember, too, when the PlayStation 4 tried to reintroduce this with the PlayStation TV, which I still have, and it still barely functioned.
When I say barely functioned, it was horrible.
Now, I have a PS Portal. I am enjoying it so far.
I think, if anything, cloud gaming for Sony has always been hit or miss.
So, I don’t think it’s Sony purposely making third-party apps on the Steam Deck or the Backbone worse.
It’s just that it’s always been kind of meh.
But it’s a huge improvement from when I was on the PlayStation 3.
i LOVE it because when i’m sad i can put sport/movies on my main tv and use it to play my games. 10/10 distraction right there, priceless
Thank you for mentioning the instability of using the stream deck for remote play, no one ever talks about how out of nowhere pc based products just stop working how they used to
Steam Deck works great for me. The Chiaki app works amazingly. No idea what you’re talking about.
I really appreciate this review. I’ve been on the fence because I paid $100 for the PlayStation Backbone. At the time I didn’t realize the nice game features advertised you only get with a subscription to their app. Ridiculous. Anyway, I hate how it feels because it’s just too small for my hands to get a comfortable grip. I’ve had to be very mobile this summer and playing remotely has been a great option, but frustrating. I also hate that when I have to use my phone for gaming, if I exit the app at all, I have to go through the tedious reconnecting process. So answering texts or phone calls is really frustrating. This review makes me realize I’ll probably enjoy gaming much more with the portal.
What happens when it gets stick drift?
is there a way where u can plug it into an outlet and use it at the same time but NOT charge up the battery so in a way the battery wont heat up as it gets power directly from the power outlet?
I too was wrong about it. I only play PS5 on my Portal now. Great for when I'm out of the house too, even with my hotspot.
How do you do that? Do you have to keep your ps5 on at home?
@@IFGARRETT yes, it stays at home in sleep mode
Do you have your ps5 connected to WiFi or lan?
@@rylanr8783 LAN
@DigitalCynics heard there was an update so you can now play on the cloud through wifi any word on this?
When it first launched I didn't think it was for me. However at my new place, I don't have room for a multi monitor setup. Thus my PS5 and PC are connected to the same monitor. It's annoying that when I'm on my PS5, I can't use my PC for anything. There are lots of times I need my pc access AND ps5 at the same time. The portal would absolutely solve that for me. I can keep the portal next to me and let it be my primary PS5 device while I'm not gaming a game that has VR like GT7. But I would absolutely play it more if I had it.
Or buy a cheaper monitor 😅
When hot spotting, make sure you're sharing the Wi-Fi connection as well from your phone when you're at the hotel. You don't have to just use your cellular connection when hot spotting.
Would you say it’s worth getting if my ps5 isn’t hard wired to the router, it’s running through WiFi
It looks good, but what happens if you get stick drift?
@KyleWhite-g1m that's exactly what I was thinking
@@mellosmith2057they would replace for you.
Chiaki4Deck works for me, but even with that experience, the button disconnect still throws me, and I've been playing the PlayStation and/or XBox consoles for decades. Also both the Deck and Switch were vastly improved for me with the Satisfye Grips.
I really appreciate this review, it goes over the struggles that I went through with the backbone and alternatives,
I’m definitely going to try out a Portal, especially now that some of these issues have been fixed!
The portal is beautiful and I wanted it, but where I’m at it’s $300 and the backbone one is $100, main reason for wanting this type of platform was to play anywhere anytime on the go so I went with the backbone. As long as I have service to phone I can play.
Don’t forget to add the cost of the phone you have to use 😁 ergonomics wise the portal is superior
@@Arctis326lol you’re not buying a phone to use it just for playing PlayStation.. that’s not a cost you should associate with the backbone
@@jordanfishburne4652 why not? You are degrading that phones battery faster if you’re going to use it to play games
@Arctis326 yea but phone unlimited data and gotta trade in every two years always gonna have a phone so ergonomically it works in my favor.
I have both. Will never go back to my backbone.
It’s an amazing thing if you’re TIGHT on money but as lame as it sounds, if you can’t afford it now. WAIT. Backbone is great if you can’t get the portal. Money is a big deal so make the best financial decision for yourself.
Can you make a hotspot with your phone Ans connect via hotspot to your portal ?
Do you need PS Plus subscription for any of those devices?
Nope. Plus is not required to play remotely
For me the Portal is amazing and above all a lag free experience up till now. I travel for work a lot trough Europe and went to 12 different countries and 18 different hotels since December and could game like i was home. I do have to say those where nice hotels with good wifi.
What’s your job bro? I need to be doing that.
@@joshan6376 I'm a Freelance Graphic Designer and Illustrator. Mainly for European themeparks. Most of the time when i work on a project I stay close to the parks for meetings and stuff. I do believe personal contact is better than virtual meetings via Teams etc.. I make designs for Efteling (Netherlands), Europa Park (Germany), Phantasialand (Germany), Heide park (Germany) Walibi( Belgium and France), Port Aventura (Spain) Leolandia (Italy) Legendia (Poland) and some more smaller themeparks around Europe.
@@joshan6376same
Boss move 😂😂😂
@@joshan6376 I'm a freelance Graphic designer and illustrator for European Themeparks. I work for Europapark, Efteling, Toverland, Leolandia, Puy du Fou, Parc Asterix, Bellewaerde, Walibi, Phantasialand, Enerylandia, PortAventura and some more. I often work close with the teams on location.
Can you use this without WiFi?
Like on a plane (I know it provides WiFi but very slow)…
Not being able to change the bit rate is the reason the portal fails most folks. Even with a WiFi 7 router I still have issues with the portal.
Without support for their back catalogue I cannot support this device. They have so many systems that should be supported on this thing and they just don’t open it up. It makes no sense. I built a high end gaming pc. That linked with my steam deck and I can play EVERYTHING. These companies are leaving money on the table.
Nice vid! It sounds like it has a few short-comings that the switch also had on release (like lacking bluetooth to headphones). I'm curious to see how both Nintendo and Sony improve the product even further with possible next generation versions
Its got a solid foundation, just needs a few updates and id have no complaints! Thanks for watching :)
You can get around the whole wireless thing at home if you have a gaming headset via dongle
This may be a dumb question but, Does the Nintendo switch bluetooth adapter work on the portal? 🤔 Or are there any other options? 🤗
Why did sony choose to only let the Portal have the PS Plus Beta? I just bought the Lenovo Legion Go and sure i was able to access the PS plus game streaming but I'm missing Demon Souls and other titles
Hey, I like to have the portal, but I have some doubts. I got a free home at my job. And in games I get around 30/60 ping in games. So will it be playable on a portal? Is there somebody who can tell?
You click on your message and then it will bring you to the Google website or whatever website you wanna tape it you can do that and then click on your message and it will take you to that website and then you can search whatever you want including UA-cam
Question: I buy all my games physically, does the portal require the disc to be in the PS5? Would I have to change the disc every time I play a different game?
Yes, if you want to play a physical game, you have to the game inserted into the PS5 disc drive. But you also have access to anything you download.
@@ThTHarden appreciated, thanks
@@ThTHardenDoes it have to be on or can it be on rest mode ?
@@OGAnthony1. On or rest mode will suffice. Personally preference on that one.
I know they already introduced a web browser for sign ups on wifis, but just wanted to tell back then you were able to cennect your phone to that wifi then sign in and use your phones Hotspot as a repeater for the wifi not your mobile data.
I’ve had the portal since first week launch. I normally just play casual games on it when I’m in bed or on the couch with UA-cam playing in the background. I’ve tried cod on it and it’s not my preferred way to play multiplayer type games. I do like it but my biggest gripe is the smaller thumb sticks. It’s not a crazy difference but it’s noticeable when you’re gaming
For me it's getting used to the wider spacing between my hands. I didn't think that would take so much getting used to.
@@potentatewags yeah probably cause were just so use to a normal controller. But i get that too, esp when it comes to shooter style games
Have they improved the latency problem?
Hello
Quick question,
Can you play any game from the Ps plus as long as they are installed on your ps5??
Or do you actually need to own the game??
This was my exact question!!
Would there be much lag playing a FPS game on the portal if im say 1 mile away from the PS5?
What happens when it gets drift? Both my ps5 remote have drift. Just had to buy a 3rd remote 60 quid thanks ps
For real tho, I haven’t seen any video talking about the drift 😡
Well easy stop swirling ur damn sticks.
I struggle with the lag sometimes. Australian internet sucks. 260mps download and 20mps upload and still struggling 😢
Got the portal but not able to get portal to connect to ps5 using mobile hotspot iPhone on EE network in the UK. WiFi is ok but the reason I’ve got it is so I can play in work. Hopefully my issue gets resolved
Yes it’s an apple/ee problem they have been working to fix it.
@@MythicalsushiAre they in the works on fixing this issue at the moment if it seems to be an EE issue.
@@Mythicalsushi Should I get in touch with EE and apple see what’s the progress to solving the problems
Yeah I've heard of certain providers somehow having issues, such as T Mobile in the US.
My internet provider fixed mine by fixing my IP and open the ports required on the router.
I barley play my ps5 anymore since I got the portal I always bring it to my friends house and when I connect to his wifi I could play my portal no problem I love it also with the new update making it even better with the new better performance
Sounds awesome! But to me it sounds like the portal is allowing you to play your ps5 more and not less!
@ lmao yea when u put it that way your right haha 😂😂
If I ever have 200 bucks to blow (won’t be happening anytime soon) I might actually pick this up! I thought it was a stupid idea until I found out that remote play works even when you’re not home as well, your ps5 just has to be on.
I w9sh mine wpukd actually connect to my PS5 on my shared wifi in my apartment but it just won't 😢
What happens when u get stick drift… throw it out?
change out the thumbsticks unless you want to buy a new one
After all the updates and kinks were sorted the portal has become a hidden gem
Thanks for your thorough review and opnions. Strongly considering one. I love having the PlayStation downstairs on the main TV but would like this to be able to play on nights where we decide to retreat to the upstairs earlier than normal.
It’s not perfect but I love the viability of it. With the updates, especially, I can go onto any WiFi network at a hotel or whatever and I can connect to my console. I’m surprised that with a good connection, I can play my ps5 anywhere! But it’s also nice to be able to play it on my bed haha.
Hey quick question pls answer. Let say i am playing warzone on my ps5, can my girlfriend play on the portal hogwarts legacy, but all from the same PS5 and same Account for trophy hunting? Thx for the answer. (Simoltaneously)
Nope
Even with a separate mobile hotspot with unlimited data?
Is it good?
This is a really specific question. But does anyone know:
If you unlock a trophy while using the portal, does the clip still save on your console, or does it just register the trophy on your account?
Thanks friends :)
The ps portal is just streaming from your ps5 so the console is running if you turn on your tv you will see the game. So it will do any save on it
@@danteredgrave9574very helpful, great thank you!
I did not know the portal was a thing till now! Awesome vid!
Bruh then you live under a rock
@@ThootjeGaming-f7w I do, a comfortable Boulder
@@ThootjeGaming-f7wi was gonna say the same thing, but than you just gotta appreciate it because i wish i had no clue this was a device 😂 and experience it from scratch again
Are any Sony Bluetooth headphones good with this? Or just the pulse ear buds? I’ve heard a few different answers.
Same question here!?!?
I just use my steel series headphone plugged in to my ps5 works great
Pulse explore is great, i have the arctis pro wireless but the lightness and ease of use of the pulse explore is a game changer
I got portal with Sony Ear Buds, its perfect but I couldn't set it up with LAN only and not using it without internet, see My country is under heavy Sanctions both from west and GOV itself and not be able to use it without the Internet is a bummer for me.
Also I wish It could have it's own very light games, due to the internet issue I mentioned sometimes I cannot even login or the lag is so much the game is unplayable at all.
I recommend to connect PS5 via cable to your router that way the lag is less.
peace.
I am thinking about getting a portal. If I'm away from home for like 3-4 days, and I can't take the PS5. So I do i leave the PS5 on or on rest mode for the whole time that I'm away?
Yup, it turns your ps5 on while you’re playing. But when you’re done you can just put your ps5 in rest mode from the portal the same way you would if you were home
@Idksomethinginsane it's just annoying that I have to leave my PS5 on or on rest mode all day, until I'm ready to play. The PS5 doesnt have an automatic turn off and cannot be turned on remotely.
@@jacquesm1553 if you leave it in rest mode and and enable the other settings it’ll basically live in rest mode. And only turn on when your playing and when your done playing it’ll go back to rest mode. I just got mine yesterday
@@Idksomethinginsanewhy can’t I get mine to connect to my ps5 when it’s in rest mode. Only when it’s turned on
@@KinglaQwueefayou have to go on your ps5 and go into settings then scroll down to remote play. Click that and enable the settings in that section. Once you do that you should be able to. Also I just thought about this. Are you under the impression that the portal streams from the ps5 while it’s in rest mode. But the ps5 actually turns fully on to let you stream content. Then goes back into rest mode when you disconnect the portal. (As long as you have the proper settings)
A portal isn't for a household with more than one gamer under the same roof. It's ridiculous. Me and my daughter game on our console, so this won't make any difference, I'd still need another ps5 cause we use a separate tv anyways for gaming. They should've just made a vita.
My 2 biggest issues with the portal is it's portability and that it's locked to just my PlayStation. It's size means it's impossible to fit into my purse even when its the only thing in there and I really don't want to carry around a giant purse just to play my PlayStation on my lunch breaks. The backbone and even the gamesir g8 fit in my purse so much better and still leave space for the rest of my stuff. The backbone and gamesir also let me play my PC games through moonlight or steamlink and xbox eother through the gamepass app or remote play on the xbox. My husband and I share the consoles and while we've talked about the portal and how amazing it looks, it just wouldn't serve us any good over it's cheaper options.
I got my Portal on day one release, and I'm still using it and love it.
I've been using a gamsir x2 with my oled table to stream ps5 games. I don't get the haptic effects but get to play on a larger and more beautiful display.
The only issue I have with the backbone is the phone case. I have to take off the case to use the controller
Thanks for this honest video! Finally someone convinced me to buy it, I also have kids and it will be nice to play near them. And not in another room.
Picked one up after waiting a while. Portal works great. Being realistic, there is a little lag on the screen. For what it does, it works great. I can now play a game on the couch in another room where our fireplace is. First world convenience. I would recommend getting some kind of stick cover as the grip is a bit slick.
2:23 😂😂😂 had me laughing out loud at the hospital 😅
It would be perfect companion if it was OLED. On Steam Deck Chiaki part, I got the same weirdness and disconnections as you, but I fixed them
Lmao I thought the ads I saw for this were fake or a drop shipping scam. Great video!!
Can you connect a backbone to an iPad?
I think you wer right. Remote play is too laggy. I have brilliant internet and its still too laggy. And only gets worse if someones on the internet or playing and online game.
Cap
Cap?
Your speed isnt the issue the wifi itself is. Wifi 6 and 5ghz band is needed
Does this thing work on a plane. I have a 12 hour flight need to kno lol
If you have access to wifi yes
Question: Can my gf play WWZ on our ps5 while i play SF6 on the Portal?
No, think of the portal like a wireless controller and TV for your system. PS5 can't play two games at once.
@@DigitalCynics thank you
If its not working good outsider my home i dont see reason to buy IT at all when the remote app is for free
Backbone is there if you want to save money, but portal provides much better experience. Bigger screen, no need to assemble, won't interrupt game if I need to answer a call or use phone to check a game guide.
the main challenge is on the price tag side IMHO, the use cases they offer to cover and the $$$ they ask. i would believe lots people like it and would enjoy it, just disagree on the money part
This is probably a big no but.... If my husband is playing on the ps5 can i play games from my profile on the portal?... Probably need a second ps5 right? 😢
Unfortunately, yes. The Portal essentially just takes place of the TV. The PS5 can't play two games at once, So if you wanted to use the portal whule your husband is on the PS5, You would need a second PS5
I bought my ps portal a couple months ago after the newest update it has less lag & less disconnects from my wifi I absolutely love it even more I was gaming with it I was on assassin’s creed odyssey.🥂😎
I had a Backbone for maybe a week and I did not enjoy it -- loading up the app was almost impossible and the latency was nowhere near tolerable for me
Biggest concern is that the controllers are not detachable. If a controller button or analog stick goes out…. You need a whole new one
I'm not an expert, however I think trying to change out the thumbsticks would be worth it. Sounds better than getting a new one.
what about stick drift?
Just got a portal and have had a similar change in opinion. Another thing i used to hate remote playing on my phone was menu text sizes etc. unreadable. Portal solves that.
If I could use this as a backup PS5 controller, I might be able to justify it... but as just a streaming device, I'll stick with the Deck and Chiaki4Deck, and just stop/start the stream when it starts acting up
Why are you guys using a dedicated hot spot instead of the hot spot feature on your phone?
I love my portal. But these speakers are super loud. Even on setting 1. So I found out you can use an RF adapter. That’s what I use and use some Bose earbuds.
What rf adapter do you use
7:47 the hotspot issue isn’t that bad. I use my company phone that gets unlimited data and has great connection. Even my phones hotspot works fine for it
Vital to know that you should avoid having any active downloads while playing. For some, seems obvious. But for me, who often streamed my PC to my phone via Moonlight or Steam Link, it was not as obvious.
Sony just unfortunately has inferior streaming capabilities, but i do think the Portal will be good enough for many.
My main reason for getting a handheld gaming device is to play away from home with spotty or no wi-fi. The Portal cannot give me that so for me, it’s an entirely useless product.
I also cannot stand any amount of streaming latency. This technology just isn’t ready imo.
So .. way not use a tablet and the ps joystick instead ?
It’s not necessary the device causing your hand to go numb my fingers go numb due to cubital tunnel. Might be worth looking into a brace for your arm.
I can’t believe he hasn’t known that since day one I’ve been using Internet on my portal forever
Should have waited a few more days to do this revisit review with the new update. Not 100% what we wanted but Id say 90%. BTW Rogers in Canada 5G tether is almost flawless. I play every day tethered while at work. Not to say there are bad experiences but I would say its almost all positive.
No kidding. Thank goodness for pinned comments lol
So I travel for work and I’ve run into this where I couldn’t connect to the hotel Internet with my switch or portal you can actually connect your phone to the hotel wi-fi Internet and then turn your phones hotspot on at the same time and it’ll share the hotel Internet with your other devices through your phone that you couldn’t connect to before I find that works great I’m able to stream videos play games and everything
It's the best option if you have to share the tv and don't already have a steamdeck or android handheld.
I still think it's a high cost for a single use case and would recommend going for the deck if you can afford it though.
You can apparently use it away from home with good wifi, I just got one so imma try it
Do you have to have the PS5
Hey Man can we get a room/setup tour
Ive used the backbone since day one and loved it other than it being uncomfortable after a long gaming session. I will buy a portal soon just not yet until they update it because they gotta add Bluetooth n shit to it before i buy one. My backbone i use does everything the portal does for a lot less other than well the haptics n shit
@digitalcynics you nailed it. For dad gamers, or someone who is willing to share the TV. The portal is totally worth it. Great video
"Playing Xbox with your Steam Deck"
Sir, I can assure you, we Steam Deck players are playing games saved on the device and only relying on Cloud Saving. Steam Deck is native on the device, we ain't streaming.
They won't allow browsers on the Portal because it would open the gates for it to be jailbroken/exploited, matter of fact, this is how the PS3 ultra slim was jailbroken
I am thinking of getting this because honestly the psp ruined me. I dont know if it just me or i am just that lazy. I prefer a portable console vs sitting on a couch and playing. I guess its a habit because of the psp but i dont know. Before getting the psp I was a pc gamer and a pc gamer after a little while after the end of my psp era. Very confusing