The PlayStation Portal 2026 review: Japanese innovation, hampered by UK infrastructure
The PlayStation 5 may have outsold Microsoft’s Xbox Series X by a country mile, but Nintendo’s Switch has, since its release, dominated the handheld console market. Now Sony’s PlayStation Portal may finally be in with a chance to gain some ground.
Released in 2023 to mixed reviews, the PlayStation Portal baffled gamers and critics upon discovering this console, which sells for around £200, couldn’t actually play any games: it was in fact a device for streaming games already installed on your PS5 console. This made it a pricey accessory for a console most people were content with playing on their sofa.
PlayStation Portal: Now with a digital library
However, recent software updates have turned the PlayStation Portal into a different proposition entirely. Players can now stream any game on Sony’s cloud catalogue so long as they pay a monthly subscription, similar to Microsoft’s Gamepass.
With the PlayStation Plus Premium tier – which will set you back £13.49 a month – PS Portal owners can enjoy high-fidelity games such as Assassin’s Creed Mirage and God of War Ragnarök that a portable device would struggle to run locally.
The screen on the PlayStation Portal looks as detailed and deep as if it were an OLED display, despite it being the inferior LCD. It’s capable of running games at 60FPS, though that will heavily depend on your network speed.
And network speed is key. The moment you lose connectivity, the Portal becomes a premium paperweight. This wouldn’t be a problem in Sony’s home market of Japan, or countries such as the United States or Singapore.
But here, the average residential internet speed comes in at roughly half that of the US. I live in a flat in South London, and the fastest possible speed languishes at around 70 Mbps, which is risibly slow (and, among other things, a barrier to economic growth).
It’s also a barrier to being able to stream Grand Theft Auto in my living room. Sony says the minimum speed needed to play the Portal is 5Mbps, however once you’ve connected your PC, laptop, PS5, phone and various other wi-fi enabled devices, bandwidth disappears quickly.
UK’s crappy broadband hampers the Portal
London’s average 5G speed also lags behind the rest of the UK, with dense, built-up areas often blocking bandwidth; don’t expect to tether your Portal to your phone on your commute any time soon.
However, when sitting in my kitchen next to my router, the PlayStation Portal delivers an impressive gaming experience, sometimes on par with playing games locally. I wouldn’t use it for a fast-paced online multiplayer game even, on the best wifi connection, but almost everything else runs incredibly well.
The streamable game catalogue is generous and the controls feel surprisingly similar to a regular PS5 controller, which any gamer will tell you is the gold standard.
Sony has invented a product that works fantastically well in most developed nations, and if you’re lucky enough to enjoy full-fibre broadband, this is an affordable, high-quality gadget to access some of PlayStation’s best titles.
However, should your internet be slower than the non-EU passport queue at a European airport, you may wish to install a Starlink satellite dish on your roof first.
• The PlayStation Portal is available now from Sony