TECH NEWS – According to a Sony executive, the upcoming PlayStation Portal remote player peripheral is not intended to be a rival to the Nintendo Switch console…

The head of Sony and the senior vice president of PlayStation stated that the upcoming PlayStation Portal peripheral was not intended to rival similar competing systems such as the Nintendo Switch. PS Portal is the first handheld device Sony has made in over a decade. True, it is not an independent console like the PlayStation Portable or PlayStation Vita before it.

Instead, the PlayStation Portal is a handheld gaming peripheral that can only be operated in conjunction with the PS5.

This system first saw the light of day at the beginning of the year. Originally announced as “Project Q”. It wasn’t until the end of August that Sony’s new system was named PlayStation Portal. Sony has also revealed the price of the PS Portal. As well as the November 15, 2023 release date. The initial reception of Portal was somewhat mixed. Since its primary purpose is to play PS5 games remotely, it has drawn unfavourable comparisons to Nintendo’s Wii U gamepad. Some felt that Portal would have been better off becoming something like the Nintendo Switch or Valve’s Steam Deck systems or a successor to the aforementioned Portable or Vita. Sony’s Eric Lempel commented on Portal’s status, stating that it is not intended to rival Nintendo or Valve’s hardware.

Purpose and features of PlayStation Portal

According to a BBC report, Eric Lempel stated that despite the visual similarities between Switch and Steam Deck, PlayStation Portal is aimed at a different audience. For PlayStation users, it means “something unique”. The main difference you’ll note about them is that the Switch and Steam Deck can stand independently as systems. However, the PlayStation Portal requires a PS5. Not only that, but it also requires an internet connection to send the game directly from the system to the handheld instead of a cable.

Lempel also confirmed that players will not be able to stream games directly from the PlayStation cloud gaming service to the PlayStation Portal.

It suggests that the handheld would be used by gamers who want to play on the couch. While another person is using the TV or they are just playing in another room. Lempel also confirms that the device can be used outside their home. But it recommends that they have a strong internet connection. To make the most of its portability and ability to stream games.

Lempel also talked about the features and design of the PS5 Access Controller. This is Sony’s first attempt at creating a customizable controller for players with disabilities. According to Lempel, this controller will not work with systems other than Sony hardware. He added that it was carefully designed to allow players with disabilities to use the controller without having to adjust it for comfort. He also notes that the customization of the controller is quite varied.

Source: BBC