When the PlayStation Portal was first announced the general consensus was that it was largely unnecessary at best, and at worst a missed opportunity for Sony to re-enter the handheld gaming space. Many were quick to dismiss the device, noting it lacked the internal processing power of something like a Steam Deck, or the docking ability and first-party games of the Nintendo Switch.

But despite all this, I really want a PlayStation Portal and I placed my pre-order the moment it became available. So, why exactly am I happy to pay £200 for a device I’ve spent the previous paragraphs complaining about? Well here’s why the PlayStation Portal is exactly what I need right now.

I’ve Lost My Living Room

July 2023 saw the birth of my first child. Although having a baby has obviously changed my life, it hasn’t changed my gaming desires. For decades I loved nothing more than parking my butt on the sofa and bingeing the latest games on my living room TV. I’ve since learned that, when you have a child, not only do they take over the TV (I’m looking at you, animated fruit sensory videos and toddler YouTuber, Ms Rachel), but they also take control of the living room with an endless procession of (albeit lovely) visitors. And there are seemingly endless stretches of silence needed during nap time.

My days of kicking back on the sofa for a long gaming stretch are over then, at least in the short term. But small gaming opportunities still exist, especially around nap time, just not in the living room. The PlayStation Portal will allow me to extend my PS5 playtime to any room in the house. And, perhaps more importantly, it allows my wife to enjoy her much-needed downtime with the TV while I can still get my gaming fix in. The PlayStation Portal couldn’t have arrived at a more perfect time for me – it finally allows me to continue my big-screen PlayStation experience not only in the comfort of my bedroom, but also out in the wider world.

A Portable PS5

The PlayStation Vita is long gone, and with it the ability to enjoy new things ona bespoke PlayStation handheld. The Portal attempts to fill this gap and for me – someone who only ever really travels for work these days and thus spends the majority of time with a solid WiFi connection – it perfectly scratches the demand for PlayStation on the go.

The device’s biggest issue – and something I completely understand– is its lack of ‘true’ portability though. PlayStation Portal requires a WiFi connection to function. If your life consists of a daily train commute or endless bus journeys, then without a doubt the PlayStation Portal isn’t for you. But constant internet connections increasingly exist in the areas outside of our own four walls, and as such many public places can easily accommodate the viability of a handheld that requires decent WiFi (a suggested minimum of 5Mbps by Sony).

That’s not to say I don’t understand the plight of varying internet speeds across different countries and regions, but this article is all about how the device is perfect for me. And in my (admittedly small) sample size, finding a solid WiFi connection is never more than a coffee shop or phone tether away, and it’s only ever going to get better.

It’s also important to remember this isn’t a new console. This will be a companion to my PS5, not a whole new platform. It’s a way to continue those big console experiences remotely. And if you’re like me, that means it’s got something that dedicated handhelds like the Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch can never compete with…

I Love PlayStation

Despite being lucky enough to own all the current gaming devices, I’ve never been able to pull myself away from PlayStation for long. My favourite games exist there, my friends are there, and – perhaps most important to me – my trophy collection is there. For almost 15 years I’ve always dreamt of being able to add to my collection while on the go. The Vita kinda delivered on that dream, but it was never a true, main console experience, with most games parred down to some degree. Don’t get me wrong, the Vita had some incredible games, but the supply quickly dried up.

PlayStation 5 is my primary console of choice. It’s where I play anything multiplatform and sink the majority of my gaming time. So the ability to extend this into not only other rooms in my house, but hotel rooms and coffee shops around the world, was always going to appeal to me. Given the choice I can easily see myself always opting for a portable PS5 experience over my Nintendo Switch.

Circumstances and platform support aside though, the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Switch are just two examples from a huge list of handhelds that, in my opinion, suffer the same killer flaw – a flaw the PlayStation Portal might have finally solved. My biggest issue with handheld gaming over the years has always been the same: I hate handheld controllers.

Handheld Controllers Almost Always Suck

From the Switch to the PSP, the Vita to the Game Boy and heck, even the Steam Deck, I’ve never had a good time with handheld controllers. Sometimes they’re too heavy, sometimes the buttons are too small (or there’s not enough of them!), and sometimes they have stupid slidy nub things I can’t imagine anyone enjoying.

The thing that unifies all these controllers is the constant feeling of discomfort. The Playstation Portal, though, is just a DualSense controller, albeit one cut in half with a screen fused inbetween. But it’s still a DualSense, which also happens to be my favourite controller of all time. From the revolutionary adaptive triggers to the perfect weight and balance, the DualSense benefits from nearly 30 years of iteration and will hopefully solve the problems that have plagued handhelds for years, by simply replicating the perfected home controller experience.

Though clearly ugly, this hybrid solves my ultimate gaming need – comfort. I mentioned earlier my comfortable living room gaming position, but I’ve never been able to replicate that using a handheld without connecting an external controller and thus removing the screen from my hands, negating the handheld-ness of the set-up all together. The PlayStation Portal achieves the dream combo of a comfortable controller and portable screen in my hands at the same time.

Would I have preferred a device that isn’t always online? Sure. Would I have been excited by new, device-specific games? You betcha. But that isn’t what’s on offer. Sony is providing a middle ground that doesn’t speak to everyone – perhaps not even to the majority. But what the PlayStation Portal offers is a solution for my personal situation and although you may fairly consider the device not for you, it certainly is for me.

Dale Driver is the Executive Producer of Video Programming at IGN and a PlayStation addict who has an obscene 156 platinum trophies. Be utterly bored by following him on Twitter.