PlayStation Portal's Latest Update Proves Sony Needs a Real Handheld Console Again

Another year, another update to Sony's PlayStation Portal. The latest tweak to the hardware considerably expands the roster of games playable on the device—but the end result only highlights how urgently PlayStation needs to re-enter the gaming handheld market for real.

The evolution of PlayStation Portal has been fascinating to watch, mainly to see Sony practically scrambling to keep up with the gadget's unexpected popularity. Launched November 2023, Portal was intended as a mere accessory for PlayStation 5. It had no native processing abilities, simply using Sony's Remote Play technology to stream whatever happened on players' personal PS5 to the portable's screen.

Although it could technically be used anywhere with a strong Wi-Fi signal, difficulties connecting to public networks and high speed requirements to even launch a stream meant the Portal was effectively only suitable for in-home use, to free up the main TV or ...