We gave the PlayStation Portal a fair amount of stick when it launched, and many of our criticisms from late 2023 remain valid two years later. It’s still a streaming-only gaming handheld that presumes you already own a PS5 and is entirely at the mercy of your internet connection, so we can’t promise it’ll work well for everyone. But if your loved one’s Wi-Fi is fairly stable, it’s a comfortable way to play most PS5 games on the couch or laying in bed, thanks to its DualSense-controller-style grips and sizable eight-inch display.
I’ve found it to be a godsend since becoming a parent earlier this year — as silly as it sounds, mustering the energy to play at my desk or battle with my spouse for control of the TV just isn’t worth it after working and looking after a baby all day. Would it be nice if it could play games locally? Of course. But so long as you avoid shooters and other timing-based games, it can work just fine for PlayStation diehards. And if your giftee has a PS Plus Premium subscription, they can stream some games to the device directly from the cloud instead of having to pair with their own console. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter