PlayStation Portal is it a valid product? In the opinion of many readers, no, given the indisputable limitations of Remote Play, but the numbers recorded in Spain and stocks running out in a flash everywhere suggest that Sony’s remote player still has its own market, represented by people who are actually interested in the product and are well aware of its features and others who are perhaps less informed who might have a nasty surprise in discovering that all things considered it is not a real console… at least not for the moment. In fact, Sony hasn’t ruled out one possible integration of cloud gaming of PlayStation Plus, which actually could change the general concept of the devicetransforming what is effectively an expensive PS5 accessory into a cloud gaming console in its own right.
But let’s proceed step by step. Since the announcement via the cold pages of the PlayStation Blog, Sony has been very clear that PlayStation Portal is a “remote player” can only be used by connecting it to your PS5 via Remote Play. It has never used the term “console” either in the marketing campaign or through sales channels, for example on Direct. PlayStation is cataloged in the “accessories” category, as it should be.
An incomprehensible choice for many, as PlayStation Portal would certainly have been much more interesting if it had included the cloud, especially now that PlayStation Plus Premium also allows streaming on PS5, a function that is in some ways underexploited.
Does Sony have any surprises in store with PlayStation Portal?
And now we get to the point. PlayStation Portal is a closed system, but still equipped with its own operating system and therefore any interventions by Sony through updates could improve its functions or also add some new features, we don’t know to what extent, but the company has hinted that among these there could also be the much desired one cloud gaming.
Specifically, Sony’s Hideaki Nishino suggested last week that integrating this functionality would not be complicated on paper, given that there are no huge differences on a technical level between making PlayStation Portal interact with a server via the cloud and with a PS5 via Remote Play, but that the company first wants to make sure that its infrastructure is sufficiently tested.
“For PlayStation Portal, remote play and the cloud are only different in terms of where the server is located, and there are no technical problems“Nishino said. We will start with Remote Play and then do some testing (for the cloud). Since we acquired Gaikai, we have taken cloud gaming very seriously.”
Another possible clue came yesterday from market analyst Matt Piscatella of Circana, who through a post on “, undoubtedly a particular request for the reasons explained previously. Interestingly, the comment in question was promptly deleted by Piscatella, which usually happens when incorrect information is communicated or when more is said than is necessary.
Long story short, there are those online theorizing that Sony could add cloud support to PlayStation Portal in the future via an update and in the meantime he would have decided to launch a product on the market without an important feature in order to take advantage of the Christmas period, the most profitable one in terms of sales.
Let’s be clear, we’re in the realm of possibility and speculation and there’s really nothing official. So to avoid misunderstandings for the moment we limit ourselves to the facts: PlayStation Portal is not a console and does not support cloud gaming. Rather, it is an (expensive) accessory for playing PS5 remotely via Remote Play and as already reiterated in our review we recommend it only to those who could actually find usefulness and convenience in using a similar product.
Having said that, dreaming costs nothing and so we ask you: would you change your perception of the PlayStation Portal or would you be willing to purchase it if cloud gaming was integrated via PlayStation Plus?
This is an editorial written by a member of the editorial team and is not necessarily representative of the editorial line of Multiplayer.it.
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