Sony to launch handheld device PlayStation Portal this week

Sony (SONY) is reportedly launching a new handheld gaming device called the "PlayStation Portal" this week. The portable console will feature an 8-inch display and the ability to stream PS5 games over Wi-Fi using Sony's Remote Play technology. The Portal will allow PS5 owners to access their console games on the go, as long as they have a Wi-Fi connection. However, it will only stream from a user's own PS5 rather than from the cloud.

Yahoo Finance's Tech Editor Dan Howley provides details on how the Portal will function, comparing the device to alternatives with similar capabilities like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch (NTDOY) which are already on the market.

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Video Transcript

- Well, this week, you'll be able to get your hands on Sony's latest product. Sony is launching a new handheld console called the PlayStation Portal. Now, the portable device will be able to stream PS5 games over Wi-Fi on its 8-inch screen. For more on this, Yahoo Finance tech editor, Dan Howley, is here. So Dan break it down for us.

DAN HOWLEY: Yeah, I actually have the PlayStation Portable right here, and you can see I'm streaming directly from my PlayStation 5 at home. This is the new Spider-man Two, Marvel's Spider-man Two is the technical name. It is an 8-inch display. It basically has two PlayStation controllers divided in half that you just kind of hold on to, and you can stream from basically anywhere, as long as you have a strong enough Wi-Fi signal.

I'm actually, believe it or not, using my phone as a hotspot to be able to stream from my house. My wife's at home, and basically, what's going on there with my PlayStation, which is doing all the heavy lifting, is if you have the TV on, you're just seeing exactly what I'm doing here. So the interesting thing about this is you can use Playstation's remote play, which is a service that this depends on, on things like your smartphone, an iPad, a PC from a website, things like that.

So it's not unique in the fact that it can stream from a PlayStation. What's unique about it is the form factor. It's purpose built for this. Now, does that necessarily mean that you need it for remote play? You can use a DualSense controller, the regular PlayStation 5 controller with an iPad, your PC, or any other device, really that connects to Bluetooth already. So you don't necessarily need this for those capabilities.

The other downside to this is you can't watch Netflix on it. You can't stream from the cloud on it using the PlayStation Plus cloud service. You only can stream from your physical PlayStation 5. It is 199, so it's not going to break the bank necessarily, but that also means you have to have that PlayStation 5 console already. So that's a 199 on top of that price. I do think that if you're the type of person who wants to be able to play in bed, on the road.

I'm going to be traveling on vacation. I'm going to take this with me. Obviously, I won't be able to play it on the plane because plane Wi-Fi is not going to be able to cut it. But from a hotel room it will, from my smartphone it will. I do just think that there's more capabilities that they can squeeze out of this, that cloud gaming, that ability to perhaps stream Netflix, that ability to perhaps get Hulu on here, YouTube, things like that.

As it stands, it's kind of confusing. I can do all of this already. It's 199. It's a beautiful device, but there are other products that are handheld that allow you to do a little bit more. For instance, the switch doesn't have the streaming capabilities. It won't have the graphical wizardry of something like this, but I can play it without Wi-Fi. So I can sit on a plane or wherever, and be able to play games. There's also something called a Steam Deck which is made by Valve.

That allows you to play PC games on the go without an internet connection. So it is kind of sitting in a unique space. 199, again, not going to break the bank, but I think for most people, if you can do this on an iPad already, it's not necessarily worth your while to get this on its own, but if you're like me, and you're a gamer, and you want absolutely everything gaming related, then it's going to be worth it. And that's the opening credits for Spider-man.

- Yeah. Right on cue there, Dan. No streaming and no cloud access, seems like a big downside.

DAN HOWLEY: Yeah. Yeah.

- Back to your point, we'll see if they expand beyond that. Dan Howley, as always, appreciate the product review there.