Until the new PlayStation Portal update, my handheld was only wheeled out of its case for select games. I'm talking slow, thinky games that put their strategy or simulation mechanics above graphics - nothing that would suffer too much from a drop in visual quality. If I wanted it to look good, I played it on the TV. After Sony stealth dropped its latest firmware upgrade, though, I wheeled her back out again. It's been worth the wait.
Thankfully, Amazon has a nifty trick for anyone looking to take the leap on one of the best PS5 accessories in light of Sony's updates. You'll find used devices available for $149 right now - $50 off the original $199.99 MSRP. Considering the best Newegg can do you is $179.99 and Best Buy taps out at $153.99, that's the cheapest I've seen.
The offer comes from Amazon's Resale program, which is sold completely through the retailer from start to finish. It means you'll get a handheld that "looks and functions as if it were new," though original packaging isn't guaranteed. If something goes wrong, you've got a free 30 day return window as well.
If you've been on the fence about the Portal due to its streaming limitations, it's worth taking another look at the gaming handheld fresh out of the install. I was running Resident Evil Requiem and Borderlands 4 on the device last night, marvelling at the sharpness of the image. Everything feels more full, 3D - whereas it had a hint of flatness around its fuzzy edges before.
What exactly has Sony added to the proposition? The new High Quality mode places a higher priority on image quality than stable performance, so you'll still need a sturdy WiFi connection to make the most of it. However, since incremental updates over the last year have strengthened the Portal's ability to stream on lower quality networks, that's not as big a hurdle as it once was.
The higher bitrate means games can keep their more advanced visual fidelity features. Even lighter titles like Life is Strange: Double Exposure, looked washy on the Portal before. I'm not going to be sacking off a 4K TV for this panel any time soon, but we're miles ahead of where we were last week.
The PlayStation Portal is a now-rare example of a brand making good on their hardware commitments. At launch, you had to really be willing to invest in Sony's dream to make this streaming handheld work. It was laggy, difficult to set up in new spots, and often dropped its connection altogether.
There's actual dedication to improving this experience from Sony, though, which is far more than can be said from other corners of the gaming market these days. Updates aren't locked behind incremental hardware upgrades (that will be another $200 please), they're free, frequent, and have a tangible effect on day to day use.
Since launch, Sony has added streaming-only options and made digital libraries streamable for PlayStation Plus Premium users, greatly improved the system's connection strength, and now put its pixels to work just a little bit harder. Sure, not all these updates are winners (RIP easy access home buttons), and I'm still waiting for them to do a Nintendo and flip the Bluetooth switch. At the end of it all, though, it's time to celebrate the small wins and the Portal is just that.
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We're also rounding up the best PS5 controllers and the best PS5 headsets on the market. For more upgrades, though, check out the best PS5 external hard drives.
