The PlayStation Portal has become my favorite gaming purchase in 2025, allowing me to take games with me on the go, and owing to shorter play sessions. In truth, this remote play staple has had a transformative effect on my gaming habits, and I’ve been playing a much wider range of games that I’d otherwise have skipped.
This year has been fantastic for handheld gamers, with Nintendo having released the Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox launching the ROG Xbox Ally X. The former has even been crowned TechRadar’s Gaming Device of the Year. Given these releases, there’s really no better time for Sony to remind players why the PlayStation Portal is a rock-solid and considerably cheaper competitor. I’d expect some decent discounts during Black Friday, and I’d wholeheartedly recommend the Portal for all PS5 players interested in handheld gaming.
The PlayStation Portal has only seen a couple of discounts over on Amazon US in 2025, with the Midnight Black variant dropping down by a mighty 99 cents to $199 (was $199.99) in July and staying at this price until now. The White version tends to see more deals in the US, having dropped down to $195 (from $199) at the tail end of 2024. In the UK, the handheld device dropped to £179 (was £199) in July and August, but that’s been the extent of the chunky discounts on that side of the Atlantic this entire calendar year.
The PlayStation Portal is the best-feeling handheld I’ve ever owned
I’ve always gravitated towards portable play, likely because it allows me to be more versatile with where and when I play games. With the PS Portal, I can sit on the sofa and chip away at games like No Man’s Sky or Ghost of Yōtei, while my partner uses the TV for binging shows like Dexter and Interview With the Vampire (this one has actually drawn me away from my game on several occasions).
While I do own a Nintendo Switch 2, I don’t find myself using it in handheld mode all too often. This is largely due to how it feels in my hands, with the Joy-Con 2 controllers not being particularly comfortable for me currently. Frankly, the Xbox option is way out of the range I’m willing to spend on a gaming device currently, and with the PlayStation Portal being considerably cheaper, I likely won’t be trying it any time soon.
The PlayStation Portal essentially features one half of a DualSense controller at each end, with full haptic feedback features available as well. This is just like holding a PS5 controller, and it’s very comfortable indeed. In terms of portable gaming devices, the PlayStation Portal easily has the best form-factor of all the options I’ve tried over my 25 years of experience (sorry Game Boy Advance SP, you’re still an all-timer).
Thanks to the PlayStation Portal, I’ve managed to check out Blue Prince, Cocoon, Balatro, and other titles that I probably wouldn’t have taken the time to sit and play in front of my TV. Looking ahead, I’ll absolutely be checking out Football Manager 26 and Lumines Arise using my Portal, as I think they’ll be perfect for portable sessions. Really, you can play almost all of the best PS5 games on the Portal.
And if you’re looking for some more handheld gaming inspiration, we’ve got you covered…
The best handheld games consoles for all budgets
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