TL;DR
The PlayStation Portal is not a new console. It is a dedicated "Remote Play" device. It has no brain of its own; it simply mirrors what your PlayStation 5 is already doing. If you don’t own a PS5, this is a $200 paperweight. If you do own one, it’s a way for your kid to play Spider-Man 2 in bed while you finally watch The White Lotus on the big TV.
Quick Links for the Portal:
- Best "Cozy" Portal Game: Stardew Valley
- The "I Need the TV Back" Solution: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Portable Creativity: Minecraft
- The "One More Match" Trap: Fortnite
If your kid is asking for a "Portal," they aren't talking about a sci-fi teleportation device or the classic Portal puzzle game (though that game is a certified masterpiece). They are talking about the PlayStation Portal Remote Player.
Think of it as a DualSense controller that someone sliced in half and glued an 8-inch LCD screen into the middle of. It doesn't run games locally like a Nintendo Switch or a Steam Deck. Instead, it uses your home Wi-Fi to "stream" the video from your PS5 to the handheld screen.
The No-BS Reality Check:
- You MUST own a PS5.
- The PS5 MUST be turned on (or in Rest Mode).
- Your Wi-Fi MUST be solid. If your router is a decade old or hidden in a lead-lined basement, the Portal will lag, stutter, and result in a very frustrated child yelling about "ping" and "latency."
The appeal here is 100% about autonomy and comfort.
We live in an era where kids are used to "second screening." They want to play Roblox while a YouTube video plays in the background, or they want to grind for materials in Minecraft while sitting on the couch next to you rather than being "banished" to the playroom.
For a kid, the Portal feels like an upgrade to their lifestyle. It turns the "big" games—the ones with the cinematic graphics like Horizon Forbidden West—into something portable. There’s a certain "cool factor" to playing a high-end console game under a duvet or at the kitchen table.
Ask our chatbot if the Portal is a better gift than a Nintendo Switch
This is where we need to have a real talk about digital wellness. The PlayStation Portal changes the "geography" of gaming in your house.
When the PlayStation is hooked up to the living room TV, you have passive supervision. You can see if they’re playing Grand Theft Auto V (which, side note, is definitely not for kids) or if they’re just building a house in The Sims 4. You know when they’re playing and when they aren't.
The Portal breaks that visibility.
- Bedtime becomes a battlefield: It is incredibly easy to slide a Portal under a pillow.
- The "Bathroom Break" that lasts 45 minutes: Because they’re trying to finish a round of Fall Guys.
- Isolation: Instead of gaming being a shared family space activity, it becomes a "head down, screen up" solo activity.
If your kid struggles with transitions—meaning they have a meltdown when it's time to turn the tech off—the Portal might actually make your life harder. It’s much easier to walk away from a TV than it is to put down a device that is literally in your hands.
We often hear that games like Roblox or Fortnite are "teaching kids tech skills" or "entrepreneurship" because they’re managing virtual economies.
The Portal doesn't change the nature of these games, but it does increase the frequency of access. If your kid is obsessed with checking their "item shop" or managing their digital pets, the Portal makes it easier to do that every five minutes.
Is it draining the bank account? The device itself is $200, which is a lot for a "second screen." But the real cost is usually the in-game purchases. Whether they play on a 65-inch OLED or an 8-inch Portal, Robux still costs real-world dollars.
The Portal is essentially a "window" into the PS5. Therefore, the age-appropriateness depends entirely on what games you allow on the console.
For Ages 6-9
At this age, the Portal is a "luxury" that might be more trouble than it's worth. Small hands might find the device a bit wide, and the risk of dropping it is high. If you do get one, stick to "cozy" or platforming games:
- Astro's Playroom - Free on every PS5 and looks gorgeous on the Portal.
- Bluey: The Videogame - Great for the youngest gamers.
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure - Fun, colorful, and low-stress.
For Ages 10-13
This is the "sweet spot" for the Portal. They want the independence. They want to play while hanging out in their room. This is also the age where you need to be strictest about where the device lives at night.
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - Feels like playing a Pixar movie.
- Minecraft - The ultimate "sit on the couch and build" game.
- Rocket League - Fast-paced, but requires very good Wi-Fi to play on the Portal without lagging.
For Ages 14+
Teens will use this to reclaim the TV for the rest of the family—which is actually a win for parents. If they’re playing Elden Ring for three hours, you probably don't want to watch that anyway.
The PlayStation Portal has no built-in parental controls of its own. It simply inherits whatever settings you have on the PS5 console.
- System-Level Limits: You need to set the "Play Time" limits on the PS5 itself. When the time is up, the PS5 will suspend the game, and the Portal will lose its connection.
- No Web Browser: One "pro" for parents is that the Portal doesn't have a functional web browser for the user. It is strictly for gaming. You don't have to worry about them stumbling onto the weird corners of the internet that they might find on an iPad.
- Privacy: Since there’s no camera on the Portal, you don't have to worry about accidental video sharing, but the microphone is built-in. Remind your kids that if they are in a party chat, people can hear what's happening in your house if they don't hit the "mute" button.
Before you buy, check these three things:
- Upload Speed: Your home internet needs a decent upload speed (Sony recommends at least 15Mbps). You can check this by running a speed test on your phone while standing where your kid will likely use the Portal.
- The "Hardwired" Trick: For the best experience, your PS5 should be connected to your router via an Ethernet cable, even if the Portal is using Wi-Fi. This drastically reduces "lag" (that annoying delay between pressing a button and seeing the character move).
- Headphones: The Portal has a headphone jack, but it does not support standard Bluetooth headphones. If your kid has fancy AirPods, they won't work. They either need wired headphones or Sony’s specific (and expensive) "LinkLink" compatible earbuds.
The PlayStation Portal is a "nice-to-have" accessory, not a necessity.
Buy it if: You are tired of your kid hogging the living room TV to play Fortnite, and you have a rock-solid Wi-Fi setup. It’s a great tool for "parallel play"—where you’re reading a book and they’re gaming right next to you.
Skip it if: Your kid already struggles to put down mobile games, or if you were hoping this would be a standalone device for long car rides. (It can work on public Wi-Fi or hotspots, but it’s often a laggy, frustrating mess).
- Audit the PS5: Check your current PlayStation parental controls before adding a Portal to the mix.
- The "Docking Station" Rule: If you buy one, establish a rule that the Portal "sleeps" in the kitchen or your bedroom at night. Don't let it become a permanent resident of their nightstand.
- Test Remote Play for Free: Did you know you can do exactly what the Portal does using an iPad or a phone? Download the PS Remote Play app on your phone and sync a controller. If it works well and your kid actually uses it, then the Portal might be a worthy investment. If the app is laggy, the Portal will be too.
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