They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but sometimes, you can tell that people are just trying to steal others’ thunder. Or, in the case of the video game industry, steal away customers so they can try THEIR product instead of their competitors’ product. It’s no secret that Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft have “spied” on each other over the years and tried to take ideas off of one another so that they could bolster their systems or gaming rosters. The next example of “stealing” is arguably the PlayStation Portal, which is meant to be a portal gaming device connected to the PS5.
To be clear on this, the PlayStation Portal isn’t a new gaming system despite its looks. Think of it as a “portable handheld PS5” that you can use so that you don’t need to play the games you want on the TV when someone else is using it. When the device was announced, people instantly started saying that the Portal was trying to take the thunder of either the Nintendo Switch or the Steam Deck. First off, it looked like their systems in various ways, especially the Switch. Second, it, at first glance, did the same functions as those systems.
However, as its details started to emerge, Sony and others were happy to admit that it wasn’t meant to be a “copy” of those other platforms. In an interview with the BBC, Sony Senior VP Eric Lempel stated that he didn’t feel it was “competition” to the others because it didn’t do what those other devices did in overall:
“It’s a different proposition and really just something unique for the PlayStation audience.”
He’s not wrong on the technical level. The Nintendo Switch handheld mode and the Steam Deck are all-in-one gaming devices you can enjoy anywhere and play whatever game is on the system. In contrast, the PlayStation Portal is only meant to function within a certain range of the PS5. They even say that if you try to take it outside to play, you should ensure that you have a solid internet connection.
As such, the new PlayStation device is more akin to the original Wii U controller than it is to the Nintendo Switch. That distinction has made many people curious about what Sony’s goals are for this new handheld later on in life. If it sells well, that’s good. But will they try to advance it in some way? Only time will tell.
