When hackers unlock the potential of PlayStation Portal

Imagine transforming the PS5 accessory into a real portable gaming console. Hackers are currently facing this challenge with Sony’s PlayStation Portal.

Sony really tempted us with its PlayStation Portal. We already envision ourselves carrying a PS5 in our pocket, dreaming of replacing our old PS Vita. But actually, it’s not quite that. We end up with a gadget that struggles to keep all its promises. Basically, it’s just a screen that allows you to play your PS5 in cloud gaming, if you’re remotely connected to your console. Not really the autonomy you dreamed of.

Wasted potential

The most disappointing thing is that this little beast had it all. With its ARM chip, it buries the Nintendo Switch on paper (the latter is 8 years old, mind you). But instead, it just dangles what it could be instead of actually being one (get it?).

Fortunately, there are smart people who didn’t wait to exploit Sony’s potential. They managed to install PPSSPP emulator to run PSP games, and it works. This is proof that Portal can be much more than just a PS5 accessory. Imagine being able to run GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming on it, or make it a PlayStation 1, 2, 3 or even 4 emulator.

But now, Sony has made choices that leave us confused. With only 6 GB of storage and zero expandability, one wonders what they had in mind. It looks like the console was clamped on purpose. And when you see the price, it makes you think. For 100 euros more, you can get the Steam Deck, which is more open and autonomous.

So far, the hacker who shared information about his project has yet to publish material online that would allow others to imitate his action. However, this is an important step, given that the hacker community has been interested in this console assistant for several months.