The very particular purpose of a PlayStation Portal

In a world of Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Legion Go, the PlayStation Portal makes me scratch my head. For $329.95, you get a 1080p remote player that is focused on playing on your home Wi-Fi network when you can't access the TV your PS5 is hooked into.

It feels like a lot of money for a very specific device far more limited in scope than those brilliant new portable PC gaming devices. But then I think about how often someone wants to play a game in our house but can't take over the TV for long enough to go deep for a solid session of fun in a big RPG or a group shooter online with their friends.

Should we buy a second console for another room in the house? Or would a Portal let someone curl up on the couch and have a great time while they also keep their eye on whatever TV show everyone else is enjoying too?

And it's roughly a third of the price of one of those portable PC handhelds...

One console controller these days costs around $100. Adding a nice 8-inch screen to the middle of a solid DualSense controller for an extra $229? Starts to make plenty of sense for anyone who knows they don't get enough access to the big TV for game time.