PlayStation Portal
Playstation’s Portable Comeback.
The PlayStation Portal is a handheld companion to Sony’s PlayStation 5 console. Based around the features of a DualSense controller and Remote Play, it features an eight-inch LCD screen at 1080p resolution capable of 60fps, a headphone jack for wired audio.
Steam Deck
The Reigning Handheld Champ
The Steam Deck is Valve’s entry in the handheld PC market, harnessing the power of its Steam storefront. It features a custom APU for AAA capability, with support for many of your favorite games.
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The world of handheld gaming has seriously upped its game lately. From the Nintendo Switch showing us how fun on-the-go play can be to cloud gaming making titles way more accessible, players have more quality mobile options now than ever before. The latest players taking portable gaming to new heights are Sony with its PlayStation Portal and Valve firing back with the Steam Deck.
Both these units are ultra-compact powerhouses ready to tackle sophisticated games in ways we used to only dream about. But how exactly do these slick new handhelds compare when looking at things like design, features, performance and more? Well, strap in folks, because we’re going hands-on to pit the Portal and Steam Deck against each other in this no-holds barred head-to-head review!
Display and Visuals
The Steam Deck packs a seven-inch LCD touchscreen running at 1280x800 pixels. Now we know what you may be thinking, that the resolution seems low by current standards. But by matching the native resolution to the AMD APU’s graphical capabilities, it actually optimizes for performance and battery efficiency. Instead of rendering extra, unnecessary pixels, it maintains smooth frame rates for extended mobile gameplay.
Looking at the Portal, it does have an extra sharp-looking 1920x1080 Full HD eight-inch screen since it compresses the PS5’s 4K visuals. However, with game streaming dependent on Wi-Fi, that image quality is not reliably better if connectivity falters. In fact, the Steam Deck’s direct rendering can deliver superior fidelity in games that support it when streaming is spotty.
Visibility also plays a key role in real world use. Unfortunately, the Portal’s LCD is prone to glare and brightness problems when there’s ambient lighting. Comparatively, the Steam Deck’s anti-glare display holds up markedly better for outdoor play sessions, making it the preferable pick for true portability.
Ergonomics And Controls
Plain and simple - the Portal and Steam Deck were built for gaming first. Despite their size difference, they share some similar thinking when it comes to comfort and playability that PlayStation and PC gamers will recognize.
The Portal mirrors elements of the PS5’s DualSense controller layout, right down to the iconic symmetrical analog stick placement that PlayStation fans will instantly feel at home with. This makes the transition very natural if you’re already deep undercover within Sony’s extravagant ecosystem. Comparatively, the Steam Deck takes inspiration from Valve’s Steam Controller in terms of its button mapping and use of touchpads. This caters well to mouse/keyboard genres, but there is a bit of a learning curve if you’re coming from traditional gamepads.
Both devices provide users with capacitive touchscreens along with an array of physical inputs like analog sticks, D-pads, face buttons, triggers and bumpers. Having these dedicated controls is crucial for responsive gameplay compared to relying on touchscreen overlays alone. It gives the Portal and Steam Deck a distinct advantage when playing fast-paced action titles where precision and tactile feedback are non-negotiable.
Performance And Game Compatibility
The Portal naturally gets all of the PlayStation 5’s mammoth processing abilities. We’re talking cutting edge 4K visuals at up to 120 frames per second. But that level of showcase doesn’t fully hold up when streaming to the Portal. With Wi-Fi limitations, those visual settings and effects get scaled down a ton to maintain responsive frame rates. So, while still solid, compression can throw a wrench in those experiences (if you’re comparing it to native PS5 gameplay, that is).
On the flip side, the Steam Deck’s custom AMD APU was engineered specifically for handheld PC gaming. The CPU and GPU provide plenty of horsepower for new cross-platform titles even when the display resolution is capped at 1280x800 to match the seven-inch screen. Games like Elden Ring, A Plague Tale: Requiem and Spider-Man Remastered run impressively well, while delivering insane visuals. And when you dock it to an external monitor? You get a gosh-darn portable AAA powerhouse.
Now, the Portal does get full access to the stellar PlayStation catalog, but ONLY those titles, period. The Steam Deck’s versatility as a Windows handheld means you can tap into a massive spectrum of gaming libraries from the likes of Steam, Epic, GOG Galaxy and more launchers. For players with years of PC gaming under their belt, the Deck is a dream to take that entire collection mobile.
Storage And Battery Life
With hefty storage capacity quickly becoming the norm for modern gaming, Sony and Valve take slightly different approaches with local space for downloaded titles. Sony skips local storage entirely for the Portal since it streams games directly from your PS5’s SSD. So any considerations around install sizes mostly impact how much room you have on the console itself, not the handheld. Excessive game data on PS5 may require installing one of those add-on NVMe SSD’s into the console’s expansion bay.
Valve, on the other hand, gives buyers some flexibility with Steam Deck models. You’ve got options spanning from modest 64GB eMMC drives up to more capable 512GB NVMe SSD’s. Power users planning big game collections locally will want the 256GB or 512GB SKU’s. And every Deck can augment storage through MicroSD cards, so you can tack on terabytes if needed!
And if we’re looking at battery life, both handhelds are comparable at roughly three to eight hours depending on the game. Less graphically intense 2D indie titles will milk longer life out of a charge versus cutting edge 3D blockbusters, pushing the hardware to the limit. And that Steam Deck runtime is impressive since the hardware has to natively render performance-heavy titles rather than streaming simplified video from a host device.
Connectivity And Accessories
For gamers who want the flexibility to pair wireless headphones or specialty gamepads on the go, the Steam Deck pulls ahead again thanks to open Bluetooth 5.0 compatibility. This lets users seamlessly connect a myriad of accessories like Backbone controllers, Razer Kishi clips or Anker earbuds to enhance mobile play. The Portal, however, restricts wireless connectivity strictly to Sony’s own PlayStation ecosystem using a proprietary sync method. So, PlayStation gamers could be limited to first-party headsets as their only wireless audio options while mobile.
The wired expansion tells a similar tale, unfortunately. The Steam Deck’s versatile USB-C port easily enables third party docking stations for external displays, mice, keyboards and even external GPU upgrades. This grants desktop PC-like flexibility and multi-monitor arrangements that’s perfect for those who prefer a bit of a PC gaming vibe. Yet Sony chose a closed-off approach by locking the Portal’s USB-C to charging only. That means gaming mice, keyboards, controllers and external screens have severely restricted wired compatibility to keep PlayStation fans contained within branded accessories.
Pricing And Value
When looking at price tags and overall value, neither the Portal nor Steam Deck are budget purchases, which makes sense given their premium gaming hardware. With an MSRP of $200 (at the time of writing this article), the Portal has a lower cost since it relies on streaming from an existing PS5 rather than internal components. But factoring in the console itself, the full package creeps up to nearly $1000 for both Sony devices.
Steam Deck pricing starts at $435 (at the time of writing this article) for the 64GB base model. Now, we have no doubt, that still ain’t cheap. But for the investment, buyers get Windows versatility and customization that the Portal just can’t touch. For PlayStation die-hards, the Portal has obvious appeal for continuing your library on the go. But if cross-platform flexibility and maximum functionality hold more value, the Steam Deck brings exceptional performance per dollar as an uncompromised handheld PC gaming rig.
Conclusion
Though the Portal and Steam Deck take handheld gaming in very different directions, they both accomplish their mission of letting players take sizable HD libraries on the go. For diehard PlayStation folks eager to continue their PS5 experience outside the living room, the Portal should stream that catalog capably as a portable sidekick.
But for gamers willing to adapt to new input methods in return for dramatically better power, versatility and cross-platform support, the Steam Deck stands unrivaled as the Swiss Army knife of mobile play. Between its custom AMD architecture, versatile Windows software and broad compatibility, the Steam Deck simply offers a fuller package for players seeking flexibility in their handheld unit.
