It’s official. Sony has finally brought more information on the famous Project Q, its portable device designed to remotely stream PS5 games. Now called PlayStation Portal, it will hit the market at the end of 2023 at a price of €219.99. It will also be accompanied by a new headset and official wireless headphones from PlayStation. We take stock together.
This is the surprise announcement of the day. On Wednesday August 23, 2023, Sony has finally provided more details on the famous PlayStation Project Q, its portable device designed to stream PS5 games remotely. From now on, you will simply have to call it PlayStation Portal.
As announced by the manufacturer in May 2023 during the product reveal, the Playstation Portal will indeed allow “live the PS5 experience in the palm of your hand”. Indeed, the device will integrate all the exclusive features of the DualSense, such as adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.
8″ LCD screen in Full HD, Wi-Fi connection, 3.5 mm socket, here are the details on the PlayStation Portal
Regarding the screen, we finally have more information. Thus, the PlayStation Portal will embark an 8-inch LCD panel in Full HD definition (1080p) and has a refresh rate of 60Hz. We should therefore be able to play God of War Ragnarok and other big PS5 titles with a constant 60 FPS. To see, however, how the reduction in definition will affect the graphic quality of these games that we are used to seeing on a large 4K TV.
As expected, the PlayStation Portal will only be used to stream games already installed on your PS5 over Wi-Fi. In other words, PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers will not will not be able to launch retro games hosted on the cloud on their PS Portal. Last but not least, Sony confirms the presence of a 3.5mm jack port for connecting wired headphones and earphones. According to the manufacturer, the PlayStation Portal will be launched in during the year 2023 (without more precision for the moment) at the price of €219.99. The Japanese brand will soon reveal more details on the machine and the opening dates for pre-orders.
New Official PlayStation Wireless Headphones and Earbuds Coming Soon
But that’s not all. Sony has also announced the upcoming launch of two new PlayStation-branded accessories, namely the Pulse Elite wireless headphones And Pulse Explore wireless headphones. Obviously, the Pulse Elite helmet will come to be placed as the worthy successor to the Pulse 3D headset launched alongside the PS5 in 2020.
According to the manufacturer, the Pulse Elite and the Pulse Explore will offer a high quality audio experience. To do this, the two accessories carry custom planar magnetic drivers (a technology that is generally found on high-end headphones from Audeze, Meze Audio, Hifiman or even Kennerton and Sendy Audio). This is a first for Sony.
Both devices offer noise suppression technology (optimized by AI) and one or more microphones (a boom microphone on the Pulse and two microphones on the Pulse Explore). Regarding the Pulse, it will be supplied with a charging hook for easy recharging and storage, while the Pulse Explorer will be delivered with a charging box.
Regarding the release date, we will have to wait a little longer. Nevertheless, the Japanese firm has unveiled the prices of these two accessories:
- Pulse Elite wireless headset: €149.99
- Pulse Explore wireless headphones: €219.99
Sony presents PlayStation Link, its technology for wireless audio
Sony also presented Playstation Link, a new wireless audio technology. According to the brand, “this innovation offers low latency, lossless audio quality and simple switching between multiple PlayStation Link hosts, such as the PS5 paired with the USB adapter and PlayStation Portal”.
For simplicity, this is a USB adapter that will be supplied with the headphones and earphones. According to Sony, it will be possible to buy it separately to use both products on PC and Mac. Significantly, users will be able to simultaneously connect their Pulse Elite or Explore to a PlayStation Link compatible device (PS5, PC, Mac, PS Portal) and a Bluetooth compatible device such as their Android smartphone for example. For now, the price of the adapter is still unknown.