I’ve had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the PlayStation Portal since it launched. Initially, I was disappointed by Sony’s cloud streaming device. I was impressed with its screen and appreciated its DualSense integration, but its slimmeddown features made it feel like a cheap version of a good idea. I’ve since learned to find a use case for my PlayStation Portal that turned it into an integral part of my gaming setup. It’s very imperfect, but that doesn’t mean it’s not useful.
Ever since its launch, I’ve been hoping for a refreshed follow-up, whether that be a Pro model or a true PlayStation Portal 2. It may be way too early to start discussing that considering that the Portal just launched in November 2023, but the promising device has enough glaring flaws that I’d welcome a fast-tracked successor. If Sony were to make a PlayStation Portal 2, though, there’s one feature that’s nonnegotiable: Bluetooth.
If you’re unfamiliar with Sony’s remote playing handheld, you might be a little confused. Surely, a portable gaming consoled released in 2023 has Bluetooth support, right? Weirdly, that’s not the case — and it’s the system’s biggest problem.
Currently, you only have two audio options on the PlayStation Portal. There’s a headphone jack on the back of the system that allows users to hook up wired headsets. You can plug in any earbuds or devices you want. However, wireless audio enthusiasts are out of luck. The handheld doesn’t feature Bluetooth support. At the moment, you simply can’t use most wireless headsets with it, which is a major problem for a gaming handheld.
RelatedThere’s a reason for that … and it’s a little infuriating. The PlayStation Portal instead uses a new Sony audio tech called PlayStation Link. Sony claims that its proprietary connection
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