Sony’s New Handheld Gaming Device and Audio Equipment: PlayStation Portal and Pulse Explore Earphones

Earlier this year, Sony launched a handheld gaming device and new earphones. Now there is also a headset.

Handheld gaming is on the rise. Sony not only wants companies such as Nintendo, Valve and ASUS to benefit from that attention, and is also coming up with a handheld gaming device. The PlayStation Portal is a device that you can connect to the PlayStation console for gaming. The device resembles a DualSense controller with a screen attached.

In short, that is indeed what the product actually contains. Unlike the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, you always have to link a PlayStation to the PlayStation Portal. This is because the device itself has no hardware on board to run games.

What the gaming handheld does have is an 8-inch LCD screen. You can play on it in Full HD resolution and at a refresh rate of 60Hz. For this you need to connect to the same network as your PlayStation console: you will stream the game over your own WiFi network to the PlayStation Portal – cloud gaming on a small scale, in other words. The controller itself offers the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers we know from the DualSense controller.

Anyone who has a PlayStation Portal in mind should take this into account. You will not be able to take the device with you to play your PlayStation games on the bus or train, since you really always need a WiFi connection. The PlayStation portal therefore seems especially ideal for those who have to share the TV screen at home or simply want to play PlayStation in another room.

The PlayStation Portal will cost around $199.99. Specific euro prices are not yet known. It is known that PlayStation will release the device at the end of this year. So you don’t have to wait very long to play PlayStation on your lap.

Audio equipment

Sony has more news in it chest than about his gaming handheld alone. The brand comes with audio equipment for PlayStations. In May, Sony already announced that it would release ‘PlayStation Earbuds’ at some point. Those earphones will also appear at the end of this year, under the name ‘Pulse Explore’.

These are not standard earphones with the PlayStation brand. The Pulse Explores will use planar magnetic drivers, developed by Sony to deliver an audio experience that will delight audiophiles. Sony’s earphones will be the first product to bring the new driver technology to the mass market.

© Sony© Sony

However, it does not stop there: in addition to the Pulse Explore, Sony also comes with the Pulse Elite. That will be a gaming headset with the same design as the Pulse Explore and the same driver technology. Both the earphones and headset are able to filter the background noise, so that you can game in peace.

The earphones will be available at the end of this year and will cost 219.99 euros. The headset, Pulse Elite, would also come out and at a price of 149.99 euros. Sony says in its blog post that it will soon provide more details and a concrete launch date.

2023-08-24 10:12:00
#Price #specifications #PlayStation #Portal #earphones #headset #TechPulse