Ever since I purchased my PlayStation Portal to kick off 2025, my gaming habits have changed quite a bit. Pre-PlayStation Portal, I played my Nintendo Switch primarily in handheld mode and my PlayStation 5 anytime I was gaming on the big screen.

I now have the power to play both my Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 games on the couch and on the go (as long as I have a strong enough wifi signal). I can now take my PlayStation games with me, play them in bed, or even play right in front of the TV as I watch something else on the TV. This has been very empowering over the past few months.

My PlayStation Portal-ing began with testing out different games. On the Nintendo Switch I’ve always had certain handheld games, docked games, and some that work both ways — mostly due to controls. Can I play this game with my joy-con thumbsticks or do I need to bust out the Switch Pro controller?

This was the primary testing phase with the PlayStation Portal. Do sports games work? What about racing games? Shooters? The mostly full-sized DualSense controller split in half and smashed onto a portable screen works great for practically any game on the go.

Specific Gaming

I have recently found my gameplay groove with a few different PlayStation games on the PlayStation Portal:

EA Sports Madden NFL 25

The first game is Madden NFL 25. This is my first Madden game in about five years. Getting back into the series I went right back to my old ways – Franchise mode with “my” Miami Dolphins. I came in prepared to try out new features, game modes, maybe even Ultimate Team. None of this happened.

I am however paying way more attention to the weekly tasks in my Franchise. The in-between game parts that I used to skip or simulate right past year-after-year. Thanks to the PlayStation Portal I am playing my weekly games on the big screen, then handling my weekly tasks (coaching staff, scouting, training) mostly in handheld mode.

I can quickly run through these tasks in handheld mode while I half-heartedly watch a show on the TV. Next, I get to switch over to the TV for the big game of the week.

I plan to post more on my first Madden NFL game in five years later this week.

Final Fantasy XVI

Another game that I have recently created a hybrid way of playing (handheld vs TV mode) is Final Fantasy XVI – that’s sixteen for the non-Romans. As a newbie to JRPGs (and the world of Final Fantasy) I have been treating this game like watching a television series or reading a fantasy novel. I play through one “episode/chapter” or section at a time. I play main story quests and fight boss battles on the television.

Once I’m back at a base (or safe area) I may pick up my PlayStation Portal and complete a few small side quests. I explore the village and talk to some locals in handheld mode, before hitting the road for a big mission.

Having the option for a handheld mode on the PlayStation 5 has actually pushed me to complete more of these side missions. I also happen to be very obsessed with these characters and their world.

Indie Games

I first thought the PlayStation Portal would be my PlayStation indie game player. I have been playing a couple of card fighters (Wizard of Legend and Gordian Quest).

My Nintendo Switch has always been my favorite place to play smaller indie titles in handheld mode. Since the end of last year I’ve been obsessed with one main indie title on my Nintendo Switch – Balatro. No matter what I tell myself I’m going to play on the Nintendo Switch, I always end up on Balatro.

While the PlayStation Portal is a great indie player, it works just as well with any PlayStation title. I continue to download games I never finished or missed out on, just to play them in handheld mode.

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Problem Solver

My PlayStation Portal even stepped it up recently as a problem solver. I was experiencing some unexpected thumbstick drift on one controller. We were playing Cat Quest II (a co-op game) and I only have two DualSense controllers. At some point I switched from the problem controller to the PlayStation Portal. The new problem was not knowing which screen to focus on – like playing the Wii U with the Gamepad back in the day.

I did run into problems last week when trying to connect from Minnesota to Miami using my PlayStation Portal. I blame that on Comcast. My friend supposedly has “fast internet,” but we all know that Comcast, At&t, and all internet providers are liars. “Trust us, you’ll get 500 GB of high speed internet.*

_{*FINE PRINT: AS LONG AS YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE CONNECTED TO THE NETWORK
USING A HIGH-SPEED ETHERNET CABLE – OTHERWISE, YOU’LL GET ABOUT 3 MB.}“

I have used the PlayStation Portal many times away from home on another network and I’ve had mostly great experiences. There are still two ways of playing that I need to try out though.

(1) I wish to take my PlayStation Portal to a friend’s house — one that owns a PlayStation 5. I’d like to see how it works when playing together online while sitting next to each other. Playing a game like Overwatch on our separate consoles, using my PlayStation Portal.

(2) The second one I’d like to try out is playing a co-op game away from home, while my partner plays on the couch. Something like Cat Quest II or Split Fiction. A local co-op type game while on a different network.

Those were just two random instances that I came up with for testing the limits of my PlayStation Portal. I will report back when I get to try them out.

Overall, I’ve had a great time with the PlayStation Portal. I had no intention of buying one until I was on a trip and my friend told me he had been playing his PlayStation 5 games from the hotel bed, while his PlayStation 5 was 1,200 miles away.

Technology is wild!