The #PlayStation Portal truly is a bad, misguided product.
I question whether its management team should ever again be in charge of anything half as important as it should have been. #Sony #PlayStationPortal
@InfiniteHench Pretty glowing review at the link. What are the leadership blunders you're hoping to highlight?
@ellabellafull It's useless without a PS5
It literally can't do ANYthing on its own. Not even YouTube or Netflix
Only works with proprietary Sony wireless headphones. No Bluetooth. in 2023
Handhelds are absolutely exploding right now, from all corners of the market. And they release a $200 paperweight
@InfiniteHench It works with wired headphones. It's a streaming terminal like the software on mobile devices, Xbox Gamepass, Nvidia whatever. Those require separate machines too and peripherals for display and controls.
So to not see this as valuable is to not see any streaming as valuable. Is that the larger point?
@InfiniteHench I realize. I'm guessing they're taking on as much as they can for the device short of hosting its own games.
Sure reminds me of the Wii U controller though!
@InfiniteHench “Apparently, the device was never designed as a profit-making product. Instead, the firm says, the goal of the brave little device is to increase PS5 engagement.”
Definitely just a PS5 accessory then.
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/11/sony-says-ps-portal-wasnt-designed-to-make-a-profit
@ellabellafull Thought more about this, realized I've had a chip on my shoulder about Sony's hardware for a *long* time. So maybe that's part of my gripe here.
I sold their PCs back in the day (~ 2002-2004?) at Circuit City, and they've always done baffling hardware stuff. Created their own Hollywood-esque UI on top of Windows that was just bad.
Their controllers have always had inexplicably terrible battery life.
Created great handheld consoles but never really supported them. Just. Blarg.
@InfiniteHench Aha so you've got lots of extra experience and a larger perspective. Then you'd be able to see the trends sooner and more clearly.
@ellabellafull Thank you for not using the O word. 😄
@InfiniteHench LOL! I'm also up there in years. We might be mutually respecting. 😅
@ellabellafull Most other devices capable of streaming can also play their own games locally, or at *least* play other media like YouTube, music, etc.
Your analogy of a cloud/streaming terminal is good, I just don't think most people actually want that. Every other mass market handheld can play its own games. Sony *used* to make handhelds that can do that.
This strikes me as a non-solution from old guard who were burned on their previous handheld attempts; i.e., the wrong management.