This PlayStation Portal is a strange machine, but it could take on a new dimension if its hack is confirmed.
A bit of a surprise announcement from Sony on May 23, the PlayStation Portal was the subject of several rumors. Fans of the Japanese firm then envisioned a Sony return to the handheld market after such iconic machines as the PSP and PS Vita. Alas, Sony quickly dashed the hopes of these fans, indicating that the PlayStation Portal would not be a stand-alone console, but a " remote player ". In other words, a machine simply capable of connecting - via Wi-Fi - to a PlayStation 5 to broadcast its content, a kind of remote screen to free up the living room TV, for example.
These limitations clearly didn't satisfy Andy Nguyen, who, along with two friends, set out to push the PlayStation Portal further. To do this, the three friends set themselves a challenge: hack the machine and enable it to run emulators such as the famous PPSSPP, which emulates the old PSP. We've yet to see the thing actually run, and no video has been published by the trio, but if Andy Nguyen's announcement on X (formerly Twitter) is to be believed, the thing has been a success. As a result, not only could PPSSPP be installed on the PlayStation Portal, but the game Grand Theft Auto 3 would also run.
After more than a month of hard work, PPSSPP is running natively on PlayStation Portal. Yes, we hacked it. With help from xyz and @ZetaTwo pic.twitter.com/AXuRROo6Ip
- Andy Nguyen (@theflow0) February 19, 2024
Andy Nguyen immediately clarifies, however: " No release is planned in the near future, and there's still a lot of work to be done ". So, PlayStation Portal owners, don't expect miracles just yet. And don't forget that Andy Nguyen's game is only a PSP title. It's an amusing feat, but it's unlikely to revolutionize mobile gaming, especially as PlayStation Portal is limited by its internal storage space: 6 GB with no possibility of expansion. And given that the machine is priced at 220 euros, it's unlikely to be a hit with gamers.
