PlayStation Portal teardown exposes unimpressive internal components

An enterprising online tech expert has already taken apart the PlayStation Portal and found out that the internal components are not as impressive as you might think.

The PlayStation Portal was only released a few days ago, but some tech experts have already begun taking apart the game streaming device to see what makes it tick. Some of these teardowns have already been shared online, and have revealed some surprises and disappointments.

This teardown was conducted by YouTuber Jacob R, who was quick to show how difficult the PlayStation Portal is to take apart. This is extremely bad news for future repairability and any potential hardware modding, as any slip from a screwdriver or prying tool could irreparably harm the console.

Of particular note was the battery situation, as JacobR noted: “There is no accessible way to get to the battery.” The entire screen has to be painstakingly removed to access the battery for replacement, which itself is difficult because of how the thin screen is glued in place.

PlayStation Portal teardown reveals it is underpowered and fragile

News isn’t much better for those interested in emulation or software modding, as the chip running the Portal was revealed to be significantly underpowered, limiting the potential for the system to be used for broader gaming purposes.

The PlayStation Portal has proved to be divisive among the community since it is a far cry from the portable gaming successor to the PlayStation Vita or PSP that many were asking for. Despite the rise in popularity of powerful portable gaming devices like the Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, or Ayaneo 2, Sony chose to instead make a device for steaming games from the PlayStation 5.

These updates regarding the capabilities of the PlayStation Portal will no doubt disappoint many who wanted a next-generation version of the Vita, but perhaps Sony will reveal further plans for the Portal in the future.