Most of the gaming press is very positive about it and then Engadget and Theverge etc complain about everything thats its not. They are not the audience. Bare controller for remoteplay costs $99. NSW or Steamdeck does not do the fidelity of PS5 games at 60fps.. for most people about 50-60ms more latency @60fps vs native is worth the tradeoff when you would be playing at barely 30fps PS4 quality on steamdeck anyway.
This screen/controller setup is clearly better than any other option.
Bluetooth audio has too much latency for it to not be anything but a bullet point..
That made me want to look into it more and see if it was actually a distorted view or not.
Add to the list of gaming press that think it's a decent device but why would you get one when there are better options for remote play: Polygon, Wired, Tomsguide, PCMag
Places that think it's a nice device but question if it's worth 200 USD: CNET, Digital Trends
Places that like the hardware but aren't sure yet if it'll work for them: Gamesradar
Places that really like it but think it's only for a very narrow and small market: ComicBook.com, VGC
Places that liked it, although they think it needs some serious work in some areas: IGN, Kotaku, Techradar
Of course, similar to any cloud gaming device the quality of your internet connection is of utmost importance. Bat connection, bad experience.
Bluetooth missing is almost universally considered something that Sony needs to add ASAP. So, sure, you might feel it's a bullet point, but it seems most gaming review sites feel it is an essential feature that needs to be included. There are low latency Bluetooth API's including Sony's own excellant LDAC.
If you look on Metacritic most review sites question why it exists when there are better options. Most (but not all) thinking it's a bad value at 200 USD despite being a decent device. Over half are either bad reviews or mediocre reviews. Engadget didn't even give it one of the worst review scores.
Maybe it's only YouTube personalities that are mostly positive?
So sure, if you have a great internet connection and enough bandwidth for a good experience (most reviews agree that the minimum should be 15 Mbps and not 5 Mbps) and you are seeking remote play in the living room then for the right person it might be something worth getting. Even the negative reviews agree that if you narrow down the niche enough, there will probably be someone that might like it for the 200 USD asking price even if for most people seeking a remote play PS5 experience there are better options that can potentially offer a better experience at a cheaper price.
Regards,
SB
www.engadget.com
