The PlayStation Portal is a Bad Profit Portal for Sony

Photo by Nadine Shaabana on Unsplash

As The Secret Developers unwrapped their Christmas gifts this holiday season, they felt a pang of relief when they discovered that the new PlayStation Portal wasn’t hidden underneath their tree.

For those who live under a Switch, the Portal is a handheld device that doesn’t play games. It streams them from a PS5.

The Secret Developer thinks that Sony has hobbled this companion device by making that software development mistake (albeit with hardware this time), ignoring the user experience. Let’s take a look.

What fi?

“Here’s the deal: the Portal is equipped with WiFi 5 instead of the more advanced WiFi 6. Now, this might seem like a minor detail to the untrained eye.

However, you’re streaming games from your PS5 through your router (not directly, thanks Sony). The speed of your WiFi is going to directly impact your experience in games.

I mean, it impacts your experience greatly. Nobody wants to see a slideshow when they’re racing in the latest GT.

So why would Sony do this? It’s cutting corners to save a buck. Throwing the user experience under a bus to maximise profit. This, my friends, is where Sony and many software developers share an uncomfortable trait.”

Love What You Do, or Don’t Do It At All

“Here’s a novel idea: what if, instead of chasing the almighty dollar, companies prioritized their product?

What if developers took pride in their craft and cleaned up their tech debt? It all boils down to passion for what you’re doing. 

As I’ve always said, you can’t be a great software developer if your heart isn’t in it. The same goes for any company making tech products. If you’re in it just for the money, your product will never be great.

That’s exactly what Sony has produced here. Sure I know it’s sold out here there and everywhere but at what price if you’re sacrificing the User Experience?”

Sony’s Missed Opportunity

“Sony had a chance to set a new standard with the PlayStation Portal, to show that they value their users’ experience above all else. But by opting for outdated tech, they’ve shown their true colors. It’s a cautionary tale for software developers everywhere — cut corners, and you cut the heart out of your product.”

Conclusion

“If you’re working on something tackle that tech debt. If you’re creating a user experience don’t skimp on it. 

Developers oftentimes want to work on new features to meet deadlines but leave a trail of messy inefficient code in their wake.

Don’t build a skyscraper on a sand foundation. Don’t build a hardware platform based on streaming on a flimsy WiFi platform.

Thanks.”