PS Portal’s New Update Could Be A Game Changer For Sony’s Handheld

The latest update for Sony’s surprisingly good PlayStation Portal adds the feature that people have been wanting since even before the handheld gaming device launched last year. Starting today, PS Plus subscribers can now stream some PS5 games via the cloud on their PS Portal without a console.

A year ago we got our hands on the PS Portal and while it looked weird, it felt great and was a wonderful device that let people play PS5 games anywhere in their house via wifi. The device, which costs $200, works like a charm and is quietly one of the best things Sony has made in some time. However, the Portal’s one big flaw was that, for some reason, it couldn’t stream games from the cloud. You had to own a PS5 and, when using the Portal, your PS5 would turn on and play your game remotely. It meant that the PS Portal was more an accessory than a console. But that changes today.

On November 19, PlayStation released the latest update for the PS Portal and while it adds some nice quality-of-life upgrades regarding sound settings, the real news is that starting today, players can play a selection of PS5 games via the cloud and without a console. In theory, you can now play PS5 games while out and about, assuming you have a wifi connection.

Sony says that over 120 PS5 games included in the PS Plus Game Catalog can be streamed on PS Portal after today’s update. The games include Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Monster Hunter Rise, Ghost of Tsushima, and Dave the Diver.

How to stream cloud games on your PS Portal

To start streaming PS5 games on your PS Portal without a console, you’ll need an active PS Plus Premium subscription, and then you’ll have to download the update and follow these steps:

1. Open “Quick Menu” and access “Settings” on your PS Portal.
2. Select the “Cloud Streaming (Beta)” button
3. Switch the Cloud Streaming (Beta) toggle on (this will be off by default).

At the moment, Sony is calling this a beta test, and not all features, like the capture button and party chat, will be supported in these streaming games on Portal. Likewise, Sony doesn’t currently support PS2, PS3, or PS4 games or purchased PSN games.

Hopefully, after testing and more updates, Sony will expand support and turn the PS Portal into a badass PlayStation streaming device capable of playing all those classic games added to the catalog each month as well as games you own. That would make me rush out and buy a PS Portal.

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