PlayStation Portal, or the PS Portal, is getting a new update to offer users more flexibility in using the remote player device. On Tuesday, Sony released a new update for the PS Portal that includes support for cloud streaming certain PS5 games. This feature is currently being rolled out in beta. The cloud streaming feature has certain restrictions, and it is only available to users on the highest tier of PlayStation Plus subscription. However, the cloud streaming capability will now let gamers use the PS Portal as an independent cloud device.
PS Portal Gets Support for Cloud Streaming
The PS Portal was launched by Sony last year as a remote play dedicated device. With the handheld, users can play games sitting away from their console as long as they are connected to Wi-Fi. However, it is not an independent device, and users have to connect it to a PS5 console (in rest mode) to use it. This means unless one owns a PS5 and keeps it turned on in rest mode, the PS Portal cannot function.
However, the new system update, detailed by Sony in a blog post, will offer an improvement in this aspect. Cloud streaming on PS Portal is a beta feature available to the PS Plus Premium subscribers. Once the update is live, eligible users can select from more than 120 PS5 games, including Dave the Diver, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Monster Hunter Rise, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and stream them directly from the cloud.
Sony says users will need a minimum of 7Mbps Internet connection to stream games at 720p resolution and a minimum of 13Mbps to stream games at 1080p resolution. Games can be streamed in up to 60fps. The beta update will initially be available to select regions including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States. Indian users will not get the feature at this time.
Notably, these select titles are all from the PS Plus Game Catalogue, accessible to PS Plus Extra and Deluxe/Premium subscribers, and not all of the titles are available to play. Users will also not be able to play any PS4 or PS3 games at present. And they won’t be able to access certain PS Plus features such as Game Trials, party voice chat, game invites for some games, 3D audio, as well as in-game commerce (purchasing or selling of items within a game). Additionally, child accounts will also not be able to access the cloud streaming feature.
Despite the restrictions, the beta update reduces the reliance on PS Portal on the PS5 console and might encourage more gamers to get the device. Sony says to access cloud streaming, users only need the remote player device, a PS account and an active PS Plus Premium subscription, and access to Wi-Fi.