PlayStation Portal Finally Gets A Feature It Should Have Had From Day One

Since the PlayStation Portal first hit the market back in 2023, the portable gaming machine has been little more than a way to play your PlayStation 5 games remotely — so long as you had your actual PS5 console turned on and connected to the internet. It was essentially a standalone device that emulated the PlayStation Vita's Remote Play feature, but it didn't really stand out among more than the most dedicated PlayStation fans. Now, it seems Sony might be trying to change that.

Over the past two years since the console's initial release, Sony has improved the Portal in a couple of ways. First, it finally gave the console the ability to connect to public Wi-Fi connections, a boon for any traveling users. However, one feature was still sorely missing — one that could have taken the Portal to an entirely new level as a handheld gaming console: cloud gaming access.

Thankfully, Sony has changed its tune, as the company recently announced it would be bringing Cloud Streaming to the PlayStation Portal. The feature is only available for PlayStation Plus Premium members, but it does unlock access to select digital PS5 games which can be played directly from the device — without the need to have your PS5 console running.

One of the reasons that Cloud Streaming is such a big deal for PlayStation Portal is the fact it finally removes the requirement of having your PS5 turned on and running in order to play your games on a portable handheld. You can stream your favorite games even if someone else is playing a game from a different account on your console. Further, Sony says that it will make playing your favorite games even easier on the go, as you won't need to remember to leave your console up and running back at home to use it.

All you'll need is a high-speed internet connection and a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription. Then, you can enjoy a multitude of games that include some popular titles like "Ghost of Yōtei," "Grand Theft Auto V," and "Final Fantasy VII Rebirth." You can, of course, check out the full list of cloud-supported games on PS5 to see everything available for cloud gaming.