Sony brings cloud streaming to the PlayStation Portal handheld after a year in beta
However, it still requires a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, which you can’t get in Singapore without workarounds.
Last December, we covered Sony’s cloud streaming beta on its PlayStation Portal handheld (you can read our review of the device here). Back then, it enabled the Portal to stream around 100 selected titles from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, which increased the Portal’s appeal from a simple PS5 Remote Play device to a viable cloud gaming console.
A year on, and Sony has released another system update that includes a full release for Cloud Streaming on the Portal. This unlocks a list of over 2,000 PS5 games that can now be played on the handheld without having to turn on your PS5. The library cuts across the PlayStation Store, PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Classics Catalog, though availability for titles will vary across time, region and country.
Currently, titles that are available to stream include Astro Bot, Cyberpunk 2077, GTA V and more. You can also expect more recent titles like Ghost of Yotei and Borderlands 4 to be supported (read our reviews on those here and here).
You can look for games that support Cloud Streaming on the Portal itself through a search function. The beta’s minimum connection speeds for streaming (13 Mbps for 1080p, 7 Mbps for 720p) also remain the same.
Select digital PS5 games already in your library can now be streamed on your Portal.
Unfortunately, you’ll need a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription to access Cloud Streaming, a tier which isn’t available in Singapore. There are workarounds, though, including making a US PSN account and subscribing that way.
Other features that come as part of this update include 3D Audio for Remote Play and Cloud Streaming. You can also make in-game purchases and receive game invites when playing on the cloud, as well as set a passcode lock and check network status on your Portal now, too.
If this update makes the PlayStation Portal a more interesting handheld (and you don’t mind having to workaround the lack of a PS Plus Premium tier here), you can get the Portal at retailers like Challenger or Qisahn now for S$295.90. Or, you can get it straight from Sony for a discounted price of S$267.90, though it’s only available in the Midnight Black colourway, and you’ll have to wait as it’s on backorder for now.