Sony is releasing a huge new update for its PlayStation Portal device today that will make the handheld better than ever before. Around this time last year, Sony began selling the PS Portal as a way to more directly compete with the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. Since then, it has gone on to be more popular than Sony anticipated with many PS5 owners picking up the accessory for themselves. Now, as a way of improving the hardware further, Sony is adding a new feature to the PS Portal that many have been requesting in droves.
Set to roll out soon, this new PlayStation Portal update will most notably add Cloud Streaming functionality to the platform. This feature is one that Sony will only offer in beta for the time being, which means those interested in testing it out will have to opt in to try it. Still, its implementation will allow users to stream a catalog of over 120 games on PS5 to the PS Portal.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Related: Returning PS2 Game Takes PlayStation Fans by Surprise
The only downside of this new addition to the PlayStation Portal is that Cloud Streaming as a whole is still locked behind PlayStation Plus. Specifically, it’s paywalled behind the highest-priced tier of the service in PS Plus Premium. Those with Premium subscriptions will be able to check out this functionality on PS Portal, but all others will be left out. Still, by Sony doing this, it has at least made PS Plus Premium a bit more valuable than it was before.
In case you don’t have a PS Plus Premium subscription, there are still some other changes to be found with this new PlayStation Portal update. Sony has specifically tweaked the audio settings of the hardware and will now set the volume lower when audio levels are toggled to minimum. Other than this, some other refinements to the PS Portal’s settings have been made that will let users alter the volume of their PlayStation Link device from the Portal menu.
For now, it’s not known if these changes will be the only ones to the PlayStation Portal or if there will be more that Sony hasn’t yet detailed. Either way, we should find out for sure when the full patch notes for this update go live right here.
