Cloud Gaming on the PlayStation Portal Isn’t the Exciting Step Forward We’d Hoped for

Sony's recent introduction of cloud gaming features on PlayStation Portal raised the potential for a seismic change in how video games are distributed and accessed. Even though the handheld device doesn't play anything natively, designed instead to remotely mirror whatever is running on your PS5, the beta launch of a dedicated game streaming feature raised the curious possibility of being able to bypass the PS5 entirely.

All players would need, in theory, is the $200/£200 PlayStation Portal and a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, then they could access a curated library of games wherever they had a fast enough internet connection. The idea would surely be appealing to some players. The Portal and a rolling subscription would cost more than buying a PS5 console in the long run, but month-to-month may work out more economical. For those willing to stick to playing only the titles included in the cloud catalog, it could be especially appealing, given individual games can cost upwards of $70/£70.

Having now spent a few weeks testing the new features out though, it's very clear that this beta still has a long way to go before it's going to disrupt the industry or change player behavior in any meaningful way. In short, cloud gaming on PS Portal retains the same problems cloud gaming has always had, especially if you want to play anywhere other than at home.

PlayStation (Not So) Portable

The requirement for a constant internet connection to do anything with the Portal is an inherent limiting factor, but its core remote viewer function has at least been refined for increasingly stable performance in the year since the handheld's release. A summer 2024 update allowing the gadget to connect to public Wi-Fi sign-in portals was a quiet landmark, making connecting to a new network as easy as configuring your phone or laptop. Playing on Portal away from home was suddenly more viable, and bears out in tests now.

While speed remains a limiter—the faster the connection, the better the experience—streaming my PS5 to the Portal worked in several out-of-home tests. At a coffee shop, getting a network speed test result of a meager 11 Mbps, I was able to play the RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio at a passable quality. The image was notably blurry at times and occasionally suffered from bouts of artifacting, particularly in combat, but it was playable.

At a public library, getting speeds of approximately 23 Mbps, the performance was far more stable, with only very occasional visual dropouts. The best performance came from tethering to my own phone, getting a speed of 47 Mbps and not having to share bandwidth with other network users, which allowed me to zip around Astro Bot's colorful worlds unimpeded.

Unfortunately, when you switch over to cloud gaming, this all falls apart. Setting it up is simple enough—a matter of a quick system update and then opting into the beta through settings. Once that's done, booting up the Portal gives a new home screen, allowing users to choose between connecting to their own PS5 or browsing the cloud gaming catalog instead.