New PlayStation Portal update makes Sony's handheld even better
You'll soon be able to capture video right from one button, sort your games properly, and have the fun of queuing for a session
🙌 Sony has announced a host of useful quality of life changes for the Cloud Streaming beta program for the PlayStation Portal
👏 These include functions for the console's Create button for game capture, new Sort and Queue mechanisms, pause functionality, and a user feedback screen
☁️ The Cloud Streaming beta is available to PlayStation Plus Premium members for streaming PS5 titles to the handheld without the need for a console
🤔 Sony also recently surveyed users on the Nintendo Switch 2, leading some to believe it was a statement of intent over the rumoured PSP 2 console
Alongside a price rise for PlayStation Plus in certain countries, Sony has also announced some useful, new features for its PlayStation Portal handheld.
Sony’s Cloud Streaming Beta program allows PlayStation Plus Premium members to use the PlayStation Portal to stream select PS5 titles, even without the need for a console.
Sony has added quality of life features, such as a new sort function that allows users to filter games by release date, name, and how recently they were added to PS Plus.
The handheld's Create button will also be enabled when Cloud Streaming, with a single press displaying the create menu, a press and hold taking a screenshot, and a double press allowing for a quick method of starting and stopping video clip recording.
Images and videos that are captured are automatically uploaded to Sony's cloud server and can be accessed via the PlayStation app. They're stored for 14 days.
There’s also a queue mechanic for when the streaming server is full, which will display an estimated wait time, with your game session starting as soon as it's your turn.
Sony has also added a pause feature when you open the PS Portal Quick menu or press the power button, while you will also receive a notification when your session is about to end if you are inactive for more than ten minutes.
For more direct engagement, you can also give Sony feedback with the new feedback screen at the end of a streaming session to help identify what’s going well, or needs to be improved.
The PlayStation Portal first launched in November 2023, and is arguably the closest the brand has got to a handheld since the PSP. If the rumours are true, though, we may well be getting a PSP 2 at some point, especially as Sony recently gauged interest in a handheld with a survey about the Switch 2's release.
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.
