The PlayStation Portal is updated with improved sound settings, but above all a new way to play thanks to it.
Launched a little over a year ago, the PlayStation Portal disappointed us a little. It offered nothing more than what you could already do with a PlayStation Vita or even with the PS Remote Play application available on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, i.e. simply display the return of a game launched on a PS5 connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Limited in its use, the PlayStation Portal is gaining a little more interest with its new update. Via its blog, PlayStation announces that it will now be possible to use its accessory for “play streaming directly from our servers a selection of PS5 games from the PlayStation Plus games catalog, even if they [les joueurs, NDLR] do not have a PS5 console.
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The PlayStation Portal is gaining interest
What we remember is that this update transforms the destination of the PlayStation Portal. From a simple luxurious accessory for the PS5, it becomes a console in its own right (at least for cloud gaming). Only prerequisite: have a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription.
More than 120 PS5 games from PS Plus are available at the launch of this function including « DAVE THE DIVER, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Monster Hunter Rise et Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart ».
PlayStation cloud streaming will render at maximum quality of 1080p and at 60 FPS.
To launch a session, a minimum upstream and downstream rate of 5 Mbits is required. For 720p display, 7 Mbits are required.
The 1080p definition is accessible from 13 Mbits.
Functions unavailable in the beta
This beta is rolling out starting today, November 20. The feature is disabled by default. After updating the PlayStation Portal, you must activate it by following this path:
- Open the “Quick Menu” and go to “Settings” on your PS Portal.
- Select the “Cloud Streaming (Beta)” button
- Enable the Cloud Streaming (beta) option.
This new feature is launched in beta version. Sony warns that its features “may change and may not be representative of final experience”.
Among the unavailable functionalities, we list “game trials, streaming of games purchased from the PS Store, system features (such as Party voice chat and play invites for certain games), Creation Touch, 3D audio and transactions involved.” However, all functions of the DualSense controller are supported.
PS Portal sound changes
In addition to this superb addition, PlayStation also offers an improvement to the sound setting of its PS Portal. It is possible to adjust the audio output of its speaker so that the volume is lower when it is at minimum.
Also, you can adjust the PlayStation Link settings directly from the PS Portal settings to optimize the overall volume.
