PlayStation Portal is updating and no longer needs PS5 to work!

An unexpected update allows you to play a selection of PS5 titles simply through the cloud and without an associated console.

Sony has always taken care not to call its PlayStation Portal (which we tested right here) a “console”, but rather a “remote player”. A semantics which leaves no doubt about the capacity of the device to run games locally (it is neither more nor less than a connected screen), which nevertheless takes on its independence. The brand is now undergoing a real turning point which could help attract more players.

Cloud gaming finally available on PS Portal

Let's recap. Today, PlayStation Portal allows you to play PS5 titles only if you have a PS5 console connected to the same internet network. In other words, we can play Astro Bot from the comfort of his bed while his console runs the game in the living room. It is possible to play without being at home, but you must make sure you are connected to a stable wifi network and the problem remains the same: our console must necessarily be turned on.

Today, the PS Portal is updated and welcomes a particularly interesting new feature: the possibility of playing PS5 games without even having a console. How ? Simply thanks to cloud gaming. In fact, subscribers to the PS Plus Premium program can already enjoy a selection of accessible video games without needing to install them. They are launched remotely in data centers and the PS5 (or PS Portal in this case) is only used to receive the video signal – just like when watching a movie on Netflix.

To summarize: PlayStation Portal becomes independent. With this update, you can simply purchase the player remotely, subscribe to a PS Plus Premium subscription, and start playing the games included in the package.

A feature still in beta

But Sony does not want to put the cart before the horse. In its blog post, the firm specifies that this is an experimental feature, in beta. Once the update is installed on the PS Portal, you will need to go to Settings > Cloud Streaming (beta) and activate the appropriate option which, by default, is disabled.

The firm also reminds that a fast internet connection is necessary to play in good conditions. A minimum of 5 Mb/s is required to even start a streaming session. For 720p gaming, Sony recommends 7 Mb/s, and 13 Mb/s for 1080p.

Some features offered on PS5 are not yet available on PS Portal, such as game trials or streaming games purchased from the PlayStation Store. The Japanese giant also reminds that only PS5 games can be streamed at the moment, and not the PS3/PS4 catalog. This still leaves plenty of fun, with some 120 games already available for streaming on PS5.