Almost two years after launching to a tepid response, the PlayStation 5 handheld formerly known as a Remote Play device is getting full cloud streaming support in its latest update.
I bought in to the PlayStation Portal immediately, but I haven't had much of a reason to play with it as someone who doesn't travel often. But now that the device is getting cloud streaming for PS5 games in an impending update tonight, I feel like it's worth it for others to invest in since you no longer need your PS5 powered on to play games with it.
As part of the update, which goes live tonight at 8pm CT, the Portal is also getting its own UI redesign, featuring individual home screens for Remote Play and Cloud Streaming, and a search function to find games that may support the feature.
"At launch, thousands of PS5 games support Cloud Streaming, including blockbusters such as Astro Bot, Borderlands 4, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Fortnite, Ghost of Yōtei, Grand Theft Auto V, and Resident Evil 4," Sony said in the announcement.
"Hundreds" more games are compatible with cloud streaming via PlayStation Plus and even the Classics Catalog, like Cyberpunk 2077, God of War Ragnarök, Hogwarts Legacy, Sword of the Sea and The Last of Us Part II Remastered.
I'm still not entirely sold on cloud gaming, as the input lag and latency always hampers the experience. But I remember playing quite a bit of FF7 Rebirth in bed on the Portal with Remote Play, which felt fine because it didn't need a supreme reaction speed like you would in a competitive FPS.
As is always the case with cloud streaming, your results may vary, and a lot of it has to depend on internet speeds. The Portal has always been able to access your home PS5 no matter where you are as long as you have an internet connection, but this new and different method just offers another option of how to play, even if you just want to play in a different room in your house like I've used mine to.
"Cloud Streaming unlocks new ways to play: enjoy a game side-by-side with a friend who’s using your PS5 under a separate account, or stream your favorite game while someone else watches a movie on the console," Sony explained. "Cloud Streaming also makes it easier to enjoy PS5 games on the go – at a hotel, café, friend’s place, or anywhere else with a high-speed internet Wi-Fi connection – since you can keep playing even when your PS5 console back home is powered off or is in use by another account."
I still think this device is a pretty solid investment at $199, and today's news only solidifies that. You can read more about the update ahead of its arrival tonight on the PlayStation Blog, including info about other improvements that it will add.
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