PlayStation Portal
2023, November 15
The PlayStation Portal is a handheld gaming accessory for the PlayStation 5, developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, first released on November 15, 2023. It is used to stream video games and other media from a PlayStation 5 via the Portal's Wi-Fi connection using Remote Play technology. The Portal is able to control the console using its own built-in screen and DualSense-like controller styled like a handheld game console, although it does not run any games or media natively on its own.
Hardware and technicals
The PlayStation Portal's main hardware features include an 8-inch LCD HD screen and "all of the buttons and features of a DualSense controller". It runs a heavily modified version of Android 13 on a Snapdragon 662 system-on-chip. Unlike the Nintendo Switch or Sony's own previous PlayStation Vita and PlayStation Portable, the PlayStation Portal is not a standalone game console and only functions as a streaming receiver for PlayStation 5. In November 2024, Sony rolled out test versions of the device's software to give cloud gaming access to players with PlayStation Plus Premium, which exited beta and became officially available in November 2025.
Connectivity
The PlayStation Portal connects to a paired PlayStation 5 through a local area network instead of directly, using the Portal's Wi-Fi connection. The controller commands and video stream are transmitted over the local network, which means that a broadband Internet connection is not required at home other than for authentication purposes or to play online multiplayer games. When outdoors or remote, an Internet connection is required; the Portal itself does not feature 4G/5G cellular connectivity, instead connecting to a Wi-Fi access point elsewhere, which may also include tethering to an existing cell phone's connection.
Due to the lack of a web browser, the PlayStation Portal was initially unable to connect to most public Wi-Fi hotspots which require access to a captive portal for authentication. A system software update rolled out on June 19, 2024, allowing users to connect to these public networks. This was initially limited to the 2.4 GHz radio band, but another firmware update released in July added support for 5 GHz public Wi-Fi networks.
Publications have noted that the quality of the stream, both locally and remote, is highly dependent on the home router, and generally recommend the PlayStation 5 to be hardwired to the router using Ethernet instead of wirelessly.
