PlayStation Portal Premium Streaming Impressions

The Evolution of the PlayStation Portal

The PlayStation Portal was originally released on November 13th, 2023, and quickly became a success. It sold exceptionally well, and at times, it seemed as though Sony couldn’t produce enough to meet demand. Although it was limited to being a streaming device that required a PlayStation 5, a stable internet connection players found creative ways to access their consoles while away from home—such as using mobile hotspots or travel routers. Despite Sony’s marketing stating that the device was intended for use within the home only.

On November 14, 2024, a little over a year after the launch of the PlayStation Portal, a beta update was released that significantly enhanced the device’s capabilities. This update allowed PlayStation Plus Premium users to stream over 120 games from the PlayStation Plus catalog directly to the device. Essentially, it provided access to that library of games without requiring a console altogether.

With Great Power….

Lately, I’ve been spending most of my gaming time on lengthy titles like Metaphor: ReFantazio. Because of this, I’ve also needed easier experiences to mix in when I’m not in the mood for something so intense. What’s been scratching that itch for me is revisiting older titles I’ve already completed but didn’t fully finish, like earning all the trophies. I’ve been taking the time now to polish off those platinum achievements.

The first game I did this with was Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which worked out perfectly since it’s part of the premium catalog. This allowed me to test out the new beta streaming feature, too. The game is rather fast-paced, so I knew it would be a good way to gauge latency and other factors.

The Verdict.

Accessing the premium streaming catalog is seamless. Booting up the PlayStation Portal presents you with two options. The first option wakes up your PlayStation 5 if you want to stream and play directly from the console. The second option loads the Premium catalog for direct streaming via the Portal. Currently, this feature is in beta, but one area I hope they update soon is the user interface. While it’s simple, which is fine, there’s no way to filter games or search efficiently. This makes navigating the catalog, which has over 100 games, cumbersome.

The real magic happens once you select a game. It boots up quickly, and any saved data is accessible if needed. Personally, I’m very sensitive to latency, but what I experienced was minimal, allowing me to game this way for several hours without any issues.

That said, it’s important to note that I have a strong internet connection at home, with 800 Mbps download and 25 Mbps upload speeds. To test the feature further, I tried it at a friend’s house, and the results were largely the same—the Portal delivered a great experience.

Overall, this feature launched in a fantastic state, and I can’t wait to see how Sony builds upon what they’ve already achieved.