I’ve been on the hunt for a PlayStation Portal since its release in late 2023, and a recent software update – plus the upcoming prospect of Black Friday sales – have only increased my desire to get hands on Sony’s remote player.
The PS Portal was something of an odd proposition at launch. The device, which resembles a 7-inch display stuck between an elongated Dualsense controller, wasn’t a PSP or Vita follow-up nor a rival to the Steam Deck – as it merely streamed games from a connected PS5 console.
For those hoping for a new portable game console from Sony, there was obvious disappointment. However, the latest update for the device has changed this slightly, as it now allows Portal owners to stream a certain selection of games directly from the cloud.
There are a few caveats, of course. This feature is currently launching in beta, so there might be a smattering of bugs and glitches, and Sony says that it’s still an ‘experimental offering’ with the features available subject to change.
You’ll also need to be a PS Plus Premium subscriber, so that’s an extra monthly fee to get access to the games. There are plenty of titles available (120 according to Sony) including big hitters like Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales, and depending on your connection speeds they’ll be playable at 1080p/60fps.
This update doesn’t sort out all the issues with the Portal. For instance, you still can’t stream any game you own without a PS5 connected and Game Trials aren’t included either. There’s no PS3 or PS4 game streaming either, which is a bit of a shame but hopefully that’ll come in time.
PS Portal Black Friday Deals
This update has increased my interest in the Portal, and with Black Friday arriving this could be the perfect time to snag one.
There are no huge discounts available at the time of writing, though with the console dropping in price on Prime Day earlier in the year there’s the chance they will come. You can check the latest prices below and these will update if retailers decide to slice some cash off the Portal’s £199/$199 RRP.
We’ll be bringing our readers all the best Black Friday deals through our live blog and individual posts for the biggest savings. We’ve already spotted some excellent deals on other PlayStation items, including a big saving on the PS5 Pro.
