After 2 years, the PlayStation Portal finally became a real handheld

When the PlayStation Portal launched in 2023, it felt like an incomplete experience. While it was convenient that you could stream your PS5 games directly from your console to the handheld, the ability to play games independently of your PS5 was missing.

It seems Sony recognized this as well, because late last year, it launched a beta for Cloud Streaming on the PlayStation Portal, enabling users to stream and play PS5 games from the cloud on the handheld, without having to connect to their PS5. Now, after a lengthy beta testing period, Cloud Streaming is officially launching for the PlayStation Portal.

Starting November 5, 2025, at 6PM PT / 9PM EST, PlayStation Plus Premium members will be able to stream PS5 games from the cloud on their PlayStation Portal. Subscribers to PlayStation Plus Premium can stream games from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Classics Catalog, as well as select titles they already own. Sony says “thousands of PS5 games” will be supported at launch, including Astro Bot, Borderlands 4, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Fortnite, Ghost of Yotei, Grand Theft Auto V, and Resident Evil 4.

The PlayStation Portal is also getting a redesigned user interface

You can only stream PS5 games; PS3 and PS4 games are not supported

In addition to launching Cloud Streaming for the PlayStation Portal, Sony is also introducing a redesigned user interface for the handheld device. This interface features three main menus: a Remote Play home screen for streaming games from a connected PS5 console, a Cloud Streaming home screen for PlayStation Plus Premium members to play games from the cloud, and a Search screen for finding games that support cloud streaming.

To use Cloud Streaming on the PlayStation Portal, Sony recommends a broadband internet connection with a minimum speed of 5 Mbps for both download and upload. For the best cloud streaming experience, Sony recommends 13 Mbps for 720p, 23 Mbps for 1080p, 39 Mbps for 1440p, and 52 Mbps for 4K.

“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,” PlayStation said in a blog post. “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.”

Sony is also releasing several other useful updates for the PlayStation Portal related to Cloud Streaming, including support for 3D Audio, the ability to make in-game purchases during cloud streaming and accept game invites from friends, and new accessibility options.

One notable omission from Sony’s launch of Cloud Streaming for the PlayStation Portal is the ability to stream non-PS5 games. Sony lets you play a number of PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4 games through Cloud Streaming on the PS5 console itself through the PlayStation Plus Premium Classics Catalog, but you can’t do that on the PlayStation Portal, according to Sony’s FAQ. It’s unclear if Sony plans to change this in the future, but I hope it does, as I’d love to be able to play PS3 games like The Sly Cooper Collection or Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga on the Portal.

Cloud Streaming launches on the PlayStation Portal on November 5, 2025, at 6PM PT / 9PM ET, so as long as you’re a PlayStation Plus Premium member, you’ll be able to get in on the action.