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Sony has announced a new update for PlayStation Portal, including new features like a redesigned UI, 3D Audio and, most notably, expanding its cloud streaming to your game library… but you'll still need to subscribe to PS Plus' highest tier to play them.
Around this time last year, Sony updated the PS Portal to introduce a cloud streaming beta, making the device more than just a really expensive paperweight for those who don't already have a PS5 to stream from. And now, Sony has confirmed via a post on the PlayStation Blog that, as of later today at 9pm ET / 6pm PT, cloud streaming will be out of beta with some new features.
When the update is released, players will be able to use cloud streaming to play their own digital games on the PlayStation Portal – alongside the PS Plus Game Catalog and Classics Catalog games they could stream previously. Sony says "thousands of PS5 games support" streaming, with the likes of Astro Bot, Borderlands 4, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Ghost of Yotei singled out (although looking at the full list, John Fart: Text-iverse of Crazyness is nowhere to be seen).
The catch, however, is that even though you are streaming your own games to the handheld, you're still required to have a PS Plus Premium subscription to use the cloud streaming capabilities for them, and at that point, you're probably better off just doing Remote Play like the platform did originally if you don't have the most expensive subscription.
Outside of the streaming update, the PlayStation Portal is receiving new features with this update, including 3D audio support, password lock, in-game purchases, and new accessibility options. There's also a redesigned UI to better accommodate the platform's current capabilities, featuring three tabs: "Remote Play", "Cloud Streaming", and "Search".
