Sony’s $200 PlayStation Portal was never a completely reasonable device. The handheld device is designed to allow gamers to stream games from their PS5 consoles to it. It doesn’t work without the console, and can only help you play games with the TV turned off, or let someone else watch something on TV.
Despite the limited uses of the PS Portal, the software itself has more limitations than people initially realize. The biggest flaw is that the handheld can’t handle public Wi-Fi networks, such as those in hotels and cafes.
PS Portal simply didn’t work with a login portal that required inputting room numbers, etc., so anyone who took it out of the house needed to connect it to a phone or laptop’s hotspot. That all changes today.
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Sony’s dedicated Remote Play device has just received a major update. It introduces login screen support and, notably, allows PlayStation Portal users to connect to public Wi-Fi networks.
However, the feature isn’t as seamless as you’d hope. It requires another device to authenticate – such as your phone or tablet. After installing the update, PS Portal will now display a QR code that you need to scan with your phone before you can complete the login process. Surprisingly, PS Portal still doesn’t offer a basic web browser to navigate the login screens of these networks, but the update at least provides a solution.
The update also brings some new and welcome features. The simulated touchpad on the PS Portal screen now shows where you touch. New effects will appear when using the touchpad area.
Finally, there is now an option to show the battery percentage on the status bar. The feature can be turned on via the shortcut menu, which you can find under Settings > System > Battery.
Alongside the new update, Sony also revealed some interesting statistics about the handheld. According to the platform holder, over 60% of Portal users have used the Remote Play feature for the first time, and (unsurprisingly) it has increased engagement with the PS5 console among regular users.
In the first three months after Portal’s launch, the most popular games included Spider-Man 2, God of War: Ragnarok, and multiplayer games such as Fortnite, EA Sports FC24, and Rocket League.
