How does PlayStation Portal work?

Sony is no stranger to releasing some weird and wonderful hardware. The PlayStation division is no exception, and the PlayStation Portal is the latest in a long line of out there products.

As an unconventional piece of equipment, there’s understandably some confusion over what the PlayStation Portal does and how it works. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is the PlayStation Portal?

Let’s get this out of the way, right off the bat. The PlayStation Portal is a portable streaming device that links to your PS5 console. It is not a portable gaming device like the Nintendo Switch. The PlayStation Portal isn’t capable of playing any games natively, meaning on the device itself, a la the Switch.

That means you can’t use the PlayStation Portal without an internet connection. In fact, both your PlayStation Portal and PS5 will need to be connected to the internet for the Portal to work.

This is because the Portal essentially just acts as a wireless display for your console.

How does PlayStation Portal work?

The PlayStation Portal connects to your PS5 via Remote Play. That’s the wireless streaming system that Sony first implemented all the way back in the PS3 era. Originally, you could use Remote Play to stream PS3 games to a PSP and later PS4 games to a PlayStation Vita.

The PlayStation Portal is an extension of that idea, without the ability to play its own games like the PSP and Vita could.

During the PS3 and PS4 era, you generally had to be on the same WiFi as your console to have a good experience, but that’s no longer the case with the PS5 and PlayStation Portal.

Sony claims that the PlayStation Portal can be used anywhere that you have access to broadband internet. For best results, the company recommends an internet speed of 15Mbps or a minimum of at least 5Mbps. The better your connection, the better your experience is going to be.

Who is PlayStation Portal for?

PlayStation Portal is a niche product. There’s no getting around that. Sony’s key selling point seems to be that a PlayStation Portal will free up the family TV. This means you can play your PS5 on the Portal while your spouse/significant other/kids also get to use the TV.

It also means you can play your PS5 games away from your console/TV set up, such as in bed, where you can tell yourself that you’ll be going to sleep after just one more level.

Since the PlayStation Portal can be used from anywhere with a decent internet connection, it’s also a viable option for anyone who spends a lot of time away from home. You can play outside of the house or even in other countries. It’s sure easier than lugging around an entire PS5 set up to get your Spider-Man 2 fix.