PS Portal may soon be able to play more PS5 games, easing the wait for PS6 handheld release date
As rumors swirl about a PS6 handheld, the PS Portal remains the current-gen streaming solution. Although the device isn’t capable of playing locally stored games, Sony has gradually added more functionality. As reported by PlayStation Lifestyle, a Reddit poster made a curious discovery. Some gamers now believe the PlayStation Portal will soon have even less reliance on PS5 consoles.
When browsing the PS Store, GetTheWetsOn saw an interesting message on the Deliver At All Costs listing. The page states, “Buy this game, and then stream and play instantly on PS Portal or PS5 (only with PS Plus Premium)”. Although the text is now gone, it suggests that more PS5 games will become accessible on the handheld.
At launch, the Portal was limited to streaming games from home consoles. In November 2024, Sony began allowing PS Plus Premium subscribers to stream some selections without a PS5. However, the Deliver At All Costs listing implies that compatible games may no longer need to be in the PS Plus catalog.
The future of the PlayStation Portal
There is some debate about the discovery on the PlayStation Portal subreddit. Nevertheless, it could make the accessory more of a standalone option. That said, unlike with the PS6 handheld, the PS Portal would still rely on streaming to expand its library. With the custom Canis AMD chipset, the upcoming system may be powerful enough to play PS5 games natively, aided by a power-saver mode.
When the PS Portal arrived in 2023, there was skepticism about its appeal to mainstream gamers. It depended on a reliable home network to stream PS5 games through remote play. Still, even in beta, cloud functionality has given the handheld a boost.
Matt Piscatella recently shared Circana data, showing that 5% percent of PS5 owners now have a Portal. While it pales in comparison to the console’s installed user base, that number is rising. Providing mobile users with more streaming options would only make the device more enticing.
