Sony is releasing a handful of quality of life upgrades for the PlayStation Portal handheld in a firmware update on June 19, 2024.
Revealed on the PlayStation Blog, the software update seeks to boost the user experience of the PS Portal by improving several features niggling the community.
The first of these makes the device more compatible with public Wi-Fi networks, as despite it being intended to use at home on a solid connection, Hiromi Wakai, VP of Product Management at Sony Interactive Entertainment, said Sony had “seen many players taking advantage” of its ability to be taken all over.
“While we recommend PS Portal to be used in your home as you have control over the quality of the Wi-Fi, it can also be used outside of the home in places where a fast and stable Wi-Fi connection is available – and we’ve seen many players take advantage of this,” Wakai said.
PS Portal can therefore now connect to a range of public Wi-Fi networks that require additional validation steps before players can get online, such as sign-in screens. When met with such a hurdle, the handheld will display a QR code to be scanned with a smartphone or tablet that connects players to the necessary sign-in.
Visual feedback for touchpad areas is another new addition, as PlayStation has added a light effect emulating the exact shape of the PlayStation 5 controller’s touchpad as well as its inputs. This will allow users to make the exact motions and prompts they intend to instead of having to attempt it without a visual cue.
Finally, the battery life on the PlayStation Portal will now display as a percentage if players wish, instead of just as a bar image. Players can turn on such a feature by going to Settings, then System, then Battery, then Show Battery Percentage when the update is released.
The PS Portal arrived in November 2023 as a companion to the PlayStation 5 as, unlike the Nintendo Switch or PlayStation Vita, no games are run from the handheld itself. The entire PS5 system is instead streamed to the device, letting users play games and run other apps as if on the console directly.
In our 8/10 review of the handheld, IGN said: “The PlayStation Portal is the best PlayStation 5 Remote Play solution available.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.