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New PlayStation Portal System Update is Available Now

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On April 9, 2025

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Summary

Sony issues a new PS Portal system software update for April 2025.
The PS Portal Cloud Streaming beta introduces new sorting options and on-the-fly gameplay capture.
PS Portal users also get improved session management features like pausing games, inactivity warnings, a new queue system for crowded servers, and more.

Sony has released a new system software update for the PlayStation Portal remote player. The update brings some long-requested functionality that PlayStation Portal users have been waiting for since the launch of the handheld device’s Cloud Streaming beta.

Back when it launched in late 2023, the PS Portal was a somewhat confusing proposition for many. It was the first PlayStation-branded handheld since 2011’s ill-fated PS Vita, yet the PS Portal essentially served as an add-on Remote Play accessory for the PS5. Despite the skepticism, the PS Portal turned out a smashing success for Sony, far surpassing the gaming giant’s demand projections. However, the initial lack of cloud streaming support was a sore point for PS Portal users, even more so since there wasn’t any reason it couldn’t be achieved on the handheld.

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ps portal future upgrades new features teased

Sony Teases Future Upgrades for PlayStation Portal

A top Sony exec hints that the PlayStation Portal’s value proposition may be further enhanced with potential new features down the line.

Sony clearly saw sense in that notion, and in November 2024, a PS Portal Cloud Streaming beta was rolled out for PS Plus Premium subscribers. This beta lacked several basic features, though, erring more on the side of a tech demo than a semi-polished user experience. Now, Sony is finally fleshing out the PS Plus Cloud Streaming beta in meaningful ways via a brand-new system update. PS Portal users can sort the cloud game catalog alphabetically, by release date, or by how recently a title was added to PS Plus, making browsing the growing library far more manageable. The update also adds the ability to capture gameplay while streaming, mirroring how screenshots and clips work on the PS5 or standard Remote Play sessions.

Moreover, there are added quality-of-life improvements to session management, where users can now pause a cloud-streamed game and put the PS Portal into rest mode, though it’ll only hold the connection for 15 seconds before auto-disconnecting. Similarly, if the PS Portal is left idle without pausing, a warning will appear after 10 minutes of inactivity, counting down before the session ends. For crowded servers, a new queue screen shows estimated wait times and automatically launches the game upon the user’s turn. Lastly, Sony has added a feedback system with emoji-style ratings, allowing users to express satisfaction with PS Plus Premium from one to five.

The latest PS Portal update is welcome news, especially for users who have been clamoring for a greater emphasis on cloud-streamed games. It’s worth noting, though, that the PS Portal’s cloud streaming capabilities are still in beta form, which means Sony is likely working on bolstering them further with more features and/or supported games in the near future.

PS Portal Update Patch Notes April 2025

Sort

You can now sort games in the Cloud Streaming (Beta) catalog screen. There will be a new sort icon added to the top left corner, allowing you to sort games by: Recently added to PS Plus (default), Name, and Release date.

Capture Gameplay

The Create button on your PS Portal will now be enabled during a Cloud Streaming (Beta) session. Here is what you can do:

Press once: Display the create menu
Press and hold: Take a screenshot
Press twice: Start/finish recording a video clip

Images and videos captured during a streaming session will be automatically uploaded to the cloud server, which can be accessed from the PlayStation App by selecting [Library] > [Captures]. Your captures will be stored for 14 days after they were created.

Queue

You can now wait for your turn to play when the streaming server is full. The estimated wait time will be displayed on screen, and the game session will automatically start as soon as it’s your turn.

Pause

During a Cloud Streaming (Beta) game session, gameplay will now pause in the following situations:

Gameplay will pause when you open the PS Portal quick menu. You can open the quick menu by pressing the PS button, swiping left from the top right corner of your screen, or tapping the quick menu icon from the status bar.
When you press the power button once, PS Portal will be put into rest mode and the game will be paused. You can unpause and get back to your gameplay by pressing the power button again. If PS Portal remains in rest mode for more than 15 seconds, the cloud streaming session will be disconnected.
Gameplay will also pause when a system error message is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Note that the pause feature will not be supported in some cases, such as during an online multiplayer session.

Notification of Inactivity

You will now receive a system notification when your streaming session is about to close due to inactivity of over 10 minutes.

User Feedback Screen

We have added a user feedback screen at the end of the streaming sessions to rate the quality of your streaming experience. This will help us identify what went well or could be improved, as we continue to enhance the quality of our service.