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How to cloud stream PS5 games on the PlayStation Portal

PlayStation Portal bundle home screen while turned on.
Giovanni Colantonio / Digital Trends

The PlayStation Portal wasn't what most people wanted in a new PlayStation handheld. However, it did what it was intended to do very well as an accessory and most people who purchased one ended up enjoying the convenience of streaming your console games to the portable screen. Still, most fans still dreamed of a fully dedicated handheld. While we don't quite have that yet, this new PlayStation Portal feature brings us closer than ever. Here's how you can use the PlayStation Portal to stream PS5 games without a console.

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Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • PlayStation Portal

  • PlayStation Plus Premium subscription

  • An internet connection

The PlayStation Portal cloud streaming menu.
PlayStation

How to stream PS5 games from the cloud on PlayStation Portal

Thanks to an update, the PlayStation Portal can now stream certain PS5 games directly through the cloud — no PS5 required. That means you don't have to own, or even be near, a PS5 to play some of the best PS5 games. Here's how to get it working.

Step 1: Turn on your PlayStation Portal.

Step 2: Go to the Quick Menu and go into Settings.

Step 3: Select the Cloud Streaming (Beta) option.

Step 4: Toggle Cloud Streaming (Beta) to on.

Step 5: Go back to the home screen and you will have a new option allowing you to cloud stream games directly through the internet.

Because this is a beta, there are some limitations. First, you will need a PS+ Premium subscription and high-speed internet connection for streaming to work. Second is that not every game on Premium is available to cloud stream. Only a select group of around 120 PS5 games are available, with no PS4 or PS3 games on the service. You also cannot access game trials or use some feature such as party chat and game invites as of now.

We expect more games and features to be added as the beta continues and is eventually released in its final form.

Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over five years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
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