Sony’s November 19, 2024 announcement describes Cloud Streaming (Beta) for the PlayStation Portal remote player. PlayStation Plus Premium members could test streaming for select PS5 games in the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog directly from Sony’s servers, even without a PS5 console. The announcement describes an experimental beta, so it does not establish the feature’s current launch status or availability after that announcement.
What the November 2024 Beta Included
The beta supported select PS5 games from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. Sony listed more than 120 PS5 games at the time, including Dave the Diver, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Monster Hunter Rise, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
Streaming was supported at up to 1080p and 60 frames per second. Sony noted that individual game performance would vary with the game and the quality of the network connection.
The beta supported DualSense wireless controller features, including haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, speakers, a touchpad emulated on the Portal touchscreen, and a motion sensor. Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers were available only when supported by the game.
PlayStation Plus cloud storage could store up to 100GB of save data and game progress. Sony said this data would automatically sync with a PS5 console, supporting movement between local and streaming gameplay and between multiple devices.
Requirements and Speed Thresholds
Sony’s access requirements were a PlayStation Portal remote player, a PlayStation Network account, an active PlayStation Plus Premium membership, and broadband internet over Wi-Fi. Child accounts could not access the beta.
| Use | Minimum upload and download speed |
|---|---|
| Establish a cloud streaming session | 5 Mbps |
| Stream at 720p | 7 Mbps |
| Stream at 1080p | 13 Mbps |
These are the minimum speeds Sony listed in the announcement. They do not guarantee a particular experience because Sony also identified the game and network quality as performance factors.
How Sony Described Accessing the Beta
- Update the Portal to the latest system software.
- Open the Quick Menu and access Settings.
- Select the Cloud Streaming (Beta) button.
- Switch the Cloud Streaming (Beta) toggle on.
The toggle was off by default. After it was enabled, Sony said a new Home screen option would provide access to games through cloud streaming. Turning the option off returned the Home screen to its standard version.
Games, Regions, and Features Excluded from the Beta
The beta was limited to PS5 games in the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. Sony said that available titles could vary over time, by region or country, and by plan. The announcement listed availability in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
PS4 and PS3 games were not supported. The beta also excluded Game Trials and streaming games purchased from the PlayStation Store. Party voice chat and game invites were unavailable for select games. The Create button, 3D audio, and in-game commerce were also listed as unavailable.
Research Method and Limitations
This answer was prepared from the supplied excerpt of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s public PlayStation Blog announcement dated November 19, 2024. The supplied material is an announcement of an experimental beta and does not establish the feature’s current status, later changes, or final availability. No hands-on testing, latency measurements, pricing analysis, or competing coverage was available in the supplied evidence. The excerpt does not support claims beyond the documented beta details above.
Text version of the diagrams
- Portal Beta: Included vs Excluded: Included — PS5 Catalog streaming; Requirements — Premium, Wi-Fi, speeds; Excluded — PS4/PS3, trials, chat
- Access Requirements and Limits: Account — PSN and Premium plan; Connection — Broadband Wi-Fi required; Scope — Select PS5 catalog games
