Sony is releasing a new update for PlayStation Portal owners who are part of its Cloud Streaming Beta. Later today, the remote play system's cloud features will receive several user experience enhancements and functional upgrades.
A key improvement is the addition of sorting options, enabling players to organize titles in the Cloud Streaming Beta catalog. Games can now be sorted by Name, Release Date, or by those most recently added to PlayStation Plus.
You can now capture gameplay directly during a Cloud Streaming session. All standard create menu functions are supported—whether accessing the menu, taking a screenshot, or recording video. According to Sony’s PlayStation blog update, video clips are supported at up to 1920x1080 resolution and can be up to three minutes long.
Gameplay will also pause automatically when opening the PS Portal quick menu, entering rest mode via the power button, or if a system error appears. However, rest mode pauses only last 15 seconds; if the device stays in rest mode longer, the cloud streaming session will end. Pausing is not available in online multiplayer modes.
Other changes include a queue system for when streaming servers are full, inactivity notifications, and user feedback tools. PlayStation confirmed it will continue rolling out new features based on player input.
The Cloud Streaming Beta is currently accessible to PlayStation Plus Premium members, letting them stream select PS5 games from the PS Plus Catalog directly to the PS Portal. While the Portal typically connects to a PlayStation 5 console, a recent update expanded its capabilities as a standalone cloud streaming device. Sony appears committed to refining this feature over time.
As cloud streaming gains traction in today's gaming landscape, it will be interesting to watch how Sony evolves its service alongside the PlayStation Portal. At the very least, being able to capture dozens of screenshots while streaming is a welcome addition.
