My enjoyment of the PlayStation Portal has been unwavering since its late 2023 launch. The transformative updates in 2025 have turned it into an exceptional cloud gaming device, significantly enhancing my experience.
During a recent three-week holiday away from home, the Portal became my ultimate gaming savior. With its cloud streaming capabilities, I had access to far more games than I could have prepared on my PlayStation 5 Pro.
I spent countless hours gaming, utilizing both remote play and cloud streaming modes. However, one persistent issue still frustrates me: the lengthy charging time of the battery.
Familiarity with Familiarity
First, let's discuss the positives. The PlayStation Portal continues to provide an exceptional way to enjoy my PS5 games and tackle my backlog. This holiday season, thanks to its cloud streaming update, I was able to game almost daily.
In the past, I would leave my TV unit door open to ensure my PS5 Pro could ventilate after remote sessions, but this time, that was unnecessary. The ability to stream my games, along with the PS Plus Premium cloud library, meant I could access even more titles online.
This allowed me to seamlessly jump into The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control: Ultimate Edition, and even start a new playthrough of The Last of Us Part I, all while enjoying Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered through remote play.
These may not be the latest titles, but the Portal's added streaming feature makes it easier to revisit beloved games without feeling pressured to try newer releases.
Familiar games feel right at home on the Portal, which has become a trusted device for me. The same applies to new games; streaming both personal and cloud titles is a fantastic feature for Portal users.
Taking Its Sweet Time
However, not everything is perfect. One major flaw with the Portal is its battery. I'm not just referring to battery life, but rather the painfully slow charging speed. While I find the overall battery duration adequate for my gaming sessions, the charging process is excruciatingly slow.
After enjoying a couple of hours of play each morning during the holidays, I had to carefully plan when and where to charge the Portal to ensure it was ready for my next session.
Each time I checked the charging progress, I was met with disappointment. It's akin to checking your bank balance—always lower than expected. This also frustrated my family, who needed to charge their phones.
In an era of ultra-fast chargers for phones and various devices, I find it perplexing that the Portal charges so slowly. Typically, it takes around two and a half hours (or longer) to fully charge from nearly empty. Given my holiday sessions often left the device at around 50%, I found myself needing to keep it plugged in for over an hour.
Despite this issue, I still love my Portal. However, if there is ever a revision, a significantly improved battery with faster charging capabilities should be a top priority for Sony to enhance this already brilliant device.