PlayStation Portal update adds High Quality mode and speedier setup

2 weeks ago 8

Published Mar 17, 2026, 11:33 AM EDT

Your second-screen experience is about to get even better

A PlayStation Portal handheld displays Astro Bot on the device’s main menu

Sony's odd-yet-delightful PlayStation 5 accessory, the PlayStation Portal, is about to get even better. In a PlayStation Blog post on Tuesday, Sony unveiled an update for Portal that will bring three major enhancements to the remote gaming accessory: 1080p High Quality Mode, improvements to Cloud Streaming, and a smoother onboarding and first-time setup experience for new Portal owners.

The update will roll out globally to all Portal users on March 18.

While Portal could already run games at 1080p, the new High Quality Mode will use more data to provide a smoother experience and better visual fidelity. Ahead of this update, Portal was prone to occasional lag and connection drops, so this is a welcome change — assuming your home network can support it.

PlayStation Portal UI resolution settings

The other updates focus more on usability and menu functionality: Cloud Streaming search and product-detail pages have been streamlined, while trophies and game invites will be accompanied by clear on-screen notifications.

Even for experienced PS5 users, setting up the Portal for the first time can take around 15 to 20 minutes. The March 18 update aims to eliminate some of that friction, with an option to sign in to your PlayStation account using a QR code instead of a manual login. That alone probably isn't going to reduce the setup time dramatically, but it's a helpful tweak that makes the process a little smoother and more intuitive.

Despite early skepticism surrounding the second-screen device, the PS Portal sold an estimated 2 million units by the end of 2024. According to PlayStation's senior manager of product management Takuro Fushimi, that user base has continued to grow, and a significant chunk of those players are PlayStation Plus subscribers.

"Since our last update in November, we’ve seen strong momentum on PS Portal," Fushimi said on the PlayStation Blog. "Cloud Streaming monthly users grew by 162% year-over-year in January, and over 50% of PS Portal users are now PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers – reflecting growing engagement with the cloud experience."

At a time when console hardware and accessory prices keep going up across the board, PS Portal is still $199, just as it was back in 2023. It may not be the PS Vita successor that handheld devotees had hoped for, but if you've got a sizable PS5 library — or a PS Plus subscription — it's a nice option for handheld or second-screen play.

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