The PS Portal has certainly found its audience, but it is far from perfect. One highly requested feature is missing, which remains a handicap for many players.
Released in November 2023, the PS Portal is a way to play PS5 games on the go. The machine provides a certain comfort to enjoy your library in a different way, even if it remains streaming requiring a solid internet connection. And if this proposition could leave you doubtful, the portable console has managed to find its audience, with very decent sales figures.
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Of course, the PS Portal requires some regular optimizations. This is why, since its launch, PlayStation has been offering new updates from time to time. However, the manufacturer still seems to be missing a demand from players that is seriously starting to annoy some of them.
It's time to bring the PS Portal up to date
There has been a wave of frustration since the release of PlayStation Portal 8 months ago. While the portable console is very practical, it lacks features that seem inevitable these days. Several patches have started to resolve some of the shortcomings. However, the lack of a web browser is still particularly noticeable.
This may seem trivial, but it is a real handicap. In fact, it is problematic for those who use their PS Portal on the go. Without a functional web browser, unable to connect to public wifi network. If you have ever accessed such a network from your smartphone or laptop, then you will remember that this requires opening a web page for authentication. Sony's portable console therefore does not allow this, preventing access to public wifi.
Therefore, players must find alternative solutions. It is always possible to use the sharing the line of his phone to connect to it from the settings. However, this consumes a lot of battery for the latter. You must also be sure to have a 4G or 5G plan sufficient to supply power to the console. To overcome this problem as best it can, PlayStation has since integrated the possibility of connecting via a QR code. But, again, the technique is far from practical.
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Well… there is indeed one hidden web browseras revealed by the site xtremeps3.com. To find it, you have to navigate to the PS Portal settings, right down to the legal notices, and open the “other documents”. These will then open in a browser. In addition to not being intuitive, this method is very limited. It is therefore all the more frustrating to see its existence on the console.
Not all PS Portal users may have felt this frustration. Still, anyone who uses it outside of their home may encounter this problem accessing public Wi-Fi. Especially since having a web browser would also allow you to visit all sorts of web pages, for example to enjoy youtube on its console. From then on, the grumbling of the players will probably not die down until Sony has integrated this particularly requested feature.