We were less than impressed PlayStation Portal It came to PCMag in 2023. My colleague Will Greenwald rightly criticized it in his review, stating that the Portal is “very limited for the price, especially when there are more economical options that deliver the same performance.” But Portal has received significant software updates over the past few years, including a recent, significant update that now lets you stream. PlayStation Plus priceless game library PlayStation 5. This feature caught my attention. At $249.99, and even paying an additional $159.99 for a 12-month PlayStation Plus Premium subscription to expand your cloud streaming library, Portal is still cheaper than the PS5. Steam Deck OLEDthe Nintendo Switch 2and Xbox ROG Ally X. And that’s really important, thanks RAM crisis. So if it was turned off by you Sony’s ever-increasing console pricesI highly recommend the portal. It’s the only convenient way to play PS5 games in this increasingly unstable and hostile video game market.
LOW VALUE PS5 GAME
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Sony PlayStation Portal
PS5: The latest victim of the RAM crisis
You’ve noticed that the PS5 (along with almost everything else tech-related) is slow became more expensive. First, you can point to the Trump administration’s tariffs, which have hit China, India, Vietnam and other Asian markets that are home to much of the world’s electronics manufacturing. TThe Supreme Court has since invalidated Trump’s sweeping tariffsbut that didn’t stop the President from using another US law to add another 10% to what already existed.
But the latest sticker shock comes from a different source: artificial intelligence. While AI applications don’t require a lot of memory, they do need data centers that power them massive amounts from him. according to TrendForceA Taiwan-based industry analysis and consulting firm focused on the semiconductor industry, AI-centric memory is predicted to account for a staggering 70% of global memory hardware production.
To meet the new, massive demands of data centers, major memory chip makers are shifting production capacity to stacked-design high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and server-grade DDR5, further reducing supply for consumer-grade devices. It doesn’t just affect desk and laptop computers; It also affects consoles including the PS5.
Google’s AI data centers require a lot of RAM (Credit: Google)
Fast forward to April 2nd, and Sony has raised the prices of the PS5, PS5 Pro and Portal, citing “continued pressures in the global economic landscape.” Despite the price increase from $199.99 to $249.99, Portal remains the only inexpensive way to play PS5 games.
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Could PlayStation Portal replace PS5?
I excitedly looked at the Portal again. When it launched, it was simply a remote player, designed to stream PS5 games instead of playing them locally. The device was limited, to say the least. However, A major update in November 2025 added cloud streaminginstantly making the once-average Portal a way to bypass the ongoing RAMaggedo. Streaming does not require as much RAM as rendering polygons.
When I combined the portal with a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, it introduced me to nearly 600 games, including a vast network of PS5 (and PS4!) games that support cloud streaming. A deep library of big and indie games made the subscription worth the investment. By playing PS5 games on the portal, you can save $191, $241, or $491, respectively, by avoiding the PS5 (digital), PS5 (standard), or PS5 Pro. I already have a PS5, but I would go this route if I didn’t.
Streaming does not require as much RAM as rendering polygons.
The PlayStation Plus library is pretty robust and allows me to enjoy first-party releases Nightmare of Tsushima, The end of us 2 partsand Marvel’s Spider-Man 2as well as prominent third-party titles including Blue Prince, Cyberpunk 2077Persona 5 Royal and Silent Hill 2. So I got a taste of a lot of different video game flavors.
It’s not just the value and the library that I enjoy; Portal felt good in my hand. Portal is basically a PlayStation controller with a centrally mounted tablet screen. I played the same games on this as I did on the PS5 with a very low learning curve. Admittedly, it was a bit awkward to play first person shooters Due to the width and weight of the portal, but I prefer to keep my money in my pocket.
Recommended by our editors
The Portal + PlayStation Plus combo also comes with other perks. For starters, there’s no way to add another controller for local collaboration. Additionally, not every PS5 title is available for cloud streaming via PlayStation Plus. For example, while writing this post Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Tekken 8 not part of the package. Still, it’s easier to recommend buying Portal than more expensive Sony systems, especially the $899.99 PS5 Pro. With hundreds of savings, you can digitally purchase titles that aren’t part of PlayStation Plus and stream them to your Portal.
This is what makes the portal so important now. As long as your internet connection is stable, you can enjoy PS5 games in full 1080p resolution at 60Hz.
Sony PlayStation Portal costs just $249 (Credit: Sony)
Save your money, get Portal
I try to own media when I can Buy Blu-ray skipping an obscure anime or digital release in favor of a physical one. The way the gaming landscape is going today, this may not be an option in a few years. I’ve come to terms (somewhat) with the unfortunate reality of the situation in light of the RAM crisis and PS5 price hike.
While I have monetary and existential concerns, there’s no denying the convenience of a PlayStation Portal-PlayStation Plus combo in 2026. As someone who reviews gaming handhelds, PlayStation Portal has proven that with the right updates, a less-than-perfect system can be turned into a perfect handheld experience, and most importantly, affordable. So, grab the PlayStation Portal before you shell out a lot of money to buy a six-year-old system that keeps getting more expensive instead of getting cheaper. You might be surprised how many games you can get for just $249.99.
About our specialist
Zackery Cuevas
Writer, Apparatus
Experience
I’m a PCMag reviewer and ISF-certified TV calibrator focused on PC accessories, laptops, gaming monitors, and video games. I’ve been writing, playing, and complaining about games for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until recently that I was able to shout my thoughts directly to a larger audience. My work has appeared on iMore, Windows Central, Android Central, and TWICE, and I have a diverse portfolio of editing work under my belt from my time at Scholastic and Oxford University Press. I also have several book author credits – I contributed to a science fiction anthology Under new suns, and I even wrote a Peppa Pig book.
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