The PlayStation Portal was my gaming savior over an extended holiday break — but this one flaw still grinds my thumbsticks

My enjoyment of the PlayStation Portal has been ever-present since it launched in late 2023, but 2025’s transformative updates have made it an excellent cloud gaming device, elevating the handheld to new levels – and heightening my love for it exponentially.

I was away from home for around three weeks recently for the holidays and only had access to the Portal for gaming. It was my absolute savior, and now, enhanced by its cloud streaming abilities, I had so much more at my fingertips than what I was able to prepare on my PlayStation 5 Pro at home.

I managed to play on it for hours and hours here and there, making use of both play modes (that’s remote play and cloud streaming) as a result. However, one thing really does still irk me about the handheld: its battery’s charging time.