So, up until now. It would have been easier to recommend the PS Portal to anyone with a PS5.  This video shows you how to unlock a new feature that turns the PS Portable into a standalone gaming handheld.

And one of the best. But one of the main reasons it was hard to recommend up until now is. Despite it having an amazing controller configuration, which is basically a dual sense split in half, and fantastic haptics that come with that. And the huge display may be one of the largest on a portable device…

It was… basically useless without a PS5 console. So why would anyone without a PS5 buy one…well they wouldn't. It'd be a waste of money.

But now Sony has flipped the switch. And Sony is now letting you dive into their wonderland of PS5 and PS4 games without a console.

And that's why the PS Portal could now be considered a standalone portable gaming device. We'll sort of…more on that in a minute.

So, with the latest Portal update installed, you can stream games anywhere in the world where you have an internet or mobile data connection without using a remote connection to a PS5. And if you do own a PS5 console you might want to check out this PS5 tips & tricks guide.

This is big deal, and fantastic news for newcomers and PS5 owners…who power down their consoles instead of putting them into sleep mode.Now, you can stream hundreds of games in the PlayStation catalogue to the Portal anywhere. Even if your PS5 is off or you don't have one.

And if you have never owned a PS5, you can now get access to Sony exclusives like the Ghosts of Tsushima, God of War, Uncharted and The Last of Us. And if you do have a PS5, Game saves trophies are synced across as they will be stored in the cloud as usual.

This is genuinely game changing & honestly probably the best time to buy the PS Portal, in my opinion…but there's a catch…

So, if you're brand new to the world of PlayStation. Like Xbox cloud gaming, there's a subscription model to play online. And with Playstation, there's a tier system.

And the best things in life are indeed free…and the second best things are expensive…well the good news is Sony's subscription… isn't too expensive. And you'll have to run the numbers to see if it's worth it.

So in order to truly make the PS Portal genuinely usable as a standalone alone without a PS5, you'll need to subscribe…and also subscribe to the PlayStation Plus… wait for it… plus subscription. Which will set you back around £13.50. So you could sign up for a year or sort pay as you go and switch the subscription off from time to time when you're not going to use it.

You have to weigh the pros and cons here and the value you'll get from signing up if you don't already have PlayStation Premium Plus. In a year, it'll cost you £119. But in return, you get unlimited playtime and can even finally join your Playstation friends online to play co-op games.

And you get all that access to so many classics. Another bonus here is you'll also get access to Sony's Pictures Core with their movie streaming service, which has many Sony movies you can stream straight to the Portal.

So it could be a good deal. But it depends on how much you use all the services.

So, if you've been considering getting a PlayStation 5 and want to test the waters first. This could be a great way to do it & if you have a PS5 but still need to pick up a portal. This is the best time to do it.

And if you're looking for a handheld gaming device and don't want to spend Steam Deck money, maybe the Nintendo is too cartoony for you… the Portal might be the way forward…but remember, just like hoverboards not running on water…the PS will not run without internet.

But if you have mobile data everywhere, you go. Well then, for you with the PS Portal, you can game anywhere with one of the greatest cloud gaming libraries out there today, on the PS Portal.

So now, unlike yesterday…I can recommend the PS Portal to anyone, whether you have a PS5 or not, and dare I say it, even Xbox players. Because now, it's pretty awesome.  

Want to UNLOCK your PS5’s full potential?

Click here for more than 20 PS5 tips & tricks. Or watch this video.