The PlayStation Portal is one hell of a handheld device, capable of streaming games from your PlayStation 5 and directly from Sony’s servers if you’re a PlayStation Plus member). But you probably already know that if you’ve grabbed one for yourself. Instead, you’re probably here to learn the step-by-step process of setting it all up, eh? Or to troubleshoot any strange issues you might encounter when first powering up the device? Fair enough. Lets’ dive into it.
Prepare your PlayStation 5
Since most (though not all) games must be streamed from your PS5, you’ll want to first make sure your console is set up to make the most of your Portal. Here are some things to knock out to get it all running smoothly:
- From your PS5’s main screen, click the gear icon in the upper right corner to enter Settings. Next, navigate to Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode. Here, turn on Stay Connected to the Internet. This ensures you’re always able to stream from your PS5 even while it’s in Rest Mode.
- While you’re here, go ahead and turn on the feature Enable Turning On PS5 from Network so you can turn on your PS5 using the Portal just in case you’re away from home and need to do so.
- Just above the Power Saving setting, you’ll also see the Remote Play section. Navigate there and make sure you turn on Remote Play to ensure you can connect and stream games from your PS5 to your Portal.
You should also check to see if your PS5 is up-to-date. Navigate to the gear icon on the main screen and go to System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings. With these things out of the way, it’s time to set up your Portal.
Set up your PlayStation Portal
Now that your PS5 is ready to go, let’s power up the Portal and walk through the steps to get you started playing.
- First, you’ll have to select your preferred language.
- Second, you’ll be asked to choose your Wi-Fi connection. Connect to the same Wi-Fi connection as your PS5.
- There is a possibility you’ll be asked to enter your time and timezone. If so, be sure to enter it correctly.
- You may also be asked to update the Portal at this time. Connect the device to power so you’re not running on battery, select Download, and let it do its thing (it can take a while).
- When the download completes, you’ll finally be tasked with signing into your PSN account. It is of paramount importance that you sign into the same account as the one you use on your PS5. If you’re already signed in on the PS App on your phone, scan the QR code using your phone’s camera to speed things up.
- When you’re all signed in, you’ll be asked whether you consent to device data collection. This is entirely your choice. Either confirm data collection or choose to modify this to your liking.
- After all of this, you can finally pair the Portal with your PS5. Turn on your PS5, then select “Pair a PS5″ on the Portal. Choose your PS5 on the next screen, then select Continue on the one that follows.
- The next screen explains how to navigate around the Portal a bit, so follow the instructions there.
- Read about Cloud Streaming, which is only available if you have a PlayStation Plus membership, then select “Continue”.
After all is said and done, you will be told everything is set up and ready to go! You can now connect to your PS5 and start streaming games for plenty of handheld fun!
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