PlayStation Portal Update Adds 1080p High Quality Mode and UX Improvements

Sony is pushing a new software update out for PlayStation Portal beginning March 18th that adds a higher quality streaming mode and a handful of usability improvements across Remote Play and Cloud Streaming.

The headliner is a new 1080p High Quality mode for both Remote Play and Cloud Streaming. It runs at a higher bitrate than the default 1080p Standard mode for a sharper, smoother picture. To enable it you go to Quick Menu, then Max Resolution, and select 1080p High Quality. You’ll need to restart your session for it to take effect.

On the Cloud Streaming side, a few friction points have been cleaned up. Game bundles now show a proper UI letting you pick a specific title from the bundle when you hit Stream on a product page rather than just dumping you into whatever the default is. Game invites now trigger a visible on-screen notification while you’re actively streaming so you don’t miss them.

Trophy notifications have been improved to display the trophy name and image when unlocked, and Platinum trophies now get their special animation. The search screen has also been refined with the on-screen keyboard appearing immediately when you go into search rather than requiring an extra step.

New users also get a smoother onboarding experience, with an improved account creation flow that lets you scan a QR code with your phone to get set up quickly.

Sony also dropped some numbers in the announcement. Cloud Streaming monthly users grew 162% year over year in January, and over 50% of PS Portal users are now PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers.

The update begins rolling out globally starting March 18th.