Sony has confirmed the next system update for its popular PlayStation Portal remote device on its PlayStation blog. This free software update brings some user-requested features to Sony's nifty PS5 accessory, and tomorrow (Wednesday, June19) rollout

The biggest new addition is "Sign-in screen support for selected public Wi-Fi networks." PlayStation Portal is currently unable to connect to a network that requires additional verification steps, such as filling out an online form or completing the authentication process. However, with this update, the portal displays a QR code that can be scanned on a mobile device, allowing you to complete the verification procedure on the mobile device on behalf of the portal.

Sony recommends using the PlayStation Portal with a home Wi-Fi network.Because these usually provide the fastest and most stable connection. On the other hand, public Wi-Fi signals are often unreliable. However, if you are using the PlayStation portal while traveling, this new feature will come in handy.

Other new features added by this system update are smaller qol-of-life fixes. The first is a new visual feedback to the touchpad area of the portal 8-inch screen. Now, when you press your finger on these areas of the screen, you will see clear feedback. 

Finally, the update adds the ability to display the percentage of the battery level, rather than just the battery icon. This is a minor cosmetic change to the portal UI, but it gives users a clear indicator of exactly how much battery life the device has left, so I want to misjudge how much battery I was left with, so the portal will show them as someone who died while exploring in Erdtree's Elden Ring Shadow. And I am grateful for this upgrade. 

The PlayStation Portal was a surprise success story for this game generation. There was some skepticism before the launch, and our reviewers struggled to understand the device (for balance, my experience was excellent), but fortunately, finding a portal at retail prices is now fairly easy. 

This new update definitely does not offer radical changes, and although the limitations of the portal are still in so many places, it is possible to further improve the functionality of the device