The PlayStation Portal has been a bit of a surprise. When the remote player was first announced, many questioned why the device even existed, especially at its price. It turns out the internet knows nothing, as the PlayStation Portal has become quite popular, especially among gamer parents. I am honestly surprised by how often I use mine and am thrilled to hear that some of my complaints are being addressed with this software update Sony has announced.
Rolling out starting today, the update will allow the PlayStation Portal to connect to various public Wi-Fi networks that may require a sign-in screen. This was one of the biggest complaints among PlayStation Portal owners; they weren’t able to log into a Wi-Fi network without a web browser. While it’s not the most convenient system, players can now at least scan a QR code with their phone and use their phone’s browser to complete any extra steps needed to access the Wi-Fi network.
The emulated touch pad is also getting an update with new visual feedback in the touch pad areas. It addresses another major issue: the lack of any feedback from the virtual touch pads. Owners will also have the option to display the battery level in percentage, a feature that can be toggled in the system settings.
I haven’t had the opportunity to test today’s update, but I’m eager to see if PlayStation has addressed the micro-stuttering issue that some of us are experiencing. There’s no mention of it in the official blog post about the update, but these types of fixes do have a history of creeping in without patch notes.
