The PlayStation Portal was announced as a device that would allow users to play games remotely from their PS5 console wherever they are. However, many are wondering why there is no cloud gaming capability. Apparently, it is possible, Sony just hasn't added that feature yet.

Hideaki Nishino, PlayStation's SVP of Platform Experience, told AV Watch that PlayStation Portal is theoretically capable of streaming from the cloud. Ultimately, Nishino confirmed that the only major difference between remote streaming and cloud streaming is that Sony owns the machine running the game.

Sony is apparently taking its time rather than rushing this feature for the portal. In particular, Nishino claims that Sony is cautious about adding cloud gaming to the portal and needs to make sure that the portal's users can play games without problems.

In other words, the experience would be similar to playing games on a physical PS5 console at home. Nishino added that Sony wants to make sure the entire system is stable enough before deciding whether to offer consumers additional portable cloud streaming.

Otherwise, he fears gamers may shy away from cloud gaming and never give it another chance. This is a correct assessment. Gamers are often very stubborn about these kinds of decisions. Besides, if you're paying $200 for a dedicated handheld and $18 a month to access cloud gaming, it's not unreasonable to expect everything to run smoothly.

It's a shame that the PlayStation Portal can't be linked to the cloud from day one, but I can sort of understand Sony's logic. Then again, it makes me wonder if this handheld should have been delayed until Sony was sure it could offer both. Especially since you can't stream PS5 games to any other kind of mobile device.

But well, it may happen someday. If you'd like to get a PlayStation Portal in anticipation of that, or simply want to stream your games to a device other than a smartphone or tablet, be sure to check out our guide on where to buy the PlayStation Portal and which retailers actually have it in stock.

Also, we might want to hold off a bit on our hands-on experience with the PlayStation Portal. There are several problems with this handheld device, and the restrictions imposed on it may deter you from getting it. For more information, see our PlayStation Portal review.