The PlayStation Portal is among the most interesting gaming systems Sony has released in a long time. After abandoning the handheld market following the unlucky PlayStation Vita, Sony somewhat made its return to the space with the system, which originally launched as a Remote Play-focused device.
Since its release in 2023, the console's functionality has been expanded to include cloud gaming, effectively turning it into a sort of portable PlayStation 5 that can run games well under the right conditions.
Despite not running games natively, the PlayStation Portal has proven quite popular among gamers. The system is considered so successful that Sony is reportedly working on an updated model.
Speaking on the NeoGAF forums, known insider Kepler L2, who correctly revealed plenty of information about both Sony and Microsoft gaming systems in the past, said the system has been so successful that "they're even doing another version this year."
When asked what the new version of the PlayStation Portal system will feature over the current model, the insider replied, "OLED." Given the system's current functionality, a new display is the most obvious upgrade and could make the system more enticing to those who didn't buy the current model.
Regardless of the specific improvements the rumored upgraded PlayStation Portal will offer, the community seems enthusiastic about the possibility. "It's definitely a low-key success and a good idea for this moment when component prices are so high," said Reddit user NotTakenGreatName. Amidst the current price increases and their negative outlook for the immediate future, a low-cost system capable of running a sizeable portion of the current PlayStation library in some capacity would definitely be quite enticing.
However, a simple upgrade to an OLED display may not be enough for some. While some, like user Sakaixx, would love to see a 120Hz OLED display to take advantage of the 40 FPS modes in many PlayStation 5 games, others would like to see other upgrades, such as better Wi-Fi and a longer-lasting battery, so the success of a new model with limited upgrades is far from being guaranteed.
Although not comparable to proper gaming systems like the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita due to its limitations, the low-key success of the PlayStation Portal could bode well for the rumored PlayStation handheld, which issaid will launch alongside the PlayStation 6.
As the next-generation home console could be delayed beyond the 2027- 2028 release window, it remains to be seen if plans won't change regarding the handheld's release, and if the unexpected PlayStation Portal success could push Sony to launch the handheld system ahead of the home console to offer another gateway into the PlayStation ecosystem at a more reasonable price.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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