- In the future, Sony intends to add further functionality to the PS Portal.
- Future features of the handheld will be influenced by user feedback, similar to the newly added capability of streaming games from the cloud instead of the PS5.
- According to third-party estimates, the PS Portal sold about 650,000 copies in the United States alone during its first year of release, despite Sony having yet to provide any official sales numbers.
Sony Teases New PlayStation Portal According to a top Sony official, the PlayStation Portal will soon acquire some additional capabilities. This confirmation is based on a recent interview that also provided additional details about how the well-known PlayStation device got the capability to function as a stand-alone system.
The first anniversary of the PS Portal’s launch was November 15. At first, the device was sold as a PS5 add-on that let customers stream games from their home console. However, in late November 2024, Sony unveiled experimental functionality for streaming games straight from the cloud to the PS Portal without a PS5.
The choice to include this feature was not made quickly; rather, Sony had considered it for a while. In a recent interview with Game File, SIE VP of Product Management Hiromi Wakai stated as much. “The cloud game streaming option has always been in our roadmap since the early development stage,” Wakai said. According to the executive, post-launch feedback from PS Portal users—many of whom requested support for cloud streaming—was a contributing factor in the decision to ultimately enable it.
Additional Features for the PS Portal Will Arrive Soon
Wakai clarified that some capabilities, such as support for cloud gaming, were absent at launch because Sony “wanted to be extra careful” about providing the greatest experience possible right now. According to the SIE source, Sony is now keen to carry on with this strategy and keep improving the PS Portal in response to user input going ahead, indicating that even more post-launch additions are in the works. Although it is still in beta and only supports 120 games from the PS Plus Premium catalog—a small portion of the PS5 library—even the cloud gaming support is probably going to be enhanced in the near future.
Wakai’s pledge of further functionality is consistent with PlayStation co-CEO Hideaki Nishino’s statement to the BBC in early December 2024 that Sony is determined to keep enhancing the PS Portal. Approximately 3% of PS5 owners in the United States purchased the PS Portal, according to Circana’s September 2024 market analysis, however the business has not yet disclosed any official sales data. According to this estimate, within its first ten months on the market, the device sold about 650,000 units in the United States alone. Potential customers are likely to find the PS Portal much more alluring now that it is possible to stream games without a PS5.
It’s also unclear if Sony will consider a direct successor in the future, especially if the PS5 accessory keeps up its impressive first-year performance. A report from Bloomberg in late November 2024 claims that PlayStation is now developing a standalone handheld device similar to the PS Vita that would be able to play PS5 titles. If such a device ever becomes commercially available, it may eventually replace the PS Portal because it would unavoidably feature the hardware necessary for cloud streaming.