Sony clearly sees something in the PlayStation Portal, which was recently revealed to have sold two million units in the US. A new rumor indicates that the company might even be looking at a hardware refresh for the streaming-only handheld system. According to industry insider KeplerL2, Sony has been happy with the sales, and that it is “even doing another version this year.”
While not much is expected to change about this refreshed PS Portal – it will still ultimately be used for streaming games off a local PS5, after all – the newer release may feature an OLED display. This would be a considerable upgrade over the current Portal, which has an LCD screen. It is also unknown whether it will receive a resolution or a refresh rate bump.
Since its launch in November 2023, the PlayStation Portal has proven to be an unlikely success despite the handheld only being capable of playing games through streaming. Since then, however, Sony has continued to release updates, including one in November which finally allowed it to cloud stream games without needing a PS5 running on the local network.
The update also brought other features, including 3D Audio support for use with compatible PlayStation Link audio devices. You can also browse the PlayStation Store and buy games directly from it.
Updates like these have gone a long way in making PS Portal the best device for PlayStation’s Remote Play features. Back in November, senior manager of product management Takuro Fushimi revealed that it was being used even more than the PS5 itself.
“Before we launched the Portal, some questioned whether there would be demand for it, as it is such a unique product, being a dedicated Remote Play device to start with. However, we’ve seen the community’s response has been overwhelming,” he said.
“Our data shows that PlayStation Portal users are more engaged than non-users. [The] PlayStation Portal has now become the most widely used device for PlayStation 5 Remote Play, surpassing mobile PC, PS5, and PS4.”
It is worth noting, however, that the PS Portal was never seen as a standalone device. Rather, it’s for those who already own a PS5. Even Fushimi said as much, noting that it is “a complementary device to the console and not a standalone yet”. This could change in the future, depending on the adoption of PS5 game streaming over the cloud.
“Now, with this new update, our goal is to provide more options for PS5 players to enjoy their games, attract more PS5 users to PlayStation Portal and PlayStation Plus, and to drive PS5 user engagement even further,” he said.
As for sales, the Portal reportedly had a seven percent attach rate with US-based PS5 users, according to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella. The console itself has sold 27 million units in the country. This is a continuation of its success after becoming the best-selling gaming accessory in the US in 2024.
