Technology
Sony Announces New PlayStation Portal Model With Internal Storage for Japan Market
The updated handheld device features additional storage for future capabilities but remains restricted to users with Japanese accounts and language settings.
By Headlinne · Compiled from reporting by PC Guide, Polygon.com and Verge
Sony will release a new version of its PlayStation Portal handheld in Japan on December 10, 2026, featuring internal storage for potential future features while maintaining the original device’s streaming-focused design.
The updated model, renamed the PlayStation Portal Player, will retail for 39,980 yen, or approximately $252, matching the current price of the existing handheld in the Japanese market.
Pre-orders for the device are scheduled to begin on November 13 at 10 AM, according to information from the official PlayStation Japan blog.
The inclusion of internal storage marks a shift for the device, which previously functioned solely as a remote streaming peripheral for the PlayStation 5 console or cloud gaming services.
Sony stated the extra capacity was added with "future functionality" in mind, though the company has not yet specified what those capabilities will entail or when they will arrive.
The new hardware is restricted to the Japanese market, requiring a PlayStation account registered in Japan and limiting system language options to Japanese.
The device retains the 8-inch 1080p LCD screen, haptic feedback, and adaptive triggers found in the original model, and will be available in a midnight black color.
Industry observers suggest the storage could eventually allow for media playback or the use of streaming applications, which are currently unsupported on the standard version of the Portal.
Sony is bundling a one-month voucher for PlayStation Plus Premium with the new hardware to encourage adoption among domestic customers.
While the original Portal moved an estimated 420,000 units in the United States during its first year, it faced criticism regarding its reliance on stable network connections for gameplay.
It remains unclear if the planned future functionality will be limited to this specific hardware revision or if it will eventually be rolled out to the global version of the handheld.
Reporting from
- PC GuideNot politically framed
Sony is launching a new PlayStation Portal model with built-in storage, but it comes with a catch
- Polygon.comNot politically framed
Sony Officially Announces New Playstation Handheld
- The VergeNot politically framed
Sony’s new PlayStation Portal handheld includes ‘additional’ internal storage
How this article was made: Headlinne wrote it with AI from the 3 reports listed above. Direct quotes are checked word for word against those reports, every number appears in at least one of them, and no other sentence is copied from one. Photos are from those reports and credited to them. Each report’s page on Headlinne links to the outlet’s original.