Sony is preparing a new version of its PlayStation Portal handheld, but only for Japan. The updated model launches on December 10th in a midnight black finish. It comes with what Sony describes as “additional” internal storage.
The storage bump is the real surprise here. Sony says the extra space exists for “future functionality” it will announce later. That phrasing suggests the company has plans it is not ready to discuss in public.
The new device also drops “Remote Player” from its name. It now appears simply as the PlayStation Portal Player. Combined with the extra storage, the shorter name hints at more capability than plain game streaming.
That reading makes sense given what the current Portal cannot do. The existing device streams PS5 games from a console or from the cloud. It does not run streaming apps such as YouTube, Disney Plus or Netflix.
Local playback is off the table too. The Portal is not powerful enough to run PlayStation games on its own hardware. Extra storage would not change that, but it could let owners sync media for offline viewing.
The regional limits are strict and worth repeating. This model is locked to Japanese language options only. Buyers also need a PlayStation account registered in Japan to use it.
Pricing sits at 39,980 yen, which works out to roughly $253. That is close to what the standard Portal costs in other markets. Imports will be awkward because of the account and language restrictions.
Sony has been quiet about a wider release. Nothing in the announcement points to Europe or North America getting this version. Anyone outside Japan should not expect to buy one easily.
The timing is odd for a hardware refresh. Sony just delayed its Pulse Elevate speakers days before launch, which suggests supply planning is under strain. Read our coverage of the PlayStation Pulse Elevate speaker delay for that story.
Handhelds are a growing category again, and Sony wants a foothold beyond accessories. A Portal that plays local media and runs apps would compete with tablets and cheap handheld PCs. The Japan model may be a quiet test before anything bigger.
For now, the safest summary is simple. Sony added storage and changed a product name. Everything else, including the features that would justify the change, is still unannounced.
Source: The Verge — Sony’s new PlayStation Portal handheld includes ‘additional’ internal storage
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