PlayStation quietly unveils upgraded console with long-requested feature, but most gamers set to miss out

Sony has officially announced a new version of the Midnight Black PlayStation Portal, which comes with additional built-in storage to support future features. It's an interesting upgrade for the PS5 handheld, especially considering how much the device has improved since its original launch in 2023.

The upgrade in question is for the PlayStation Portal, a handheld device originally released in November 2023 as a dedicated Remote Play companion for the PS5. However, at launch, it was missing some important features that have since been introduced.

Originally, the PS Portal could only stream games from your PS5, but that changed with the introduction of cloud gaming, which requires a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription. You can now stream supported digital PS5 games you own, as well as selected PS Plus titles, without needing a console. It's still not perfect, but Sony has certainly taken a few steps in the right direction.

Sony's upgraded PlayStation Portal finally adds a long-requested feature

According to the official PlayStation Blog, the internal storage for the new Midnight Black PlayStation Portal has been added with future features in mind, although Sony hasn't revealed how much storage is included or exactly what it will be used for.

The addition of more internal storage raises questions about whether Sony could eventually introduce some form of offline functionality, something PlayStation Portal owners have been hoping for since launch. However, that's purely speculation at this point, and Sony hasn't revealed what the additional storage will actually be used for.

This newly revised PlayStation Portal retains the eight-inch 1080p/60fps display, as well as the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers of the DualSense controller.

PlayStation Portal 'Midnight Black', Sony Interactive Entertainment

New PlayStation Portal comes with a catch for PS5 gamers

The upgraded PlayStation Portal is set to launch on December 10 2026, priced at ¥39,980, with pre-orders opening on November 13. However, it's exclusive to Japan, meaning most gamers around the world are set to miss out. And it gets worse: the system only supports the Japanese language, making it even less appealing to international players. Unless you’re fluent in the language, of course.

This new Midnight Black PlayStation Portal requires a PlayStation account registered in Japan, essentially making it unsuitable for most gamers. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that Sony could eventually release an upgraded PS Portal with built-in storage in the West, but nothing has been announced at the time of writing.

Interestingly, this isn't the first time Sony has released a Japan-exclusive PlayStation console.

In November 2025, Sony announced a newly revised PlayStation 5 console that could have cost $355/£270 based on the ¥55,000 conversion rate. But yes, you’ve guessed it: this was a Japan-exclusive too. Then, in October 2026, Sony announced a newly revised Midnight Black PS5 console, and this was exclusive to Japan yet again.

It would be great if we could one day download and play our PS5 and PS4 games offline on the PlayStation Portal without needing a PlayStation Plus subscription or an internet connection. However, whether Sony has any plans to make that happen remains to be seen.