PlayStation's new console is already selling out

Japanese gamers have caused the new PlayStation streaming handheld, PlayStation Portal, to sell out. One retailer has now announced a lottery schedule similar to what was implemented when PS5 initially launched.

Genki JPN, a Japan-based Twitter user, reported that the Portal was sold out within 12 hours of release in Japan. It has been warned, again by Genki JPN, that there is a huge scalping problem in Japan, which was seen with PS5s and could be at play here. Of course, scalping is a general issue with any form of technology or pop culture, so this could be seen worldwide.

Take a look at the PlayStation Portal in action below.

In Genki's tweet, they mentioned 12 different stores, all of which reported being sold out, including Amazon and Rakuten.

This popularity isn't much of a surprise given the nation's passion for handheld gaming. While the Portal isn't a standard handheld as it streams games directly from your PS5, rather than use a physical media or downloadable file, Japan has steadily sold out pretty much every handheld for years.

We can see the popularity of handheld gaming by looking at Nintendo DS which sold 59 million units in North America, but managed to sell 33 million in Japan with less that 25% of the population in NA. This meant that for the DS, 26% of the Japanese population owned the twin-screen console.

Given the coverage of Japan's internet and the numerous WiFi points across cities, the Portal could mean more new-gen gaming on the go. Whether these sales numbers persist is hard to say as the Portal is a very specific case machine, unlike the PS Vita or the PSP.

PlayStation Portal will release 15 November in the UK for £199.99. Upon announcement many found the console a little pointless given so many other machines can run PlayStation Remote Play, but if you like your gadgets and playing games while on the toilet, this could be the handheld for you.