The PlayStation Portal was a surprise for fans. This is a new handheld coming from Sony, and it certainly might have raised some eyebrows initially. Sony had dabbled in the past when it came to delivering handheld gaming devices into the marketplace. We’ve seen the PlayStation Portable along with its eventual successor, the PlayStation Vita. But since then, Sony has refrained from going further with a new handheld device. That was until they unveiled the PlayStation Portal in May of this year. However, it’s not quite the same type of handheld as Sony’s previous attempts.
While the previous attempts allowed players to enjoy video games on the go, this PlayStation Portal is more of an accessory to the PlayStation 5. Sony’s latest home console will stream video games to the PlayStation Portal through the same Wi-Fi connection. That will free up a display within your home while still being able to enjoy your favorite video games. So don’t expect to enjoy PlayStation 5 games on the go if you’re not within the same Wi-Fi connection. Regardless, consumers might have been skeptical about getting this device since it seems a bit limited.
However, a report from Gamerant shows that preorders are actually doing quite well. We don’t have any indication of just how many units Sony has planned to move for the device. But it’s quickly selling out in different markets. This might have been a surprise for some who didn’t think this handheld would do very well. So, while units are quickly selling out, we’ll have to continue to monitor and see if those purchasing the device find it useful or worthwhile.
Fortunately, if you are in the United States, there are retailers still offering units to preorder. This handheld is set to launch on November 15, 2023, so it won’t be too long before we’ll be able to get our hands on a unit to try out. Again, this is a device that can Remote Play the PlayStation 5. Players would get an 8-inch LCD display where a DualSense controller is connected to each half of the device. Meanwhile, if you want to see the PlayStation Portal device in action, check out the preorder trailer within the video we have embedded below. This video highlights the device and the features it comes packed with.