Sony will launch a Japan-only PlayStation Portal Player on 10 December 2026 for JPY 39,980, including tax. The Midnight Black model adds internal storage for future features and comes with one month of PlayStation Plus Premium. Pre-orders open on 13 November at 10am Japan time through participating Japanese retailers and online stores.
According to Sony’s Japanese announcement, the handheld is restricted to use in Japan, supports only Japanese as its system language, and requires a PlayStation account registered in Japan. That makes this a domestic hardware revision rather than a new global Portal launch. For UAE and Saudi buyers, those restrictions are a more immediate consideration than the added storage.
Internal storage, with its purpose still to come
The hardware change centres on built-in storage that Sony plans to use for future functionality. The company will explain those features once it finalises the details, but hasn’t specified the storage capacity. For now, the announced ways to play remain cloud streaming and Remote Play.
The Verge suggests the extra storage could support streaming apps or offline media in future. Those are the outlet’s possibilities, rather than features Sony has announced. The confirmed change is the storage itself, so buyers shouldn’t treat this as a promise of downloadable, locally playable PS5 games.
The new model retains an 8-inch LCD with support for 1080p at 60fps, alongside haptic feedback and adaptive triggers in compatible games. Sony also lists 3D audio, which requires compatible audio equipment. The announcement therefore keeps the familiar display and controller features while reserving the storage’s role for a later reveal.
Why Sony dropped “Remote” from the name
Sony has renamed this model from PlayStation Portal Remote Player to PlayStation Portal Player to reflect how the device now works beyond a connection to a home console. The original Portal launched in 2023 as a Remote Play device, before cloud streaming arrived in 2025. With PlayStation Plus Premium, supported games can stream directly from the cloud without a PS5.
The bundled one-month Premium subscription gives buyers access to supported PS5 games in the service’s catalogues. Sony’s examples include Final Fantasy XVI, Rise of the Ronin, and The Exit 8. Premium members can also stream supported digital PS5 games they buy separately, with availability varying by title, time, and region.
Remote Play remains available for owners who want to stream compatible games installed on their PS5. The console must be connected to broadband, switched on or in rest mode, and paired with the Portal. Sony specifies a Wi-Fi broadband connection of at least 5Mbps for the handheld and recommends 15Mbps, with connection quality affecting play.
UAE and Saudi buyers face a Japan-only release
IGN Middle East reports that Sony hasn’t announced a UAE or Saudi release or regional price for this model. The Japanese account, language, and domestic-use restrictions make it unsuitable as a straightforward replacement for a regional unit. An import listing would not change those official restrictions.
For existing owners, our coverage of the Portal’s 7.1.7 charging-limit update concerns the current device rather than this new Japanese SKU. This is also separate from the longer-term console discussion around Shawn Layden’s call for a cheaper PS6: Sony’s announcement here is a Portal revision with streaming at its centre.
Do you need a PS5 to use the new Portal?
No, if you use supported cloud-streamed games with PlayStation Plus Premium. You do need a PS5 for Remote Play, which streams games installed on your console.
Does the included PlayStation Plus month renew automatically?
Sony’s terms say the subscription renews automatically at the applicable PlayStation Store price unless you cancel before the subscription period ends.
