PlayStation Portal Has Surpassed Expectations, Says Sony
Sony is quite pleased with the performance of the PS Portal so far.
Sony seems quite pleased with its latest handheld, the PlayStation Portal. Released near the end of 2023, the Portal was pitched as an accessory for the PlayStation 5 that would be used solely for remote play purposes. Following the dismal performance of Sony's last dedicated handheld, the PlayStation Vita, some fans inferred that Sony might be releasing the Portal as a way of gauging interest in whether or new on-the-go platform might even be desired. And while it's still early, all signs point to the PS Portal being something that could shape the future of the PlayStation ecosystem.
In a conversation with Game File, PlayStation VP Hiromi Wakai opened up for the first time about how the PlayStation Portal has gone so far. While Wakai didn't share specific numbers when it comes to sales, they did say that the Portal has surpassed expectations that Sony had for it in terms of demand. As a result, it can be safely assumed that the platform is selling at a pretty high rate and may become an even larger part of PlayStation's strategy moving forward.
"Although we don't have any numbers to share, the demand has continued to exceed our expectations," Wakai said. "The production is running smoothly and we've been shipping more units consistently. We will continue to bring more units to the market, so please stay tuned."
Elsewhere in the interview, Wakai addressed the possibility of the PS Portal one day being used to play games natively rather than streaming solely from a PS5. Wakai declined to say anything definitive on the matter and said that Sony wouldn't be talking about future plans for the time being. Still, given the early popularity of the PlayStation Portal combined with the success of the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, one would think that Sony might rethink its previous approach to the handheld market and could look to take a larger plunge in this space in the years ahead.
What do you think about the PlayStation Portal so far? And are you surprised that this new PS5 add-on has been such a hit with PlayStation fans? Be sure to let me know either down in the comments or reach out to me on social media at @MooreMan12.