The video game industry finds itself in an interesting transitory period right now, with Microsoft’s pivoting of its business model and seemingly diminishing returns on Sony’s mid-gen hardware refresh pinpointing the changing tides. One of the more interesting rumors to come about recently as hardware manufacturers are looking for ways to have a stronger footing in growing markets is the potential for Sony and Microsoft to enter the handheld gaming race. Sony already has the PlayStation Portal, which just recently got added functionality in the form of cloud streaming, but a rumored new edition of the Portal could point to a new Sony handheld being more than speculation.
Some purported leaks of yet another colorway of the PlayStation Portal to join the original model and extremely limited 30th-anniversary edition point to the Portal finally arriving in a Midnight Black variant. A black PlayStation portal is something many have wanted for a long time, but its release could point to more than just Sony appeasing fans. Rather, it could be Sony doing a bit of ad hoc market research to help gauge the design of its rumored new PlayStation handheld device.
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The “Midnight Black” PlayStation Portal Explained
A recent rumor revealed by a known industry insider points to the existence of a new PlayStation Portal model in black. Additionally, there have been photos leaked that seem to corroborate this rumor, showcasing what appear to be official Sony and PlayStation marketing materials advertising the new model as the “Midnight Black” edition of the Portal device. While the existence of the “Midnight Black” PlayStation Portal hasn’t been officially confirmed by Sony yet, it does match up with other reliable leaks regarding black colorways of other PlayStation 5 hardware and accessories.
Shortly before the rumors of the “Midnight Black” PlayStation Portal began floating around, another industry insider leaked the existence of a black version of Sony’s DualSense Edge controller. Players can already order official PS5 faceplates directly from Sony in the “Midnight Black” colorway, which adds some credence to the rumors of other hardware in the works with a similar design. While this information should be taken with a grain of salt until Sony confirms the existence of the products, there’s still a legitimate possibility that the “Midnight Black” Portal handheld and DualSense Edge controller will turn out to be real.
The Black PlayStation Portal Is Just One of Several Recent Leaks Pointing to Sony’s Future Plans
Together with the massive update to the PlayStation Portal firmware on November 19, the release of a black PlayStation Portal handheld could be signs pointing to Sony re-entering the handheld console market. While neither device could ever quite achieve the same success as Nintendo’s competing handhelds during the era, both the PSP and PlayStation Vita were successful devices that each had a strong player base, and other recent rumors have suggested that both Sony and Microsoft are looking to branch out into handheld gaming. It’s a move that would make sense given Microsoft’s new strategy of getting its games onto as many devices as possible and the Nintendo Switch’s record-breaking success.
Offering both a black and a white option for the PlayStation Portal may very well be Sony’s way of determining which colorway players prefer on a handheld device, using sales data to drive the design of a potential new PlayStation-branded handheld. The recent firmware update to the Portal, which allows players to stream PS Plus games from the cloud without needing a remote connection to a PS5, goes one step further toward solidifying Sony’s re-entry into the handheld gaming space, and the popularity of both mobile gaming and the Nintendo Switch are factors that neither Sony nor Microsoft can afford to ignore.
PlayStation Portal
While not exactly a PSP successor, the PlayStation Portal solves an age-old issue of having to share one TV in a household. This remote play device allows users to stream whatever is happening on their PlayStation 5’s directly to the large 8-inch 1080p LCD screen. What makes the PlayStation Portal unique is that it comes packed with all the advanced technology of the DualSense wireless controller, such as adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. One downside is that it doesn’t feature Bluetooth support for wireless audio, but it does work with the PlayStation Pulse earbuds and headset, while also sporting a 3.5mm audio jack for wired audio.
- Playing Time
- 6-8 hours
- Brand
- PlayStation
- Weight
- 529g
- Headset Compatibility
- 3.5mm, PlayStation Link
- Display
- 8-inch LCD
- Output resolution
- 1080p
- Release Date
- November 15, 2023