Sony’s PS Portal Defies Critics, Tops US Accessory Sales

Recently, several manufacturers have introduced handheld gaming devices. As a giant in the gaming industry, Sony launched the PS Portal in November 2023. However, the PS Portal is not a traditional handheld console, as it can only stream PS5 games and cannot run games locally. Despite facing numerous criticisms since its release, IGN awarded it a score of 8 due to its portability, battery life, and excellent screen performance. According to Circana’s statistics, the PS Portal became the best-selling gaming accessory in the U.S. market in April 2024.

In response, gamefile interviewed Hiromi Wakai, Vice President of Product Management at PlayStation. She stated, “Although we don’t have any numbers to share, the demand has continued to exceed our expectations.” Regarding the PS Portal, Hiromi Wakai’s design philosophy was to “provide high quality console gaming experiences in the players’ hands.” She also mentioned, “The initial discussions of this product started out from the question of how to expand the PS5 console game experience, not launch a separate handheld device.”

Interestingly, in the interview, Hiromi Wakai revealed that Sony initially considered equipping the PS Portal with a smaller screen. However, to highlight the product’s distinction from smartphones and tablets, Sony ultimately decided on an 8-inch screen. The concept for this product was first proposed by Edwin Foo, Vice President of Product Development, who joined Sony in 2021. Previously responsible for overseeing the development of PlayStation headsets, he was a senior employee at Apple before joining Sony.

Currently, the PS Portal is extremely popular in the U.S. market and frequently sells out. Hiromi Wakai stated that the primary task of the PS Portal team is to ensure sufficient supply.