PlayStation Portal gaming handheld praised by Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki as strong seller

When it debuted, the PlayStation Portal faced criticism for being a niche product targeting PS Remote Play. Launched as an accessory rather than a console, it relied on streaming games installed on the PS5. Nevertheless, Sony President and CEO Hiroki Totoki recently suggested that it's a consistent seller. As the gaming giant adds features to the Portal, it will remain a priority for the company.

Since the PlayStation Portal remote player doesn't run titles stored on the handheld, it's difficult to categorize. Unfortunately, Sony hasn't provided specific revenue totals like it has with traditional consoles. However, when revealing that the PS5 had sold 77.8 million units, it was also evident that its sales pace had slowed. U.S. data provided by Circana also shows declining console sales from Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. Yet, the handheld market is expanding, which may explain the Portal's appeal.

Circana also tracks U.S. figures that show the growing popularity of the Portal. The firm stated that by the end of 2024, four percent of PS5 owners had purchased the device. Since 24.54 million PS5s were sold in the same year, it's estimated that gamers bought 980,000 Portals. While the vast majority of PlayStation users don't own the accessory, it beat analyst Mat Piscatella's projections.

The PlayStation Portal has the potential to earn Sony more revenue in the next several years. The PS6 may not arrive until 2027 or 2028. Also, the handheld is becoming more of a force in the cloud gaming arena. Currently in beta, PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers can stream some titles in the service's catalog without a PS5. Even so, the Portal thrives as an ergonomically friendly way to access the console anywhere in a household.

Considering recent trends, Sony may also prioritize releasing the rumored PS6 gaming handheld. The portable console would likely natively run PS5 titles with somewhat reduced performance.