Sony announced a Japan-only PlayStation Portal with internal storage, a first for the device. The new model retains the 1080p LCD screen and other standard features but adds storage capability that the global PlayStation Portal lacks. Sony has not disclosed how it plans to use the storage, stating only that it "will confirm the future functionality at a later date."
The Japan-only PlayStation Portal will cost 39,980 yen ($252), matching the price of the standard global model. It comes in Midnight Black, the same color as Sony's Japan-only PS5 digital edition released last November.
The regular PlayStation Portal can only stream games from a PlayStation console or via cloud. The absence of storage prevents local downloads, though the device has a mobile chipset that could theoretically run some games natively. The addition of storage raises questions about whether Sony plans to enable native game support on the Japan-only version.
Pre-orders begin Thursday, with a December 10 release date.