PlayStation Portal gets Japan-only Midnight Black model in December
Sony’s Japan-only Midnight Black PlayStation Portal launches on 10 December with a one-month PlayStation Plus Premium voucher and added storage.
Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced a Japan-only Midnight Black model of the PlayStation Portal player, launching on 10 December for ¥39,980 including tax. The package includes a one-month PlayStation Plus Premium voucher, giving buyers an immediate route into compatible PS5 cloud streaming without owning a PS5. 1
The new model supports two ways to play. PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers can stream compatible PS5 games from the cloud, while PS5 owners can use the Portal for remote play over Wi-Fi. Sony says the device retains the Portal’s eight-inch 1080p display with a 60fps refresh rate, 3D Audio support, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
What is different about the Midnight Black model
The colour is the obvious change, but Sony also says the new model adds internal storage intended for future functionality. The company has not yet explained what that storage will be used for, so it would be premature to treat it as a current feature or promise of downloadable games.
This is also a Japan-specific product rather than a global colour option. The device is limited to use in Japan, supports Japanese as its only system language and requires a PlayStation account registered to Japan. Sony has not announced an international release, overseas pricing or wider availability.
Pre-orders open in Japan on 13 November at 10am local time through PlayStation retailers and online stores. The announcement also confirms that Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is joining the Japanese PlayStation Plus Game Catalog in November, followed by Dynasty Warriors: Origins in December.
The official announcement includes a product video showing the black Portal and its cloud-streaming use case.
Our opinion
A Japan-only black finish is a modest announcement, but the regional restrictions matter more than the colour. The included Premium voucher makes the cloud-streaming pitch easier to understand for new buyers, while the extra storage is best viewed as groundwork rather than a reason to buy today. Unless Sony expands the model beyond Japan, international Portal owners should treat this as a local product refresh, not a new worldwide version of the handheld.
Sony’s announcement leaves the most important question unanswered: what the added storage will actually do. Until that future functionality is detailed, the Midnight Black Portal is principally a cosmetic variant with a useful subscription bundle and the same core streaming features as the existing device.