The PlayStation Portal has come a long way since its launch. Initial skepticism surrounded the device, but over time, it has proven itself as a handy companion for PS5 owners. Despite stock challenges and surges in demand, a new feature is now making it even more appealing to potential buyers.
Sony recently rolled out an update for the PlayStation Portal, currently in opt-in beta, allowing PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers to stream games from the cloud. This means you can now enjoy a library of games on the go—even if you don’t own a PS5. The update adds another compelling reason to consider the PlayStation Portal, especially as Black Friday approaches.
Will the PlayStation Portal Be on Sale for Black Friday?
According to Sony’s official Black Friday sale lineup, the answer is no—the PlayStation Portal isn’t included in the discounts. However, that doesn’t mean deals won’t appear elsewhere. Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target often spring surprise discounts during major sales events, making it worth keeping an eye out.
For the fastest updates on deals, follow our deals team @IGNDeals on Bluesky or Twitter/X to be notified the moment any limited-time offers go live, alongside any surprise discounts for the PS5 Pro. But, that's not all, there's also more to consider; see below.
Look Out for Amazon Warehouse Discounts
Another option to consider is Amazon Warehouse, where the PlayStation Portal was offered at significant discounts during the recent Prime Day sale.
These units, sold in "Like New" condition, are thoroughly inspected, fully functional, and often come with their essential accessories. While the packaging might have minor imperfections, the product itself is practically new.
During Prime Day, Amazon Warehouse added an extra 20% discount on these listings, bringing the price of the PlayStation Portal down to just $141.22—an impressive deal. It’s worth watching to see if similar discounts return for Black Friday on November 29.
PlayStation Stealth Dropped the Biggest Game Changer of 2024
IGN's Matt Kim recently called the new PS Portal update a "game changer", also saying: "The fact Portal now does cloud streaming almost perfectly is kinda besides the point because the real game changer here is that this update literally turned PlayStation Portal from one thing into another."
"It’s a little bit of technological alchemy that’s all too rare in a time of endless hardware sequels, mid-cycle refreshes, pros, slims, and so on. While I rarely use the phrase ‘consumer friendly’, I have to give props to Sony for identifying that it was trying to sell a less-than-compelling $200 accessory to fans and decided to proactively inject it with some added value, and possibly opening up the PlayStation ecosystem to an entirely new group of fans in the process."
Sony reported earlier this year that the Portal exceeded its sales expectations, and it’s easy to see why. In our 8/10 review, we called it “the best PlayStation 5 Remote Play solution available,” and that sentiment still holds true. Notable leaker billbil-kun has also reported that the PS Portal will soon come in black as well, which could be worth keeping an eye out for. If you’ve already picked one up or are planning to grab one for the holidays, don’t miss our guide to the best PlayStation Portal accessories and cases to enhance your experience.
When Is Black Friday 2024?
We’re in the home stretch: Black Friday falls on November 29 this year. All month long, retailers have been rolling out sales, ramping up to massive discounts on Black Friday and through the weekend into Cyber Monday.
If you want to keep up with the latest and greatest deals across each platform in general, make sure to check out our roundups of the best PlayStation deals, the best Xbox deals, and the best Nintendo Switch deals.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
