The PlayStation Portal has been an intriguing addition to Sony's PS5 lineup since it arrived just over a year ago. Many of those who've picked it up adamantly defend its qualities, while those still on the fence worry about its lack of capabilities outside local streaming.
I've long thought about buying a Portal, and there are a few reasons for that (not least my wallet), but one obstacle just got demolished by PlayStation itself. Nicely timed to coincide with CES, it's just unveiled a brand new set of accessories that have been given the Midnight Black treatment, including the Portal.
That means you'll finally be able to pick up the handheld in a colour other than its default white, and the stealthy black option looks seriously sleek. It's a return to the days of the PlayStation 2, 3 and 4, all of which launched with deep black designs.
The Portal isn't the only accessory being given a black version, though, with another standout being the DualSense Edge. This expensive pro controller has also only been around in the default white for a couple of years now, and the black version looks amazing based on what I've seen.
Rounding out the new collection are some audio options – the top-end Pulse Elite wireless headset along with the Pulse Explore wireless earbuds, too. Again, both look really slick and stealthy in their new colours. In all cases, this shouldn't really be cause to replace an existing device, but if you were thinking of buying one it's a great new incentive.
PlayStation says that all of these will be available to pre-order on 16 January, and they won't cost anything extra compared to the existing versions. So, you might want to follow my lead and make a note in your calendar system of choice, to get a reminder in case you decide to take the plunge.
Of course, the colour doesn't change anything functional about any of the devices in question, so it might well be that you still feel you can't justify the purchase. For me, though, it feels like the scales might have just tipped – and I can't pretend to be particularly upset about that.
