With the added value, the $199.99 MSRP of Sony's mobile device looks more competitive. On the NeoGaf forums, onQ123 noticed that the Portal had jumped from 43rd to 28th place on Amazon's video games rankings. Essential PlayStation Portal accessories like carrying cases are also in high demand.

The higher PS Portal sales aren't confined only to Amazon in the U.S. Another forum member shared a social media post with Japanese retail data. After the PlayStation Portal update, the gaming handheld is selling out at some stores. At Amazon Japan, purchases in the prior 30 days suddenly jumped from 700 to 800 units.

Before the patch, users needed the Cloud Streaming Beta to access a wider selection of PS5 games. Some fans could only use the remote player to play titles installed on home consoles. Now that these features are standard, alternatives like the Switch 2 or ROG Xbox Ally may not seem as appealing.

With gamers facing rising costs, the PlayStation Portal price becomes even more tempting. That said, there are still limitations compared to the Nintendo and Asus gaming handhelds. The Sony option requires a PS Plus Premium subscription for its cloud gaming capabilities. Otherwise, it's not equipped to play titles natively.

For an independent gaming system, PlayStation fans are waiting for the PS6 handheld. Insiders expect that the Canis APU will be powerful enough to boot PS5 games. A recently introduced power saver mode on the at-home console may allow it to run these titles without compromises. Until then, gamers will need to find Wi-Fi hotspots when using the Portal on the road.