[Digital Today reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Sony will launch a Japan-only new PlayStation Portal model next month with additional internal storage, The Verge reported on Nov. 9 local time.

The new model will come in the same Midnight Black color as the existing version and will include extra internal storage for future feature expansion.

The biggest change is the added storage. Sony said the storage is for future features and it will unveil related functions once they are finalized. It has not explained specific uses for now, but changes to the hardware configuration itself can be read as a point of differentiation from the existing PlayStation Portal.

The product name will also change. Sony will rename the Japan-only model to PlayStation Portal Player from PlayStation Portal Remote Player. Removing the word "Remote" is a detail that can be seen as a signal of broadening how the device can be used.

The existing PlayStation Portal does not support streaming apps such as YouTube, Disney Plus and Netflix. Its current role is focused on running PlayStation 5 games received from a console or the cloud. Given that structure, the added storage and name change suggest the possibility that media functions could be added in the future. The Verge pointed out that the combination could lead to support for access to streaming apps.

The device's limitations will remain. The PlayStation Portal currently does not have enough performance to run PlayStation games directly on the device itself. As a result, the additional storage could be used for features such as syncing for offline media playback rather than for running games. The original article also mentioned that the additional storage could be used to sync media for offline playback.

The launch conditions are clear. The model will be sold only in Japan and language settings will be limited to Japanese. Eligible accounts will also be limited to PlayStation accounts registered in Japan. Sony has effectively narrowed the test stage for feature expansion to users in Japan.

The release date is Dec. 10. The price is set at 39,980 yen, or about 340,000 won. That means the new PlayStation Portal is expected to come to market not as a simple color-variant model but as a product with a trial character aimed at future feature expansion. With a Japan-only launch, account restrictions and additional storage applied together, attention is likely to focus on what functions Sony will later formalize.