This sound is associated with the Portal series by Valve, where the handheld portal device creates linked portals as a core gameplay mechanic. The games made the effect recognizable among players, especially after Portal and Portal 2 became widely quoted online. It stays popular in short edits because a single burst communicates teleportation, clever problem solving, and sci-fi tech without needing extra explanation. Creators often pair it with other game-style effects such as a pew pew sound when building fast, exaggerated action memes.