Handheld Gaming

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

It's no secret that the dedicated handheld gaming market just... doesn't really exists anymore. While systems like the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck both exist in a nebulous sort of "hybrid" area (with even the Switch Lite being too large to fit into anything but a generous pair of cargo shorts), neither of them have attempted to cater to the handheld market specifically. The Switch continues to be the Switch, while the Deck exists largely to play games normally reserved for a dedicated gaming PC. Outside of mobile phone gaming, it seems like the era of handheld gaming ended with the Nintendo 3DS Playstation Vita.

Do you think there's still a market for dedicated handheld systems? If so, could they compete in a marketplace thoroughly dominated by mobile phones and the existing "hybrid" systems? Is there anything a new handheld system could do to win you over?

And most importantly, why didn't more of you buy the Playstation Vita? |:<

 

[Fraxinus]

Dedicated handhelds have probably been replaced by mobile gaming in all honesty, so I can see the reasoning for drifting more into the "hybrid" style for handheld console gaming.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

there is the Playdate which is trying to offer its own experience while being a handheld, but I can't see any more dedicated handheld systems being made like they used to after the hybrid model has been proven to be a big hit

I didn't have money to spend until years after the Vita came out and it was sorta going out the door by then, but had there been an exclusive GTA on it or something I would've prioritized it sooner

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

there is the Playdate which is trying to offer its own experience while being a handheld, but I can't see any more dedicated handheld systems being made like they used to after the hybrid model has been proven to be a big hit

I didn't have money to spend until years after the Vita came out and it was sorta going out the door by then, but had there been an exclusive GTA on it or something I would've prioritized it sooner

Honestly, there might have been a GTA for the Vita if Sony didn't bungle the **** out of the system from pretty much the moment they pushed it out the door.

 

[Mikey the Moblin]

Legacy handhelds also still perform really well imo. Like people into handheld gaming probably still play their 3ds consistently. 3ds was probably just peak handheld

 

[Uwu_Oocoo2]

I think the thing that has changed the handheld gaming industry the most is just the change in what's expected of gaming companies. When the Gameboy and Ds were around, the graphics on them weren't that great. But that was okay, because that's what people were used to. People weren't buying Mario for their Gameboy and expecting it to look like Mario 64 eventually would. But now, with expectations for the speed and graphics of games increasing, companies need consoles that'll keep up with that. If you compare the graphics on the switch with that of certain other newer consoles, it'll feel like you may as well be playing a 3ds. Companies like Ninty are forced to choose between versatility and technological advancement.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

Honestly, there might have been a GTA for the Vita if Sony didn't bungle the **** out of the system from pretty much the moment they pushed it out the door.

yeah I remember it's proprietary memory cards being a bad factor, actually did it ever get better? I guess me skipping the vita came down to money and it not have enough titles to draw me in

 

[Vanessa28]

It seems like everything is more focused on phones nowadays. People still play their handheld consoles already in their possesion but with phones today having more and more heavier gaming worthy specs it seems like the focus from handhelds go to phones

 

[TheGreatCthulhu]

(with even the Switch Lite being too large to fit into anything but a generous pair of cargo shorts)

This just reaffirms my belief in the tactical superiority of a nice pair of cargo shorts.

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

yeah I remember it's proprietary memory cards being a bad factor, actually did it ever get better? I guess me skipping the vita came down to money and it not have enough titles to draw me in

Unfortunately, even the Vita's revision did nothing to improve the memory card situation. While it did add 1 GB of internal memory (meaning that you were no longer required to buy a memory card in order to run games from cartridges), the system continued to use proprietary and pricey memory sticks. Heck, the Vita's revision actually removed the original model's OLED screen. While a good cost-cutting measure, it also cut out one of the big technical benefits it had over the 3DS.

While modders did eventually fashion an adapter and homebrew software that would allow the Vita to use micro SD cards (which is how I have 254 GB of storage in mind), there was never official support for it.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

Unfortunately, even the Vita's revision did nothing to improve the memory card situation. While it did add 1 GB of internal memory (meaning that you were no longer required to buy a memory card in order to run games from cartridges), the system continued to use proprietary and pricey memory sticks. Heck, the Vita's revision actually removed the original model's OLED screen. While a good cost-cutting measure, it also cut out one of the big technical benefits it had over the 3DS.

While modders did eventually fashion an adapter and homebrew software that would allow the Vita to use micro SD cards (which is how I have 254 GB of storage in mind), there was never official support for it.

always gotta leave it to the modding community

 

[A Link In Time]

Oh, man, I definitely miss dedicated handhelds so much. I played a ridiculous amount on my GBA, DS, PSP, and 3DS throughout the years.

There is a certain charm to the smaller style games available on those systems. The GBA essentially gave us a second golden age of 2D gaming. So many great games like The Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission, Wario Land 4, Fire Emblem plus Fire Emblem The Sacred Stone, Advance Wars 1 and 2, Golden Sun and Golden Sun The Lost Age, and Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga. There were also some underrated third party games on the system like DBZ Legacy of Goku 2 and Buu's Fury. Then the DS had a lot of fun touch control games like Kirby Canvas Curse and the DS Zelda games. The PSP was the first time you could have console gaming on the go. Lots of fond memories playing Burnout on it. The 3DS was an amazing RPG machine and also gave us some great handheld versions of the N64 Zeldas, plus some underrated games like Kid Icarus: Uprising.

The GBA SP introduced us to the brilliance of the clamshell design, which I'd argue revolutionized handheld play. It made taking systems with you so convenient. I would take my GBA SP, DS, and 3DS to places where I would never take my Switch because of its bulkier form factor. I also have to give a shout-out to Streetpass on the 3DS making the social experience of carrying your system with you more rewarding. I loved getting people's Miis and see where they're from. What a fun feature.

Sadly, I struggle to see how dedicated handhelds can exist in a smartphone world. People are too used to mobile gaming where most games are free to play. At best, I see handheld only versions of future Nintendo consoles like what we got with the Switch Lite.