Opinion: I Miss Dedicated Handhelds

 The state of handheld gaming has been on my mind for a while now, and with the rumours swirling about Xbox’s new handheld (Project Kennan), it is as good a time as any to talk about it. We have not seen a dedicated handheld, at least from any of the big players in the industry, since the Nintendo Switch effectively replaced the 3DS in 2017. Since then, we have seen the success of the Switch and its hybrid nature, as well as the rise of handheld gaming PCs from the likes of Valve and Asus. And yet, not a single dedicated handheld in sight.


Source: Windows Central

There are a multitude of reasons why I love dedicated handhelds, with the convenience of picking and instantly playing anywhere being among them. However, the unique and creative gaming experiences they offer are by far the most important. Traditionally, handhelds have been underpowered compared to their home console counterparts, with exceptions like the Sega Nomad existing. This lack of raw power resulted in unique workarounds and creative experiences. A game that I played a lot on the DS was ‘The Simpsons Game’ made as a tie-in release with ‘The Simpsons Movie’ (2007). The game is just a basic platformer but with a lot of character. The DS version was a 2D platformer because of system limitations, whilst the console versions were in 3D and even had an open world. Recently, I started playing through the console version and between the awkward controls and terrible camera, it was a rough experience. Maybe it is nostalgia, but I genuinely believe that the game and its story work better as a 2D platformer or at the very least, it is a different experience. Without dedicated handhelds, these different and unique experiences can be lost. Games were also developed around the unique experiences that handhelds provided, the main example being that Pokemon was developed around the Game Boy’s Link Cable.

Now obviously you could argue that the Switch is a handheld, especially with its lacklustre hardware, even for 2017. However, I maintain that the Switch is a home console that you can happen to play portably. The Switch was a runaway success and a big win for Nintendo, especially after the failure of the Wii U. The Switch brought Nintendo back from the brink. However, I would argue that the most significant impact that the Switch had was providing a new pathway for the gaming industry, at least on the hardware side of things. Nintendo made a hybrid home console/handheld with a single games library. The risk with dedicated handhelds is that you would have to support two different devices with two different levels of raw power, resulting in different game catalogues. Developers would need to be courted not only to develop for the home consoles, a task that some of them struggle with already but also to develop for their handhelds. Nintendo got rid of this barrier by having their handheld and home console be the same thing; the industry took notice.

When the PlayStation Portal launched, there were opinions that it would be a useless device as it had to be connected to your PS5, and the device itself could not play any games. People argued that it was a cop-out from Sony as they did not want to risk making a dedicated handheld. The PlayStation Portal has gone on to be a success for Sony; I love mine, but the belief that ‘making a dedicated handheld is risky’ is true. Sony saw that Nintendo had a unified home console/handheld library and did the same thing, or as close as they could without having a device that cost an arm and a leg. Gamers have always wanted to play console-quality games on the go and this was Sony’s most cost-effective way of achieving that. If you still believe the PlayStation Portal to be pointless, blame Nintendo, not Sony.


Source: TechRadar

Another industry shift since 2017 has been the rise of handheld PCs. Capable handheld gaming PCs have been a thing for a while now with companies like GDP at the forefront but the market exploded with Valve’s Steam Deck and Asus’ ROG Ally. These devices are great for playing on the go but also for console gamers looking to experience life on the other side. Despite having a gaming PC I always gravitate to using my consoles, even if clients like Steam make the whole process much simpler. However, the Steam Deck can demand far more of my attention. Being able to pick up a device and instantly play a AAA game is the dream that many of us have been waiting for. But here’s the thing, despite the Steam Deck being AAA capable, I exclusively play games like Stardew Valley. Simple and quirky experiences that hearken back to handheld games of the past. The Steam Deck is too heavy and the fan noise gets too loud for me to be able to get invested in extended, graphically intense story games. This is only my opinion, but I don’t think the handheld form factor lends itself well to AAA gaming. I find myself reaching for my Miyoo Mini Plus to play retro games because it is easier to quickly put up and set down again.


Source: TechRadar

It is more than likely that Xbox’s Project Kennan is going to be a handheld Windows PC like the ROG Ally with Xbox branding and an Xbox/Game Pass launcher, which makes perfect sense. A capable handheld PC with a more user-friendly Windows experience that if priced well will do amazingly in the current market. Additionally, Switch 2 will be a direct successor to the original Switch, with a similar form factor and hybrid capabilities but with more powerful hardware. We are at a point where all three of the main console manufacturers have suffered significant hardware blunders, and with the ever-increasing costs related to game development, the margin for error on hardware releases is even lower. Nintendo, Sony and the handheld PC manufacturers have proved that handhelds with a single, no-compromises library are the future. And that is not a bad thing. Having more flexibility in how you play is good. If I had a device with the power of a Steam Deck in the form factor of a Switch, with passive cooling, I have to wonder if I would care less about losing dedicated handhelds. Finally, a big part of my reasoning for loving dedicated handhelds is that the lack of raw performance made for creative solutions and unique experiences. But if we look at the current landscape, indie development is in a renaissance. Games like Balatro and Animal Well topped many GOTY lists. The loss of dedicated handhelds may mark the end of an era in gaming but hopefully, the simple, creative and quirky experiences will remain and flourish.

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