Handheld vs Home console

[Sfjeov]

I'm way too used to playing on my phone or other handheld device when I was young. Recently, I've been playing on my laptop more than on mobile devices and consoles.

 

[marmarneverdie]

Grew up sharing my home consoles with my sister and as such, as much as I love them, handhelds always felt a lot more personal to me. Handheld games are far more timeless than home games, in that they generally have a pick-up-and-go nature to their design. I find that console games tend to age, albeit gracefully, far quicker than handheld titles.

 

[silver9000]

I used to think having the best of both worlds was the way, but ever since the Switch and android handhelds with an HDMI port, I can't imagine a future with handhelds that can't connect to a TV with wireless controllers.

 

[Turbo Kid]

I was mostly a console person for years. Today I lean more towards handhelds. Things like the Retroid Pocket 5/Odin2 Portal give you so much freedom and great emulation. The Switch OLED is marvelous once you get a mod chip installed on it. The 3DS still is a unique system with 3d and a neat dual screen setup and stylus. The Vita is pretty cool too as a substitute PSP and a way to play PS3/PS4 games portably. It also runs PS1 games just great.

The other reason I love handhelds is that many of them can be outputted to TV and become a console. Also, as someone pointed out in another thread, you can still use them when the power goes out and you have no internet if your battery is charged. Handheld gaming man. As Mando would say, "This is the way"

PC gaming sucks. No physical market = I don't give a damn. The PC market bent the knee to an all digital future way too quickly. That's why I don't give a crap about the Steamdeck in lieu of something like the OLED Switch.

 

[Heinzu]

You can't compare a handheld console to a home console. It's not the same and yes, it's all a matter of taste. I prefer handhelds to home consoles.

 

[PhaseJump]

You can't compare a handheld console to a home console. It's not the same and yes, it's all a matter of taste. I prefer handhelds to home consoles.

 

[Heinzu]

Yes, well, the Nintendo Switch is now both in one.

 

[nathman]

See the thing is, the Nintendo Switch is not very good as a handheld and it's not particularly good as a home console either.

 

[PhaseJump]

See the thing is, the Nintendo Switch is not very good as a handheld and it's not particularly good as a home console either.

Switch Lite is no worse than any Nintendo handheld before it.

 

[nathman]

Switch Lite is no worse than any Nintendo handheld before it.

Eh, it's too big. And it's not a home console either since it doesn't have a display out.

 

[PhaseJump]

See the thing is, the Nintendo Switch is not very good as a handheld and it's not particularly good as a home console either.

Switch Lite is no worse than any Nintendo handheld before it.

Eh, it's too big. And it's not a home console either since it doesn't have a display out.

The Nintendo handheld that is better than all previous Nintendo handhelds isn't a home console?

 

[Turbo Kid]

I pick whichever one plays video games.

 

[urbancowboy]

Both with the Steamdeck and depends on the game.

 

[nathman]

The Nintendo handheld that is better than all previous Nintendo handhelds isn't a home console?

The 3DS is much better than the Switch Lite in my view. It's built better, it's more portable, it's social features actually exist, and it even still has life left since you can mod it.

The Switch is even worse as a handheld because it's physically bigger & it's more flimsy, and the Switch Lite isn't even a home console. You can't just say that the Switch Lite is a home console because the Switch exists, they're two different models (even with the same hardware). It does not have video out, therefore it cannot be a home console since it cannot be connected to a TV.

 

[PhaseJump]

The 3DS is much better than the Switch Lite in my view. It's built better, it's more portable, it's social features actually exist, and it even still has life left since you can mod it.

The Switch is even worse as a handheld because it's physically bigger & it's more flimsy, and the Switch Lite isn't even a home console. You can't just say that the Switch Lite is a home console because the Switch exists, they're two different models (even with the same hardware). It does not have video out, therefore it cannot be a home console since it cannot be connected to a TV.

Who is even trying to say that the Switch Lite is a home console?

 

[Adrastia]

I'm nearsighted and the advantage of handheld for me is that I can play without glasses. But I do appreciate the big screen of the home console since it's hooked up to a TV.

 

[Pearly]

I will play either on a handheld, my laptop or my 2ds/vita/switch depending on what I want to play.

Sometimes I may prefer playing one over the other for spans of time but my least favourite is the 3ds version of metroid 2 samus returns on my 2ds, that game has way too much detail packed into a small screen for my liking. I hate the d pad and buttons on the regular 3ds, 3ds xl and the 2ds xl, too clicky and noisy, the 2ds xl just feels cheap.

The vita is easily the most premium handheld ever made, shame it was so hilariously mismanaged, almost 90's sega level of mismanaged.

At the moment I am slightly preferring my laptop, but it could just be that I haven't had much time to play the long form games I have on anything else.

 

[nathman]

Who is even trying to say that the Switch Lite is a home console?

You mate.

 

[PhaseJump]

You mate.

Didn't happen.

You are saying the Switch is no good as a handheld or home console.
I bring up the handheld only version being no worse than the previous handhelds they released.
You go down a rabbit hole trying to disqualify it, telling us that it's too big. That's fine. Repeatedly pointing out the obvious, that it's not a home console doesn't add any weight to your argument.

I would say it's not that big compared to any other contemporary gaming handheld it competes with, which is largely made up of bulky gaming PCs or low quality crap out of China that runs Android, or that it's game library is arguably better than any previous handheld generation from Nintendo because they literally unified their development and focus around one platform.

 

[nathman]

Didn't happen.

You were replying to a comment about the Switch Lite specifically and brought up the Switch being a home console even though I wasn't talking about the regular Switch, I was talking about the Switch Lite.

 

[PhaseJump]

You were replying to a comment about the Switch Lite specifically and brought up the Switch being a home console even though I wasn't talking about the regular Switch, I was talking about the Switch Lite.

I am the one who brought up the Lite in response to your quote:

See the thing is, the Nintendo Switch is not very good as a handheld and it's not particularly good as a home console either.

Switch Lite is no worse than any Nintendo handheld before it.

 

[DanCalibur]

As a representative of the Old Geezers class, I'm afraid I can no longer do portables. Got myself a R36S, amazing little machine for the price, played pokemon for 2 hours and had to stop cuz everything hurts. Fingers, wrists, neck, eyes you name it. A comfy sofa, a standard controller with a nice handle and a big screen in total darkness is the the way to go for me now

 

[nathman]

I am the one who brought up the Lite in response to your quote:

Eh, it's too big. And it's not a home console either since it doesn't have a display out.

You forgot that quote, to your own quote about the Switch Lite.

 

[PhaseJump]

You forgot that quote, to your own quote about the Switch Lite.

I forgot nothing. Who are you even arguing with here?

Nobody is saying Switch Lite is a home console.

You said the Switch wasn't good as a handheld, or a good home console.
I brought it up as the handheld-only device, the Lite, stating that thing is no worse than the previous Nintendo handhelds. That's it.

You are stating it's too big. Fair complaint. You are then arguing that it isn't a home console, stating the obvious, and trying to imply that people are saying otherwise.

Yes. It is not a home console. Nobody said it was, but go ahead.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

See the thing is, the Nintendo Switch is not very good as a handheld and it's not particularly good as a home console either.

While I may agree the Switch is a bit too big and heavy for a handheld I don't see that it's not good as a home console (it's officially listed as a hybrid).


If you're speaking of power then you'd consider that the Wii wasn't good and dare I say the N64 and Gamecube were also limited because of their respective game format (cartridge and mini dvd).