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Has the time you spend playing handheld(s) increased or decreased during lockdown/quarantine?

My handheld gaming time has...

  • Increased

    Votes: 85 31.0%

  • Decreased

    Votes: 106 38.7%

  • Stayed the same

    Votes: 83 30.3%
  • Total voters
    274
Discontent

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
I don't know about you guys but when I'm stuck at home 90% of the time I'll choose the big screen to play on, even on the switch. Considering half or so of my backlog is on handheld consoles it's strange how I almost always pick the TV/Monitor over handheld consoles even though it's physically more comfortable playing handhelds imo. I've played a lot of games I've been meaning to play for a while now on PC and home consoles so I'm happy about that though.
 
ss_lemonade

ss_lemonade

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,648
If you count streaming to mobile devices, it sort of has increased ever since I got a new phone and a controller attachment for it.

zgSX4La.jpg

21:9 mobile gaming is pretty sweet
 
Aaronsteel

Aaronsteel

Member
Sep 24, 2018
64
I would say increased. While big screen is a decent chunk of where I game, it's a combination of getting a Switch for Animal Crossing at the beginning of quarantine and my job requiring constant attention/both of my monitors while also having decent amounts of downtime. It's a lot easier to quickly set down my Switch or Vita (Remote Play is a godsend) when I need to rather than having to switch inputs or take extra time away from the work screens or something.
 
Lucreto

Lucreto

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,631
I am working from home so no change for me. I lose the commute but still didn't get extra time.
 
Hasney

Hasney

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
18,589
I only really use my Switch in Handheld when I need to take the train a few times a year, so totally decreased to 0.
 
Ariakon44

Ariakon44

Prophet of Truth
Member
Nov 17, 2020
10,173
I've been playing my Switch more (which I always play in handheld mode), but I've been playing games more in general so it's sort of a rising tide lifts all ships situation.

And I finally found a power adapter for my Vita, so I've been playing Persona 4 Golden a bit.
 
AfropunkNyc

AfropunkNyc

Member
Nov 15, 2017
3,958
My Switch gets attention from me in undock mode. Alternating between my PC and my Switch depends on my mood for that day. My PC still gets most of the attention, though.
 

giapel

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,592
I'd say the same. I don't take public transport so the switch was always used in the house. Pandemic or not, it's mostly the same split. Although I've got a PS5 now so I make a bit more effort to play that since it's new so I'm skewing a bit towards TV at the moment.
 
Papercuts

Papercuts

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,010
Stayed the same, which is to say not used at all. My switch was barely touched outside of Hades. Pandemic didn't matter since I don't actually bring handhelds anywhere.
 
Redcrayon

Redcrayon

Patient hunter
On Break
Oct 27, 2017
12,713
UK
Mine's stayed largely the same in that I only really play on handhelds anyway. My switch dock is still in the box three years later.
 
Primal Sage

Primal Sage

Virtually Real
Member
Nov 27, 2017
9,693
It's practically zero. I primarily gamed on handhelds during my daily commute. Almost two hours each day. I live alone so there is no reason not to game with bigger picture, better screen quality and better sound when at home.
 
OP
OP
Discontent

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
Primal Sage said:
It's practically zero. I primarily gamed on handhelds during my daily commute. Almost two hours each day. I live alone so there is no reason not to game with bigger picture, better screen quality and better sound when at home.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yea I literally just play handheld in bed a little before bed when I can't be bothered to sit and watch the big screen. But even then, a lot of the times browsing resetera is the more appealing option lol.
 
MavFan619

MavFan619

Member
Oct 25, 2017
661
New York
Really high with AC but then I got kinda bored of it (GOTY contender but at some point it just didn't feel fresh anymore) and my Switch is never used until BOTW2 probably, since I am on my PC or PS5 more often.
 
Diogo Arez

Diogo Arez

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 20, 2020
17,614
Since my time playing handhelds was already at zero it stayed the same, my docked Switch saw way more use tho this year.
 
Kazooie

Kazooie

Member
Jul 17, 2019
5,011
It decreased, but solely because my wife has grabbed my Switch and is playing A n imal Crossing all the time. Thus, I need to play Xbox instead.
 
Novocaine

Novocaine

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,946
Increased. But it's been iPad stuff not switch stuff. I'm not sure if I'm still in a honeymoon period with it or not though.
 

callamp

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,475
I played Super Mario Galaxy but otherwise my Switch has been gathering dust during the pandemic. Without travel it is just a paperweight.
 
Pineapple

Pineapple

One Winged Slayer
Member
Mar 26, 2019
507
USA
I mostly play handhelds anyway. At the start, my playing time ballooned up, but now it sounds like my switch is dying so I'm trying to not use it as much. Thinking about just getting another one even with the supposed "pro" is a thing.
 
fiendcode

fiendcode

Member
Oct 26, 2017
24,909
Increased mostly due increased playing time. But I always played handheld at home and preferred it tv play. More personal, more comfortable.
 
cowbanana

cowbanana

Member
Feb 2, 2018
13,663
a Socialist Utopia
Definitely increased for me. Last year I managed to play through Xenoblade Chronicles: DE and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 + Torna, mostly in handheld mode (Some 250+ hours in total). Any other year I would not have had the time to sit back in my favorite recliner and play Switch games as much. I save a lot of time I would normally use commuting by working from home. A few more hours a day add up fast over several months.
 

RelaxItsJustMe

Member
Feb 15, 2019
2,534
The lockdown didn't really affect whether I played handheld or docked in general. Though 2020 was a pretty barren year for me for Switch and I'm pretty sure I almost exclusively used it for Ring Fit, though there could be exceptions. A year is a long time and I don't remember all the games I played.

But yeah the lockdown part is irrelevant to whether handheld increased or decreased. It's the games for me. This year Monster Hunter Rise alone will probably mean I'll use my Switch more than last year and that probably means I'll use handheld more than last year despite the vast, vast majority of my time being spend playing docked.
 
DeuceGamer

DeuceGamer

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,476
I still play a lot of handheld Switch while watching TV with my family or late at night. I'd say it's about the same as normal for me.
 
V has come to

V has come to

Member
Dec 4, 2019
1,632
decreased since the only time i use my switch handheld is when i travel and i haven't done that in over a year. i've played it handheld twice since covid started
 
ShroudOfFate

ShroudOfFate

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,518
Before I would heavily rely on my Switch/Vita/3DS for gaming just because it was less effort after a long day of work than turning on a console and my TV setup but now that I'm home more (and the PS5 is so fast to boot) I've been mostly on console
 
SturokBGD

SturokBGD

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,414
Ontario
Presbyopia has done more harm to my handheld time than lockdown. I bought reading lenses that clip over my regular glasses and they changed my life but my wife laughs at me when I use them. Might divorce her when this is over.
 
OP
OP
Discontent

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
SturokBGD said:
Presbyopia has done more harm to my handheld time than lockdown. I bought reading lenses that clip over my regular glasses and they changed my life but my wife laughs at me when I use them. Might divorce her when this is over.
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Click to shrink...

That'll teach her lmao. Sorry to hear about your condition, I just googled what it is and it doesn't sound pleasant at all.
 
Patrick Bateman

Patrick Bateman

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,625
55 West 81st Street, Upper West Side
Increased,
because I bought a PSP 3000. I wanted to replay those amazing games I played 10 years ago, like Ridge Racer, Lumines etc.
A great little machine and a damn shame Sony left the handheld business.

On the other hand:
That Nintendo 2020 summary was kinda depressing. I played like 12 hours on my Switch in whole 2020...
 
MegaManTrigger

MegaManTrigger

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
8,734
I gamed a lot on the Switch until finishing up Age of Calamity, and now I'm using my modded Vita and RG351p to emulate some of the classics I owned.
I've been finding it extremely hard to play on home console versions nowadays.
 
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