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RIP to the dedicated handheld
- Thread starter Deleted member 4461
- Start date
I always carried a DS, 3DS, PSP or Vita or whatever in a case to protect them, inside the bag I carried for work, and so the Switch is no different to me. I've carried a mobile phone that had games on it for 20 years and so it made little difference to me when I've had a phone and a handheld in my bag ever since I started commuting and before the GBA even released.
I've never even plugged the Switch dock in. If anything, the main function of the removable joycon for me was that I could replace the left one with a third party one with a d-pad as soon as I could for 2D games! :D
The main reason I haven't traded to a Switch lite, which would be obviously aimed at me, is the screen size as my eyesight isn't that great any more, it being a bit bigger and 'less portable' than previous ones doesn't matter when I've always slung them in a case in a rucksack rather than putting in a pocket anyway.
There is a trade off in getting less weird 'handheld' games like we used to get on the DS, but to be honest getting stuff like BotW, Skyrim, and Dragon Quest XI in addition to being what seems like a leading platform for many indies rather than getting a few scraps is a pretty good deal to me. It's the only platform I use because of that. Convenience is the only reason I'm still in the hobby, and while portables are always a compromise of size, power and battery life in order to be convenient, the Switch feels like it hit the sweet spot of what's available on it to me.
I've never even plugged the Switch dock in. If anything, the main function of the removable joycon for me was that I could replace the left one with a third party one with a d-pad as soon as I could for 2D games! :D
The main reason I haven't traded to a Switch lite, which would be obviously aimed at me, is the screen size as my eyesight isn't that great any more, it being a bit bigger and 'less portable' than previous ones doesn't matter when I've always slung them in a case in a rucksack rather than putting in a pocket anyway.
There is a trade off in getting less weird 'handheld' games like we used to get on the DS, but to be honest getting stuff like BotW, Skyrim, and Dragon Quest XI in addition to being what seems like a leading platform for many indies rather than getting a few scraps is a pretty good deal to me. It's the only platform I use because of that. Convenience is the only reason I'm still in the hobby, and while portables are always a compromise of size, power and battery life in order to be convenient, the Switch feels like it hit the sweet spot of what's available on it to me.
Non-handheld gamers shouldn't speak for handheld gamers. The base Switch serves my play style well, because handhelds have never been defined by all of the superfluous characteristics stationary gamers attach to them, but by the simple fact I can play my games ANYWHERE. With no limit on range.
So if you're saying the Switch doesn't meet those criteria then you're basically saying it isn't a hybrid at all. Like, jesus fucking christ, it's OK for the Switch to be mentioned in the same breath as the OGGB, GBA, DS and 3DS. This ardent push to disassociate the Switch with some of Nintendo's greatest systems is nonsensical and strange.
So if you're saying the Switch doesn't meet those criteria then you're basically saying it isn't a hybrid at all. Like, jesus fucking christ, it's OK for the Switch to be mentioned in the same breath as the OGGB, GBA, DS and 3DS. This ardent push to disassociate the Switch with some of Nintendo's greatest systems is nonsensical and strange.
The Switch Lite is the closest thing to a dedicated handheld nowadays and is a vastly improved handheld experience to the regular Switch, which feels like I could break it at any moment with how flimsy the Joycons seem when attached to the sides. I regularly use my Switch Lite and I'm even close to beating Breath of the Wild on it.
Not sure where a lot of the hate for portable gaming come from, going on long trips or even just short bus journeys, having a PSP/Vita or DS/3DS was pretty awesome and the quality of games seem a lot higher compared to the average mobile game at the moment. I especially miss the Vita and it's support for trophies, I'd give anything for another PlayStation handheld or even just trophy supported titles on mobile.
Edit: it's also nice having a separate gaming portable so I don't drain my phone battery.
Not sure where a lot of the hate for portable gaming come from, going on long trips or even just short bus journeys, having a PSP/Vita or DS/3DS was pretty awesome and the quality of games seem a lot higher compared to the average mobile game at the moment. I especially miss the Vita and it's support for trophies, I'd give anything for another PlayStation handheld or even just trophy supported titles on mobile.
Edit: it's also nice having a separate gaming portable so I don't drain my phone battery.
I wish there was a more pocketable Switch that would still dock. The Switch Lite feels like a close-to-classic PSP-style handheld, and makes the normal Switch feel brittle and big.
There is a unique charm to a DS or Vita, in the same way I feel nostalgic for iPhone 5 sized devices, but my eyes still prefer the bigger screen of the Switch.
There is a unique charm to a DS or Vita, in the same way I feel nostalgic for iPhone 5 sized devices, but my eyes still prefer the bigger screen of the Switch.
Switch is too heavy and cumbersome to be as portable as I'd want. I bring one to places in a bag but it's only really usable on a desk or something. And it takes me a second to set it up on the joycon adapter.
Compare to say the 3ds, Vita/PSP, or even a smartphone which I could pop in and out of a pocket at will.
The switch light is closer but just about too big for any pocket bar specifically big winter coats.
And I'm sure someone will say "who cares if it fits in your pocket?", well yes, that matters because it adds to the portability. Gaming on the go and all that.
Compare to say the 3ds, Vita/PSP, or even a smartphone which I could pop in and out of a pocket at will.
The switch light is closer but just about too big for any pocket bar specifically big winter coats.
And I'm sure someone will say "who cares if it fits in your pocket?", well yes, that matters because it adds to the portability. Gaming on the go and all that.
I spent the better part of last year amassing a small collection of Wonderswan games after bringing a SwanCrystal home from Japan in 2018? and it's honestly great. So charming.
I just finally bought my dream Crystal Black SwanCrystal last month and am looking into the IPS solutions that have popped up in the past few years.
My RG351P disagrees with you
This!!!. Just ordered one yesterday!!!!
I use my Switch 99% of the time in handheld mode and for me it's biggest benefit is not being tethered to the TV but I get what you mean it isn't a 'true' handheld in the same way Vita, PSP or the DS line were. Still I really like the hybrid nature of it for if I do want to see stuff on the big screen every now and then or for games like Ring fit.
Switch does have a handheld only SKU, but I sort of get what you mean.
I think dedicated handhelds died because to be viable they need to be on the GameBoy or DS business model. Half priced MSRP games, much cheaper to develop for, hardware a generation behind. The Sony approach of 'console gaming on the go' failed because their hardware wasn't nearly powerful enough, it was only powerful compared to what Nintendo was doing so they couldn't quite get console games but also simultanouesly priced themselves out of the market by being much more expensive to develop for due to their increased power. So it's a no mans land. The GameBoy/DS model was made untenable by the rise of smartphones.
The alternative which Nintendo pivoted to is to take the existing console experience and making it a hybrid with a portable form factor which is what we have. The fact that they have managed to get Switch entirely portable and the platform is running stuff like Witcher 3, Doom , Civ6 etc is mind blowing. This would be like the Nintendo DS running Crysis and Civ 4. Not to mention all indies that have found their lead platform with the Switch. The advantage of course is less of a need for bespoke 'handheld' only versions of games even if not all games can make the transition, enough can.
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I may as well ask - what do you think is worth checking out if I do end up biting? The ones that have caught my eye are Digimon Tamers: Battle Spirit 1.5, Digimon Adventure: Anode/Cathode Tamer, Guilty Gear Petit, Megaman EXE WS, Super Robot Wars Compact 2 and 3, and Gihren's Greed: Conquerer of the Blue Planet.
I understand this sentiment. I love the Switch but still use my OG 3DS and Retroid Pocket 2 for quick rounds of gaming here and there. The DS Lite was my first console and I have this nostalgia towards having a bespoke, tiny device for gaming with pre-smartphone features.
I'm pretty sure I use my Switch 50/50 docked and tablet. The continuity of playing a game in both modes is one of my favorite features, which is why I'm excited that the Analogue Pocket will have a dock of its own. But I would buy a pocketable Switch Lite for sure.
I'm pretty sure I use my Switch 50/50 docked and tablet. The continuity of playing a game in both modes is one of my favorite features, which is why I'm excited that the Analogue Pocket will have a dock of its own. But I would buy a pocketable Switch Lite for sure.
The last "real" handheld was the original Gameboy since it was weaker than the NES which meant that games where shorter and more fine tuned fore short bursts of playing. The games on handheld have been mirroring the ones on the stationary consolesa generation earlier. Handhelds are weaker than the consoles a generation before
NES > GBC
SNES > GBA
N64 > DS
PS2 > PSP
Gamecube/Wii > 3DS
PS3 > PSV
Switch is the only handheld that is better than the last generation consoles like PS3 and XB360
NES > GBC
SNES > GBA
N64 > DS
PS2 > PSP
Gamecube/Wii > 3DS
PS3 > PSV
Switch is the only handheld that is better than the last generation consoles like PS3 and XB360
Street pass while fun, things like that are just little time wasters. Now imagine if there was something like street pass but you could communicate with the people you came across, as a way to find new friends to play Nintendo games with. With parental restrictions on it obviously.
I got a Switch Lite and it's now the system I use almost exclusively for handheld mode. My OG Switch occasionally comes out of the dock when I need to switch modes in the middle of a session or if I just wanna download updates or browse the eShop.
Because if I want to play a game, I want to play on a dedicated gaming system. Phones just suck for playing games.
I know what you mean, OP, but I feel like 3DS started this trend for Nintendo. We were getting console-style games on a portable back then. I remember early on during the PSP and OG DS wars, the fanboys would say that DS was providing unique handheld experiences whereas PSP was just getting console style games. But then when 3DS was doing it, it was supposedly okay!
I wonder how much you feel indies are stepping in with the more 'handheld' titles?
I wonder how much you feel indies are stepping in with the more 'handheld' titles?
We couldn't even have SwapNote safely, StreetPass is as good as it will ever get.
Then grab Flash Koibito-kun, Engacho!, One Piece Grand Battle Swan Colosseum, Makaimura for WonderSwan, Klonoa: Moonlight Museum, Mr. Driller, Tane wo Maku Tori, Wonder Classic, Xi [Sai] Little
Nintendo shuts down 3DS SwapNote messaging over internet due to mucky messages
Nintendo has shut down the SpotPass feature of SwapNote on the 3DS because gamers were using it to send "offensive material" to each other, including minors.
www.pocket-lint.com
Nintendo shuts down 3DS SwapNote messaging over internet due to mucky messages
Nintendo has shut down the SpotPass feature of SwapNote on the 3DS because gamers were using it to send "offensive material" to each other, including minors.
That's why they need to age restrict that stuff, not 18? No swap note for you, just like how the Switch has certain parental controls you can't bypass.
The prevalence of smartphones, to the point that a lot of kids are walking around with hand-me-downs even if they aren't from wealthy families, destroyed the use case of portables as we knew them. It'll be vanity hardware like the Playnite from here on out, I think.
I rolled the dice on a Lite and this did indeed happen to me. I got it replaced and then sold it. Not worth the trouble, although they're great otherwise.
I rolled the dice on a Lite and this did indeed happen to me. I got it replaced and then sold it. Not worth the trouble, although they're great otherwise.
I'm fairly sure that argument was during the 3DS and Vita wars when people were trying to figure out why the Vita was selling so poorly
I guess you weren't around on GAF/IGN/elsewhere during the OG DS vs PSP period? There was a position in the Nintendo community that PSP was just a portable console and DS was focusing on actual handheld games. I just found it funny that when Nintendo ended up doing that, the argument disappeared.
Hear hear, OP. I love the Switch but it's absolutely atrocious as a handheld system. If I need to carry around a bag specifically so I can have it with me it has completely failed as a portable system.
Is any of these worth getting over a jailbroken Vita?