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[Guileless]

Let us celebrate by watching American Psycho via UMD on PSP.

 

[rodrigolfp]

You get the most uneven experience ever, you get home console games that require a ton of buttons and good ergonomics (= proper controller

Imagine saying controllers have tons of buttons in a world with mouse +kb. And Steam Deck has more buttons than any console controller.

Differently than the Windows handhelds, Android handhelds are smaller, have more battery life and their interface is actually good.

The Deck, Ally, Ayaneo and etc. are huge in size. So I dont see the appeal of it being a "handheld" when you cant put it in your pocket and take it outside. Not only that, but battery life is dreadful.

But has infinitely less games as Windows handhelds can run Windows, other Linux and Android games (Bluestacks).

You can put them in their cases and take outside.

Not truly "portable". You cant put it in your pocket.

Portable has nothing to do with pockets. Laptops are portable and you can't put in your pocket.

adjective

1. able to be easily carried or moved, especially because being of a lighter and smaller version than usual.

noun

1. a version of something, such as a small lightweight television or computer, that can be easily carried.

 

[Celine]

And this is why games were much better and a perfect fit for the screen and resolution.

I'd wager Switch has the best game library of any Nintendo console.

 

[Hugare]

Imagine saying controllers have tons of buttons in a world with mouse +kb. And Steam Deck has more buttons than any console controller.


But has infinitely less games as Windows handhelds can run Windows, other Linux and Android games (Bluestacks).

You can put them in their cases and take outside.


Portable has nothing to do with pockets. Laptops are portable and you can't put in your pocket.

adjective

1. able to be easily carried or moved, especially because being of a lighter and smaller version than usual.

noun

1. a version of something, such as a small lightweight television or computer, that can be easily carried.

Every console from NES to Wii/Switch + Android games is more than enough for a library, imo. But yeah, Windows has even more, tho they have their own disadvantages such as worse battery life and interface.

About the "portable" definition, I was wrong. But "handhelds". Should be something smaller than a Steam Deck, imo. But that's my opinion.

 

[Trilobit]

Its mostly just console games. There's a type of design we used to see for games made specifically for handhelds that is lost now. With no Vita, PSP, 3DS, DS, GBA, no I dont really agree. Its just lots of options for console games on the go now. Its nice but mostly the same thing.

I think you might have missed the amount of flack PSP and Vita caught for their consoley games. Nintendo were always the kings of the handheld feel. Well, until now in my opinion. I had hoped for a far bigger amount of smaller handheldy games now that they consolidated their handheld and stationary studios. Quite disappointed honestly.

 

[Megatron]

Without a doubt, this year is the best year ever to be a handheld enthusiast. For the first time ever, we can play games handheld on a PC platform and not being beholden to some shitty closed walled garden business that demands us to rebuy all our older games. There's been a lot of alternatives for a lot of tastes with different budgets. Steam Deck OLED has been a substantial upgrade over the original version and the Windows handhelds come in every form factor and power profile for every taste. Improvements are being made on a daily basis and we don't go by a single week without some substantial hardware news on the handheld front. The star of the show is obviously the AMD SoC of Ryzen CPU and RDNA2-3 graphics. It has enabled a level of low wattage gaming that was just a few years back considered a fantasy. These chips allow us to play everything from 8-bit era classics to modern current-gen games ported straight from PS5/Series consoles. This is the first time in history where someone with a handheld can play a AAA release on the same date all while having a perfectly acceptable gaming experience. Something considered an impossibility for decades. 2023 marks a paradigm shift for handhelds, and it will hopefully only keep snowball further from here. Do you guys agree?

Isnt steam deck also a walled garden? I can’t play my free epic store games on it for instance?

 

[nial]

SEGA started it in 1995.

As someone already said, Hudson Soft/NEC did it first.

 

[ReBurn]

They need to make a gas powered handheld. Small generator to keep the batteries charged.

They already have that. It's a car with a power inverter installed that you can plug your charger into.

 

[Alex Anderson]

I played a lot of Steam Deck, Switch, and 3DS this year after ignoring the latter two for years and a decade respectively.

 

[ReBurn]

I played a lot of Steam Deck, Switch, and 3DS this year after ignoring the latter two for years and a decade respectively.

I got another Steam Deck recently and it, along with Switch, have been where I'm spending a ton of my gaming time this year. I sold my launch model Steam Deck shortly after I got it because it felt a little unfinished at launch, but it's such a great device now. And Switch has had a stellar year for games. I bought more day 1 games for Switch this year than I have in a long time.

I was skeptical of PC handhelds at first and Steam Deck initially didn't convince me. But as it sits right now it's the main way I want to experience handheld gaming.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Its mostly just console games. There's a type of design we used to see for games made specifically for handhelds that is lost now. With no Vita, PSP, 3DS, DS, GBA, no I dont really agree. Its just lots of options for console games on the go now. Its nice but mostly the same thing.

Console games on the go was also the knock against PSP and Vita, back then.

I do feel that thanks to the massive indie scene there are plenty of games that work better as handheld titles, than on a console.

 

[coffinbirth]

Not truly "portable". You cant put it in your pocket.

For handhelds, I prefer something that can fit in my pocket. The Retroid Pocket is almost the size of a PSP, so its great.

Odin 2 is an amazing device, tho

I mean...no?

It's doable, especially with large pockets. Not much bigger than my phone, really. MUCH, MUCH smaller than a Steam Deck. It's more akin to a Switch Lite.

The thing with handhelds like this you want it to be in a case. Having it just loose in your pocket gets lint and detritus all up in it, not to mention the analog sticks getting borked by getting all jammed up. I always have a backpack for any excursions that would warrant a handheld coming along anyways, but still.

So yes, you can put it in your pocket...but I wouldn't really want to. Definitely portable tho.

 

[coffinbirth]

As someone already said, Hudson Soft/NEC did it first.

Doesn't make them right.

A downported arcade game with insufficient buttons for the controls is hardly the same as LITERALLY plugging in your home console games and taking them with you. By this logic the Atari Lynx takes the prize, however.

 

[Griffon]

Isnt steam deck also a walled garden? I can’t play my free epic store games on it for instance?

You absolutely can.

 

[coffinbirth]

You absolutely can.

Better put some asterisks in there, haha.

 

[Griffon]

Better put some asterisks in there, haha.

Sure, for any third party launcher, youd have to go on desktop mode and install it.

In the case of epic it is actually the easiest one: just install the heroic launcher from the discover app and you're set, no tinkering needed.

 

[coffinbirth]

Sure, for any third party launcher, youd have to go on desktop mode and install it.

In the case of epic it is actually the easiest one: just install the heroic launcher from the discover app and you're set, no tinkering needed.

Yeeeeahhhh, not my experience at all, haha. Haven't messed with it in months however, might be much better now.

 

[coffinbirth]

PC Engine GT/TurboExpress could play a good conversion of Street Fighter 2 earlier than that (not enough buttons though ah ah).

In truth handheld consoles were always an off-spring of TV consoles, typically replicating earlier TV console experiences due to the contemporary power/thermal constraints.
So for example a lot of Game Boy games were based on game experiences created for the Famicom/NES, even with their own peculiarities like a croppred screen and the possibility to exchange data between two Game Boys through a cable.
Handhelds were always "[TV] console on the go".
The Switch revolutionized with the hybrid concept (giving the user the option to effortlessly choose if playing TV, tabletop or handheld mode) and by adopting the most widespread multiplatform engines out of the gate which meant it received a lot of multiplatform releases (when feasible).
Switch have over 10000 games available for it and a lot of them are releases shared with PlayStation and Xbox.
In the past handhelds received games that were custom made.

GB/C - PS1 (completely different games)

GBA - PS2 (completely different games)

3DS - PS4 - NSW (3DS: DQXI demake mandatory to not lose sales in Japan - PS4: DQXI main version - NSW: subsequent DQXI definitive version that later was ported "as is" to PS4)

I was being literal with the Nomad post, but yeah...all handhelds that took carts were basically little home consoles.

 

[nial]

Doesn't make them right.

A downported arcade game with insufficient buttons for the controls is hardly the same as LITERALLY plugging in your home console games and taking them with you. By this logic the Atari Lynx takes the prize, however.

Huh, I think you're a bit confused. Well, I present to you...

TurboExpress - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[coffinbirth]

Huh, I think you're a bit confused. Well, I present to you...

TurboExpress - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

EDIT: Apparently I am, I didn't realize that TurboExpress used the game cards, disregard everything, haha.

 

[cireza]

I'd wager Switch has the best game library of any Nintendo console.

I disagree but my point wasn't about the games library anyway, but about games not being optimized for small screen display.

 

[Tams]

They are all handhelds, portables too, but I'd not really call any of them mobile gaming devices.

The Switch Lite perhaps comes closest, maybe the smallest GPDs and AYAs but they are chunky.

Okay, yes there are the Android based ones like Odin, but they aren't really for recent games and have few if any games specifically made for them.

Really, we don't have dedicated gaming devices that are eminently usable on the go that you can stuff into almost any bag or pocket anymore.

And no, smartphones don't count.

 

[Celine]

I disagree but my point wasn't about the games library anyway, but about games not being optimized for small screen display.

At least for the Switch, which run specific Switch builds of software contrary of PC handhelds, the cases in which a game is not optimized for the unit screen are small.
Without forgetting that even when the games had to be custom built around past handhelds there were instances in which developers had to work around the screen size constraints by limiting the damages (Super Mario Land 2 comes to mind) to an extent that doesn't happen on Switch by virtue of its screen being much much bigger than the original Game Boy's one.
In the worst case scenario when a developer was porting a game from NES to Game Boy it would usually crop the screen.
Instead for Switch the big limitation usually comes from sharing releases with much more powerful platforms therefore the needs for cutbacks (on the CPU/GPU sides), but really it depends on the kind of games (not all games needs high end hardware).
The Switch platform has become so important for the commercial success of indie games and japanese games that the Switch build is often put high in the priority queue.

 

[cireza]

the cases in which a game is not optimized for the unit screen are small.

This is not true at all. There are almost no games that offer different huds/menus depending on TV play or handheld play, for example.
A large majority of games simply shrink the TV hud and text to 720p and call it a day. Space is wasted and text is extremely small. Large borders are unused while any optimized game would be using the precious border space to make biggers huds and texts.

FF X on Vita has bigger hud and texts than on Switch, despite being displayed on a smaller screen. That's only one example.

Mario Land 2 is not a port from SMB3. It was developed specifically for the GB and they decided to go the "big sprite" route. The game works perfectly fine and everything is easy to see.

I love Brigandine on Switch, but everything is so small in handheld mode :

 

[kunonabi]

Not for me. There were several years back in the DS,3DS,NGPC time frames I'd take over this one.

 

[Hugare]

They are all handhelds, portables too, but I'd not really call any of them mobile gaming devices.

The Switch Lite perhaps comes closest, maybe the smallest GPDs and AYAs but they are chunky.

Okay, yes there are the Android based ones like Odin, but they aren't really for recent games and have few if any games specifically made for them.

Really, we don't have dedicated gaming devices that are eminently usable on the go that you can stuff into almost any bag or pocket anymore.

And no, smartphones don't count.

Odin 2 can run Switch better than the Switch itself. It runs most games using docked mode at a better framerate.

Being able to play almost every console ever made + Switch is a huge selling point, imo

 

[andythinkpad]

Odin 2 can run Switch better than the Switch itself. It runs most games using docked mode at a better framerate.

Being able to play almost every console ever made + Switch is a huge selling point, imo

Yeah, also PS2 at 2x 3x resolution.

Also quick save and load make home console game feels more like portable games.

 

[U n i o n 0015]

LTTP...but as someone who always off & on again owned handhelds, I completely agree that these new "aftermarket" handhelds have become a game changer.

My handheld history started with a Game Gear, then a Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Advance, PSP, Vita, Switch. I would usually play one game and then shelve whatever the system for years until I would eventually sell it. There were just too many compromises on older handhelds, from the reduced graphics compared to consoles, or having to haul a bunch of carts around, or not being comfortable for longer periods of time without some sort of accessory.

But now, I find myself buying more and more of these handhelds. I can put whatever I want on them, from arcade to console to PC games, and I have a range of devices in terms of portability, so depending on where I'm going I'll bring one or the other. It's really made gaming a lot more enjoyable for me because I can game whenever and wherever I want. Flexibility FTW.

 

[Klosshufvud]

LTTP...but as someone who always off & on again owned handhelds, I completely agree that these new "aftermarket" handhelds have become a game changer.

My handheld history started with a Game Gear, then a Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Advance, PSP, Vita, Switch. I would usually play one game and then shelve whatever the system for years until I would eventually sell it. There were just too many compromises on older handhelds, from the reduced graphics compared to consoles, or having to haul a bunch of carts around, or not being comfortable for longer periods of time without some sort of accessory.

But now, I find myself buying more and more of these handhelds. I can put whatever I want on them, from arcade to console to PC games, and I have a range of devices in terms of portability, so depending on where I'm going I'll bring one or the other. It's really made gaming a lot more enjoyable for me because I can game whenever and wherever I want. Flexibility FTW.

Hell yeah! It absolutely feels like the next great leap in gaming that's occurring right now. And like you said, these devices aren't as limiting as they used to. I play online Chivalry 2 and Tekken on my handheld and I get similar results as on my main PC. From inputs to performance to visual clarity, all hold up fine. And I get all the benefits of having a device that's handheld aswell. That's truly remarkable and telling what a paradigm shift this is. I'm currently replaying older games and found new enjoyment for them in this smaller, easier digestable form factor.

 

[U n i o n 0015]

I'm currently replaying older games and found new enjoyment for them in this smaller, easier digestable form factor.

Yep, same here, playing through Soul Blazer on SNES right now. Easy to just pick up and play old games that I missed back in the day.

 

[diffusionx]

I sold my Steam Deck primarily because it really just isn't that portable. It's too damn big.

I like the idea of the Anbernic handhelds that keep coming out, I saw they just released a six button one and if they make one with 6 buttons + analog sticks I'll probably buy one and see what the fuss is about.

 

[ReBurn]

LTTP...but as someone who always off & on again owned handhelds, I completely agree that these new "aftermarket" handhelds have become a game changer.

My handheld history started with a Game Gear, then a Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Advance, PSP, Vita, Switch. I would usually play one game and then shelve whatever the system for years until I would eventually sell it. There were just too many compromises on older handhelds, from the reduced graphics compared to consoles, or having to haul a bunch of carts around, or not being comfortable for longer periods of time without some sort of accessory.

But now, I find myself buying more and more of these handhelds. I can put whatever I want on them, from arcade to console to PC games, and I have a range of devices in terms of portability, so depending on where I'm going I'll bring one or the other. It's really made gaming a lot more enjoyable for me because I can game whenever and wherever I want. Flexibility FTW.

I love the Anbernic handhelds. I have a couple of them, but I especially love the RG351M for emulating GBA. The screen scales perfectly for GBA games. People dunk on the Chinese handhelds because they don't do the best job of emulating anything beyond PS1, but I don't really want to play 32-bit and later console games on a screen that size.

 

[Topher]

I hope we get to see some more options this year. Good start with MSI. Hopefully more OLEDs hit the market.

 

[Happosai]

Portable has nothing to do with pockets. Laptops are portable and you can't put in your pocket.

adjective

1. able to be easily carried or moved, especially because being of a lighter and smaller version than usual.

noun

1. a version of something, such as a small lightweight television or computer, that can be easily carried.

Glad someone finally posted this. Portable, mobile...why would you want a handheld small enough to find in a pocket unless you're back in the 90's buying these:

or...this is your idea of a handheld...

 

[MAtgS]

IDK man, '98 gave us Pokemon and GBC. That was a pretty sweet year.

 

[U n i o n 0015]

I love the Anbernic handhelds. I have a couple of them, but I especially love the RG351M for emulating GBA. The screen scales perfectly for GBA games. People dunk on the Chinese handhelds because they don't do the best job of emulating anything beyond PS1, but I don't really want to play 32-bit and later console games on a screen that size.

Yeah, I'm enjoying the Anbernics. I wish their software was a bit better, but it gets the job done. The 405M is my latest addition and I put Gamma OS on it--tons of great improvements with it. Overall, I really like the 405M but I wish it had the dpad above the analog stick, it would be way more comfortable for the PS1/Saturn and older gaming I do with these devices. I'm tempted to swap it out for the new 353xxh, I just wish that one had a metal casing.

 

[ReBurn]

Yeah, I'm enjoying the Anbernics. I wish their software was a bit better, but it gets the job done. The 405M is my latest addition and I put Gamma OS on it--tons of great improvements with it. Overall, I really like the 405M but I wish it had the dpad above the analog stick, it would be way more comfortable for the PS1/Saturn and older gaming I do with these devices. I'm tempted to swap it out for the new 353xxh, I just wish that one had a metal casing.

I usually swap software if there's an alternative. I use 351elec on the 351m and it's so much better.