Handhelds the future of gaming

I think HGN will be around for a while yet, many of us still play retro handhelds for example and we have some passionate loyal members. What do you think? Will we see any dedicated handhelds again or are hybrid consoles the future?

Leave a comment! Perhaps minutes per day while waiting for a bus or something out that nature. The issue is that Nintendo simply does a fantastic job of handhelds, and they know it. Sony knows it. This is — no company has ever or will ever admit to screwing up. Proprietary memory cards and too high a cost is why the Vita failed, make no mistake. Serious gamers want an actual gaming system. The 3DS will continue to trickle along but the goal for the past few years was to merge the console and handheld teams anyway — we see now with the Switch why this came to be all along.

The Switch has been massively successful and I think that in itself proves that a portable console is what the people want. People will remember that. Great article vic. Will they pay for another dedicated gaming device? Qualcomm thinks so, especially as a larger-screened home console.

Maybe not a tiny phone-like handheld, but more of a bigger-screen, game streaming-enabled type of Switch-like device. Discover the latest news and best reviews in smartphones and carriers from CNET's mobile experts. Whether Qualcomm can make this idea succeed before others do remains to be seen, but the territory being explored seems to make a whole lot of sense. Devices like the Nintendo Switch are great, but lack the interconnected app-friendly flexibility of phones.

Phones, meanwhile, often feel like they're shoehorning ever more advanced games onto sometimes tiny screens. And you'll have the same user experience, no matter how long you play it," Qualcomm's gaming platform head Micah Knapp said in a conversation with CNET.

We also spoke with Qualcomm and Razer executives about the chip's features, what devices to expect and how these handhelds are pretty different from premium Android phones. It's chunky. Vents at the top cool the gaming chip for better performance. It looks beefy, and while it's still small compared to something like a PS5 or a gaming laptop, the Razer handheld is long.

Phones connected with controller accessories like the Backbone or Razer's own Kishi controller have a similarly long shape, but this definitely isn't something you'd easily carry around everywhere. Phones can at least be snapped out of their game controllers. The Razer developer kit has a full set of dual analog sticks, buttons, a D-pad, shoulder buttons and triggers. The whole idea is clever, kitschy, throwback and whimsical.

Also, I didn't even mention that there's a crank in its side that works with specially designed games. It's available to preorder now , and early preorders should be getting it this year Read GameSpot's hands-on impressions of the Playdate.

Speaking of Game Boys, Analogue's reinvented game handheld is literally made to be a rebuilt, improved player of original retro game cartridges. The Analogue Pocket is also expected this fall. Read our Analogue Pocket first take. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Scott Stein. With its alternative game delivery system and deliberately low-tech vibe, it could transform the way consumers think about handheld gaming once more.

The Playdate is currently scheduled to ship in early , and pre-orders will begin in late Want to be among the first to try it out?

Sign up for the mailing list and you'll likely be notified when you can purchase one. At that price, we predict the Playdate will sell out fast. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Top Stories from Years of 'Popular Mechanics'.