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2020 was the year of big, powerful gaming consoles: the Playstation 5, the Xbox x series and S series (and, for me, the Oculus Quest 2). But the new gaming systems of 2021 are all about holding in your hand. Welcome to the world of portable gaming.
Handheld games have been around for decades: the Nintendo 3DS, the DS before it, the Playstation vita, the PSP, the Game Boy and Game and watch. But there is a kind of rebirth right now. Much of this involves unique boutique devices that have been promised for several years and are finally coming to market after COVID-related production delays of 2020.
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Valve’s Steam Deck is a portable handheld
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But more than anything else, the year of the handheld is anchored by two products: Valve’s surprise Steam bridge, a portable PC game device of the Nintendo Switch type; and The latest version of Nintendo of the Switch over four years old, which adds a larger OLED display.
I have always loved portable games. I don’t like being parked in front of a TV, having to choose a room to play. When I went to work, I could take games with me. At home for over a year, I can choose the room or the place where I play.
Phones and tablets have already turned most people into portable gamers for over a decade now, but this new wave of devices falls into two clear lines: novelty or specialty products, and flexible or switchable.
The Steam Deck, like the Switch, can play games on the go or connected to a TV or monitor. So, too, the Analog pocket, a future handheld computer designed to play retro game cartridges (Game Boy Advance, Game Boy and more) on a monitor or TV.
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New Nintendo Switch Adds Bigger OLED: Here’s What We …
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Is this a regression from the wave of high-end consoles of 2020? Not mine, not at all. I don’t play games just for cutting edge graphics. The game has already exploded into a million fragments of subgenres and media forms, from retro and emulations to indie and AAA studio titles, to online multiplayer metavers and immersive VR / AR experiences.
I’m just happy that the notion of portable gaming, which seemed to be reborn with the Nintendo Switch in 2017, has finally led to another wave of devices. Frankly, I expected this explosion of new multimode portable devices few years ago, But better late than never. Fall 2021 will be pretty busy … if you can find one to pre-order. So far, many of these handhelds have often sold out or their shipping dates have been postponed to 2022. Here’s what to expect.
Nintendo
The Nintendo Switch doesn’t reinvent itself, it just gets a few welcome upgrades. The dockable Switch, which hasn’t changed much since 2017, boasts a larger 7-inch OLED display, better speakers, a better kickstand for tabletop gaming, and a docking station. with Ethernet. Nintendo is betting it’s worth the $ 50 price upgrade. Seems to be worth it for die-hard Nintendo gamers, but if not, you might be just fine with the Switch you have.
Read GameSpot’s hands-on impressions of the OLED Switch.
Sarah Tew / CNET
Valve’s Linux-based gaming handheld is like a Nintendo Switch for SteamOS. The $ 399-plus handheld plays games on the go with a wide array of controllers, touchpads, and buttons, but can also dock and become a PC connected to a monitor. SteamOS is not compatible with all Steam games, and Valve’s commitment to this experimental device is unclear, but the relatively low price and its possible flexibility as a device running Linux gives it many advantages. interesting. It’s already available for pre-order, but delivery times have moved to mid-2022.
Read our first take from Steam Deck.
Panic
This playful little black and white toy, made by the publisher of Untitled Goose Game, looks like a Game Boy crossed with a Pikachu and a Tamagotchi. It is a brand new system with its own independently developed games that are automatically transferred to the device, as part of a subscription that comes with the purchase. The idea is clever, kitsch, backward and fanciful. Plus, I didn’t even mention that there is a crank on the side that works with specially designed games. It’s available for pre-order now, and the first pre-orders should get it this year … but for others, it’s already slipped to 2022.
Read GameSpot’s hands-on impressions on the Playdate.
Similar
Speaking of Game Boys, Analogue’s reimagined handheld is literally designed to be a rebuilt and improved player of the original retro game cartridges. Analogue has done this before with their reimagined and remastered SNES and Genesis consoles. The Pocket does the same for portable games: it plays Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and – with adapters – Sega Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket and Atari Lynx cartridges. The $ 200 pocket is sharper, rechargeable via USB-C, and can connect and play games on a TV via HDMI. The Analog Pocket is also expected this fall.
Read our first Analog Pocket shot.
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