Are Handheld Gaming Devices Still Sought After?

For a long while, handheld gaming devices were the new thing with many of the major names in gaming going for their own slice of the pie, the different variations of Game Boy set the stage, the PSP was a big hit, and a few other smaller names stood out amongst the crowd too. The most recent entries into the market have come from Nintendo with the longstanding Switch and its enormous success, and the hope to push for a handheld gaming PC with the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, but are these devices still sought after for gaming?

Mobile gaming certainly disrupted the excitement that came around handheld gaming devices, whilst the games that are able to be played are much less sophisticated, at least for now, not having to shell out for yet another device was the major change, and with many favourite types of games and gaming categories from puzzle and adventure, big esports names like PUBG Battlegrounds, right through to more casual games like the best non ukgc casinos and other games of wagering too. Despite mobile still coming out on top, a desire for handheld devices does seem to be on the way up.

(Image from CNET)

For some, indie games have been putting in the work here especially for platforms like the Steam Deck, smaller more casual titles that can be finished within 10-20 hours have been popping up all over and receiving extremely good reviews and praises from players of all sorts of interests. With the hardware inside the Deck, it can handle some newer AAA releases, much of the allure for these platforms does come from these smaller type games.
The Switch still remains in a league of its own, however, whilst being underpowered for its age, it’s still able to deliver on some of the most highly reviewed games of the decade, including the likes of Animal Crossing, Breath of the Wild, and many others. It comes as no surprise that the Switch remains one of the bestselling consoles of all time and shows no signs of slowing down.

With this in mind, are handheld devices still sought after as either a more robust or more casual gaming system? It becomes more difficult to answer in this space, much of the success from Nintendo comes from its unique IP and many of the unique games with a lot of nostalgia it can bring, although often being delivered with some fantastic quality too. The Steam Deck comes with a lot of success because it connects players to their already huge library of games without needing to purchase more, or with the ability to grab a few new games on the heavily discounted sales that are offered on a regular basis. It has already been something hinted towards as an issue with ROG Ally, that many players feel they need to buy a whole new set of games.

As mobile gaming shows no signs of slowing down and continues to grow in both popularity and number of regular players year on year, combined with the still growing success of PC gaming for more competitive titles and consoles for more casual titles, it’s hard to find a space for too many handheld devices in the market. Nintendo may look to hold something of a monopoly here, with handheld PCs finding their own niche too, but handheld gaming devices are still in a tricky spot to really emerge as something in high demand.