I have been into video games for most of my life. My first console was a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) when I was a child, and I have owned at least one console per generation ever since, primarily from PlayStation and Nintendo. My taste in games is broad, and I enjoy titles ranging from Arc Raiders to Donkey Kong Bananza. However, one thing I have never liked is handheld gaming devices.
Aversion to Portable Screens
Perhaps I am old-fashioned, but the idea of watching a movie on my phone disgusts me, and I would never do it. I prefer the big cinema experience, either at an actual theater or at home with a large screen and a quality sound system. I feel the same way about games: I consider it important to play under ideal conditions, in a dark room with no distractions. While I admit this ideal does not always happen, I believe many people share this sentiment regarding movies, but with games, it seems less common.
Early Handhelds: Game Boy and Game Gear
As a kid, I hated the idea of the Game Boy and Game Gear. I mocked both while sticking to my home console. Their inferior graphics did not justify the price of portability, and I dismissed their games as poorly made. Today, I recognize that not all handheld games were bad, but those bulky devices that consumed batteries and offered worse versions of home console games held no appeal for me.
Evolution of Handhelds: DS, PSP, and Vita
My opinion did not change as technology evolved. I found the graphics on the Nintendo DS extremely ugly. The PlayStation Portable (PSP) intrigued me slightly more, and the PS Vita even more, but since their best games often received ports to home consoles, I was not tempted to buy them.
Modern Hybrids: Switch and Steam Deck
The Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 have been massive hits. Although I own both, I never use them in handheld mode. I appreciate their portability, but whenever I travel, I bring the dock along. That is my idea of a handheld console! The Steam Deck and similar PC-based handhelds baffle me. They combine a tiny screen, iffy controls, spotty performance, compatibility issues, and the horror of using Windows on a handheld device. Moreover, they are outrageously expensive, which makes them even less appealing.
PlayStation Portal and Mobile Gaming
The PlayStation Portal is also expensive and only streams games from your home console. Yes, you can play in bed, but you could also set up a TV in your bedroom. These devices are popular, so perhaps it is just me. However, I do not feel the need to force others to stop playing what they enjoy. Still, whenever I see someone hunched over a tiny portable screen with bad controls, I get the heebie-jeebies. Do not even get me started on mobile phones, though I suspect many agree with me there. When it comes to handheld consoles, I sometimes feel like I am the only one who dislikes them.
The reader's features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page.
