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Hardware Do you think there is still a market for a dedicated handheld ?

Would you like to see a new handheld system by Nintendo ?

  • Yes

    Votes: 30 37.5%

  • No

    Votes: 50 62.5%
  • Total voters
    80
TheSpearGuy

TheSpearGuy

transcended to the gods
I think it depends on what Nintendos next new gimmick will be.
Sure the Switch concept is a huge success because it is so versatile, but I don´t think that just a new more powerful successor is gonna cut it.
Alot of casuals are gonna think "why should I buy a new one I already got a switch"

I think there is still so much potential for dedicated handhelds, here a a few Ideas :

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I also think that a Apple Arcade - style supscription service is very fitting for an all-digital handheld system, where you would get alot of Indie games
 
TheSpearGuy said:
Sure the Switch concept is a huge success because it is so versatile, but I don´t think that just a new more powerful successor is gonna cut it.
Alot of casuals are gonna think "why should I buy a new one I already got a switch"
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Works for the other consoles as well -- I don't see the issue as long as the marketing is clear and on point. No "Switch U" bullshit, clear and simple "Switch 2" branding.
 
If you mean with a big dedicated library of games, no those days as we know them are done. Some kind of classic/legacy device or part of the Switch/future device family sure.
 
mobile's effectively killed that market. switch lite not being the higher selling sku should more or less prove this point.

you could certainly find some success in a niche device, but if you're looking to be a primary platform for the big 3 you'd better output to a television
 
I think a problem with the Switch Lite is that it is still to big. Though it sold almost 20 million units. There is a market for a handheld only Switch. Steam deck (and other pc handhelds), the gameboy modding scene, Accessoires for smartphones and well the Switch itself are proving that there is an interest in gaming on the go only. A Switch in a Pocket format (Something like Gameboy Advance SP) with a 5.5‘‘- 6‘‘ borderless Screen would work really well I could imagine.
 
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Not in a sense that its worth them creating original exclusive non-Switch games for - but yes the hybrid gaming handheld like Switch/Steam Deck is a big market and I don't see Nintendo screwing around too much with the success of Switch and it transitioning more like PlayStation/Xbox have through generations rather than huge technological shifts and all new branding etc... whether that's Switch Pro or Switch 2
 
Nintendo can make a Lite model of the Switch successor. Don’t think Nintendo will want to replace the Switch model with a dedicated handheld, their hardware statistics greatly favor classic/OLED Switch over Lite.
 
There's legit interest only in the capacity of a Switch Lite, which is just a striped down version of a hybrid. Making a dedicated handheld is almost counterproductive nowadays as it has no chance to sell well enough to justify its existence and it'll split development resources.
 
I've got to wonder: why should anyone even entertain the idea of stripping new handheld hardware of the ability to output to a monitor/TV? Even looking at the Switch Lite, I don't feel there's any reason to not put the ressources into making something like it TV compatible, even if it was Nintendo's or anyone else's only hardware offering. You'd basically be giving up a potential market expansion for almost no reason at all. I can't imagine the R&D savings in turn would be making up for missing out on such a large market segment.

Like, what I'm trying to say is: making a dedicated handheld nowadays without the ability to at least be able to hook it up to the TV/monitor for docked gameplay, even if it wasn't the same as it is with the Switch right now (boost in power, etc. pp.), ... it just does make no sense whatsoever. The respective company gains nothing, but only loses. It'd be bad business with where tech is at right now.
 
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Can't see Nintendo going back to separate handheld and console development again after the merger of the divisions. Handheld iterations of a current piece of hardware, sure.
 
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I would like a new handheld but realize it is probably not going to work out in this time anymore.

Back then developers were probably more eager to design their games around the gimmicks each new handheld presented but I think that was because there was no other handheld market to begin with, seeing as third party developers turn a great profit from mobile games now I do not see a reason for them to design anything for Nintendo, thus the handheld would probably only be carried by Nintendo's first party lineup.

and if that is the case then it seems a waste when they could design something else that could get way more developers on board.

I really, really hope I am wrong though because I really would like all kind of developers try designing smaller games of 'lesser' graphical quality but I believe that ship has sailed and the space is solely reserved for Indie developers who are on a slightly lower budget now.
 
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Seeing as Switch Lite only makes up about a tenth of Switch units sold i’m gonna go out on a limb and say they won’t be making a dedicated handheld again, only as part of a larger hybrid ecosystem.

I don’t think that original Switch concept is a particularly good idea for a handheld though, lol. There’s a reason it ended up scrapped.
 
From niche companies like Analogue and Panic, sure.

From Nintendo? As a separate platform, that requires massive development resources? No. They’ll continue to make a “Lite” version of the Switch to support Pokémon and Animal Crossing and that’ll be fine.
 
Seems like having a handheld-only variant of a hybrid system is the way to go. As someone that only uses handhelds, the vast library on Switch is a massive plus to a handheld, whereas a handheld-only platform is only a limiting factor in comparison.

I can see dedicated handhelds working as retro systems (like the Evercade), but for a major platform holder like Nintendo, it makes a lot more sense to have a single platform but offer a dedicated handheld variant within it for people who want that. As it then attracts as many developers as possible.
 
The Switch Lite is a good handheld but IMO, it needs to be compact. Currently the Switch Lite is too damn tall. Nintendo should make the Lite either Clamshell or Sliding design. A good handheld should be small and pocketable like the 3DS.

AFAIK, the Switch Lite exists because underperforming Tegra chips exists.
 
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If there was a market worth chasing, Nintendo would have chased it. Simple as that. Instead, they went with making a handheld of their hybrid design and it's likely the way they're gonna go with it moving forward.
 
Only if it has substantial utility beyond the current form factor; I have no interest in things like the Steam Deck or AYANEO.

The Switch might be overdue for a revision, but it still stands as the 'best' gaming solution currently available to consumers.

I might prefer to game on a high-end PC / XSX / PS5 for better performance and fidelity, but they can't compete with a hybrid's myriad use cases.
 
Gay Bowser said:
From niche companies like Analogue and Panic, sure.

From Nintendo? As a separate platform, that requires massive development resources? No. They’ll continue to make a “Lite” version of the Switch to support Pokémon and Animal Crossing and that’ll be fine.
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This is what I came to say. There's a huge community of ppl driving sales of devices from Retroid, Anbernic, and others that shows there is a market for handhelds. But a separate Nintendo handheld that bifurcates development again? Not after the Switch.
 
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I think the total addressable market for dedicated gaming hardware at the moment is 250-300 million units globally, across the board. Meaning that all the gaming hardware on the market put together will sell in that region.

You can split this up among as many different permutations and combinations as you like really. A new Nintendo handheld, were it to come out, would probably do very well, but it would be at the expense of something else - judging by history, its success would end up cannibalizing the current home console Nintendo has out at the moment.

I basically think of the 3DS, and how for that generation, it became the “main” Nintendo system for many, at the expense of the Wii U, it would probably be like that.

So a new handheld from Nintendo could definitely do well, but a new handheld from Nintendo in addition to a new console, would see one or the other (or even both) be cannibalized by the other to some extent.

If the question is more, does the market still have an appetite for portable games? Absolutely, and I don’t think anyone can dispute that anymore. So if the question is “does the character or makeup of the market allow a handheld to exist and be successful” the answer is yes. If the question is more, is there room on the market for a new handheld, see the rest of my answer. If the question is, would I personally want a dedicated handheld separate from Nintendo’s other hardware - the answer is no, I think the Switch is the right direction for Nintendo and better for me as the customer.
 
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Thread title question different to poll question really bugs me. I would say no to the thread title question. Poll question: I really like nintendo handhelds but I would only want a new one if the software output won't be limited for one of the current devices (either handheld or hybrid/console in this case)
 
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Boyfriend said:
mobile's effectively killed that market. switch lite not being the higher selling sku should more or less prove this point.
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That's absolutely wrong. First Switch Lite sold as much as it should, nobody expected it to takeover. Second, people always go for bigger screen devices. New 3DS XL outsold smaller one in Europe and Japan despite the small one had cool gimmicks like swappable faceplates. Third mobile has no effect on handheld sales. Everyone predicted 3DS to be a massive failure versus mobile but it ended up selling 75 million, almost same as GBA and PSP.
 
Poll question is different from the thread title scam alert. TC deserves 10 lashes for that infraction.
 
9-Volt said:
Everyone predicted 3DS to be a massive failure versus mobile but it ended up selling 75 million, almost same as GBA and PSP.
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but still notably less than its predecessor. the market was already contracting.

mobile devices have only taken over the world even more since then
 
Boyfriend said:
but still notably less than its predecessor. the market was already contracting.
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Less than its direct predecessor. About same with the one came before it (GBA) and almost double of GBC.

DS was a beast and a one time only miracle. No other platform is gonna repeat that success, handheld or not.
 
9-Volt said:
Less than its direct predecessor. About same with the one came before it (GBA) and almost double of GBC.

DS was a beast and a one time only miracle. No other platform is gonna repeat that success, handheld or not.
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less than half and barely missing its 10 year old predecessor at the end of its lifespan does not a healthy market make

yes the DS was incredible, but the 3DS failed to convert a significant chunk of that audience and it notably struggled out the gate to define itself in the new market it found itself in. it took that massive price cut and the soft relaunch with the XL to get anywhere.
 
The Switch is a handheld that can also dock to a TV. If the Switch doesn't count for these purposes, you're defining a handheld as something that is strictly inferior to the Switch form factor.
 
I really enjoy the Switch Lite but most of its appeal to me is that it’s another Switch. The shared library, the cloud save sync, etc are all integral to me enjoying it.

I have a 2DS, which is neat for its own reasons, but going forward, I’d prefer not to have a standalone again
 
Unrelated to my angst at the poll flip flop.

There will always be a market for people who want a premium gaming experience on the go. Stuff like the gpd win and nvidia shield have been around for a long time for that very reason, and valve wouldn't have jumped in with the Steam deck if they didn't acknowledge it.

For Nintendo specifically I believe they're now forever stuck with the hybrid mode, splitting the devices again would be corporate suicide. Nintendo hasn't been able to really compete on the graphics pushing console side since the SNES. That isn't a diss on the Wii, but a reality that trying to make new Wii style successes is a losing effort. Nintendo handhelds as long as they have pokemon and monster hunter and animal crossing will always sell well enough to justify their existence, but why restrict such a device to portable only again?
 
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I don't think so and with the success of the "hybrids" like Switch and SteamDeck and paring them with mobile gaming I don't think we will have a dedicated handheld ever again.

That's why it's very important for me to collect PSP, DS, 3DS and Vita, because they will be relics of a time long gone.
 
Any market for a "dedicated handheld" would be best met with an even smaller Switch. Lite is still too big.
 
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Kinda, it's just that the mobile tech is catching up with home consoles, so the distinction makes less sense, with ports from/to home consoles getting more frequent with each new handheld console and so the hybrids arrived. There's ofc phones and the Playdate, but from Nintendo I think it will only be hybrids from now on, as a dedicated handheld from them nowadays just means something like a Switch Lite
 
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Just keep shrinking the Switch Lite and add variants like a clamshell. They'd already consolidated development and Switch games at a minimum need a 720p display and a standard modern controller layout, so they can't make a GBA / DS sized console which skimps on controls and display size. I'd definitely buy a Vita sized OLED Switch Lite.
 
First: topic != poll...

Second: would i like that? i mean, maybe. my biggest wish was always to be able, even if im playin, Pokemon,...)
Since the GB i had long play sessions on tiny screens, and its probably not healthy, so that feature was important to me...
but then, where is the big difference between a switch and a handheld.
I never understood why people bought the XL variants, since they had lower pixel density. but people loved them.
To me that means, people always prefered bigger screens.

In my opinion switch is what 90% of people think of when they talk dedicated handheld gaming.

The pictures in the first post kinda are already saying everything: nothing of value.
Virtual Touc controlls? we had them since over a decade on phones and tablets. They are worse in 99% of cases to dedicated.
Flip phones? the last real try was by sony... yeah, we dont even have flip phones anymore.
And evne then: there are tons of controllers for smartphones, in different styles.
So if you want physical controlls for your phone, you can have that.

what would be different to a phone? Well... nothing. You would still use hardware thats in most phones,
you could not be better then most phones, you would be left behind if you dont upgrade the hardware every year.
So you are selling essentially the hardware of a phone with a physical controller for the same price.

The difference would be 100% the software. And here it is where it all ends:
who would make software explicitl for your platform? Nintendo had the realization, that with todays production values for portable gaming, having a dedicated team of developers making games only for portable does not make sense.
So you would get games, that are published on more then one platform. Like switch and that one... and were back at switch lite.
Third party developers? they will make games you can play on most platforms, not just one. and even if you can make it work,
do you really want to play games with complexe menues and many details on a tiny screen?

Indie developers? they are happy if they can break even most of the time.

Mobile developers? shure, they will also publish on your device... but the games will still be mainly designed around handheld eperience (and how people play them). Just look at apple arcade. games that have resources and where you pay for stuff to play it, had to kinda circumvent those aspects.

Honestly, there simply is no benefit. Buy a phone, a grip controller, and play what you can. want to emulate older games?
Enough retro gaming devices. want to play modern/contemporary games?
Switch(Lite) and Steamdeck. Want to play AAA games on a tiny screen? Streaming.

There is a market, but its a market of enthusiasts, that could sell a couple million units, but not enough to warant development of software specifically for that platform, and thats what you actually want. if not, then there are already enough devices for you.

I sometimes feel its more a nostalgia for a formfactor then real reasonable questions.

Look at the Music Market: Vinyl and Music Casettes. You can get hardware for them,
but its usually:
  • old stuff (like buying old handheld consoles)
  • cheap new stuff (comparable to those retro handhelds and chepa phones)
  • high end stuff (not mass market, more in vein like those Windows handhelds and now Steamdeck)
  • and some modern mainstream products that are compared to the old times but worse in some aspects
(like mechanically, having an integrated bad amp, features you dont want like bluetooth), but its the closest to what you want from a mainstream producer with waranty that you can buy in general retail stores (-> switch, to big and short battery for the docking power you dont really want, but it still is a handheld you can take with you and you can buy it in stores instead of some online sellers)

edit: oh, and as some say, if nintendo wanted to do that, a smaller switch lite base edition would be the way to go, especially if they want to have a long cross generation. Im just worried that it would be similar to the GB Micro great device, but not enough interest in the mass market... DS could play its games and more (bigger handheld devices,...), and it would still be a device that costs at least 150€... while many games just being zu small on that screen to be playabl.e
 
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Serif said:
They'd already consolidated development and Switch games at a minimum need a 720p display and a standard modern controller layout, so they can't make a GBA / DS sized console which skimps on controls and display size.
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Corners can be cut, sure. Lite already skimps on display size, it can go further. For a low end device New 3DS controls have the same physical inputs as a pair of Joy-Cons.
 
JoshuaJSlone said:
Corners can be cut, sure. Lite already skimps on display size, it can go further. For a low end device New 3DS controls have the same physical inputs as a pair of Joy-Cons.
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Technically it does, I'm personally not fine with using the 3DS c stick as a second analog stick. It was fine for the limited number of 3DS games that used it. Two circle pads? sure.

I'd prefer they shrink bezels before they shrink the screen. Again, PSP and Vita sized seem reasonable, or a new 3DS xl sized clamshell.
 
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Made a very rough edit of N3DSXL. Added necessary width to screen (resulting in 5.1" diagonal), spread things out a bit down below and put the speakers there since there's a lot of room no longer being taken up by that screen.
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As in mass market appeal I do not think so. I dont think there's a reason to go back.
Hybrid combines both console and handheld console to one piece of hardware, use it as you wish.
 
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for traditional handhelds? No. Pretty much all the “handheld/portable” devices on the market are not a traditional handheld and have a gimmick to differentiate themselves from it.

You either have
-Hybrid
-Portable PCs
-Android base/emulation focused devices
-Streaming/remote play focus

You could technically use your phone as a portable now especially with the phone clips like Backbone because of the streaming functions.
 
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Donkusei said:
Well, Nintendo has sold 20 millions Switch lite.
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should that be a pro? if so: if nintendo with their game output can't
push the lite to more then 20 million, then i cant see a market for any other competitor.
JoshuaJSlone said:
Corners can be cut, sure. Lite already skimps on display size, it can go further. For a low end device New 3DS controls have the same physical inputs as a pair of Joy-Cons.
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if you dont reduce the display size (and you cant, because even the lite has problem displaying all information of modern games)...then you really dont win a lot by designing it as a clamshell, what you lose in width you gain in weight and thickness.

Essentially: its the Galaxy Z Flip. Yeah, there is a market for them...but most people are like: yeah... not worth the extra money.
and since gaming is more niche then phones, im not shure if nintendo would see a point in it.
 
3DS sold less than half of what the DS did, largely on the back of Nintendo's software. No company looks at those results and thinks "there's a future here."
 
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