Handheld Consoles are TOO BIG & TOO EXPENSIVE

Back in the day, we had the PSP, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and 3DS—all easily pocketable. My old PSP still runs; the battery is just a bit swollen. It plays perfectly and wasn’t too expensive when it was released ($250).

Now, we have the Steam Deck OLED, the Nintendo Switch, and the ROG Ally. Sure, they might be more powerful, but that’s not the point. A handheld console should be designed for standalone games, not just as a portable extension of a PC or home console. Carrying a 3DS around was easy and pocketable, and if you lost it, replacing it was justifiable. But with a Steam deck costing $600, that’s a different story.

Size is a huge factor too. These modern handhelds require their own bag or sling—you can’t just pull one out and start playing in public. They attract too much attention. Granted, the PSP may have been in the same situation when it first launched, but the novelty eventually wore off. I can’t imagine the same happening for the Switch—it’s simply too big, too eye-catching, and too expensive.

The focus should be on making handheld consoles pocketable, affordable, and filled with strong standalone games.

In short: I want a PSP 2 (or maybe a PSP OLED).

Edit: Meant Steam deck wrote switch