I think we can all say for certain now, Nintendo has its claws deep in the handheld market, with no intentions of giving it up any time soon.
In fact, when it comes to handheld games consoles, no one but Nintendo has released one since the PS Vita all the way back in 2011. And we all know how well that went.
So, if Nintendo have such overwhelming control over the handheld market, is there much hope of anyone else developing a handheld console in the future? Well in short, it’s not exactly likely.
When it comes to handheld consoles, Nintendo are practically the gods of it. Not just because they are the only people that anyone wants a handheld from but also, well they’re the only option.
Microsoft have never released a handheld, and given their expansion into the PC market, and their commitment to allowing players to game on almost anything including mobile phones (Or the Steam Deck if you can get it), it seems pointless that they would bother with a handheld now.
In terms of Sony, the outlook is much the same. Admittedly they did make a couple of handheld in the past, however the reception was decidedly mixed.
The first of the Sony handhelds, the PSP was very well received, with many saying it was almost as good as the PS3 in terms of performance. The other Sony handheld however, the Vita, well it didn’t do too great. Now whether that’s because its games failed to draw a crowd, there was a lack of marketing from Sony for the console, or people just weren’t interested in it I’m really not sure. Suffice to say however, it did not do well, and Sony haven’t bothered to work on a handheld since.
And that, in the long and short, gives us some background on why the Nintendo Switch is the only handheld console on the market at this time. (Well if you ignore the Steam Deck).
The switch is… Well its simply the perfect handheld console. Not only does it have an outstandingly well designed screen, brilliant motion controls, and a totally awesome color scheme to boot, but it’s gimmick is truly special. You see, unlike other handheld systems in the past, which were purely handheld at all times, the Switch is not. The Switch is able to be plugged into a tv via a HDMI dock, at which point you can play it directly on the screen. It’s extremally cool, and really makes it the ultimate hybrid console.
In addition to this, the games that are on the system are, as is Nintendo tradition, perfectly designed to work on the Switch and its own specific tech. Games like Super Mario Odyssey or The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild have gyroscopic controls, taking the motion tech of the joy cons and using them in some very specific puzzles. It truly makes the system itself feel very unique when compared to other consoles. Something which, as I mentioned earlier, Nintendo simply excel at.
But just because Nintendo are so good at it, does that truly mean that there’s no room for other companies to release handhelds? Well, yes and no.
Sony and Microsoft have every right to make handheld consoles, and may even have some success with doing so. However, given that Nintendo has taken a monopoly on the market, and previous Handhelds from outside Nintendo have never been as popular as the Nintendo ones, why would anyone else even bother trying.
Sony are killing the game with the PS5, as well as their new movies and tv shows, and Microsoft are hitting it out of the ball park with their whole “play on any system and enjoy the wonders of game pass” thing, so spending time focused on a handheld console just wouldn’t be worth it for them.
In addition, if Microsoft and Sony were to suddenly release handheld consoles, they’d not only be competing with Nintendo, but also themselves. This is because people would potentially be forced to choose between a new PS5/Xbox Series X, and whatever the new handheld system would be. And lets be honest, a lot of people would probably choose whatever was the cheapest or the most in stock.
In general, it would be a little bit of a mess. Especially given, if the PS Vita is anything to go by, Sony simply do not know at all how to market a handheld console in this day and age, and, as mentioned earlier, Xbox have no need to. A shame to be sure, but really it just means they shouldn’t bother.
And that is, in a way, why I think Nintendo will never truly be knocked off its perch as the heroes of handheld consoles. Not only are they arguably the best at it, but also, they really do seem like the only games company that truly want to be working on handheld systems. The others seeming utterly content to focus on their home consoles. Not that I’m complaining.
But just because Nintendo are best at handhelds at this moment, does this mean that will always be the case? Well, I don’t think so actually.
Now while I don’t imagine that Xbox will be likely to release a handheld, I do think that once the PS5 is finally settled in, selling well, and most importantly actually in stock to a decent level, Sony may take a minute to create a handheld system.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that Sony would intend to make anything as adventurous as the Vita again, but I do think that in the future there is a chance that they might look at making some sort of device to be used WITH their home consoles, as a sort of second screen. I’m not sure exactly how they would do it, but it does make some sort of sense, well at least to me.
So, when all is said and done, what are my final thoughts? Well in short, things are unlikely to change for a while. While there is a chance that Sony will bring out a new handheld in future, it may not be that successful, given their past with the PS Vita. Plus, who’s to say that Nintendo won’t release another new handheld console in the future, starting this loop all over again.
In short, Nintendo may always be the king of handhelds, but then again perhaps Sony will have a renaissance and make a new handheld system that rivals the brilliance of the classic PSP.
The future may be unknown right now, but one things for certain, I’ll be patiently waiting to see what happens. Possibly curled up playing copious amounts of my switch.
Connor Queen: Thoughts And Things 