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Intrinsic said:
And pls understand, I have no qualms with it being described as both. I just feel saying both isn't actually what it is, it just can be used as both. But its definately something. As I have said, a laptop isn't suddenly a desktop PC because you can keep it on a desk and plug it to an external monitor. You can PM me a response... or take this discussion to my own thread on this matter. lets not derail the amazon thread any further. |
I wouls much rather not enter said thread. I can spot a dead end thread from a ways away, no offense. I've gone over all of this some time ago though so I can lay out the most glaring issues: It's too big, it's battery life is terrible, it has detatchable controllers and no integrated inputs in the system whatsoever, and the design of the Joy-Con are not conducive to portability (full analogue sticks, zL/zR triggers). All of those conspire to make it a pretty poor handheld functionally but are integral to or symptomatic of console centric features.
The larger screen is not just important for console gaming but also to allow for splitscreen experience at all times, a purely home console feature that is physically impossible with a true handheld. And on that note, detatchable controllers are a terrible idea for a handheld as it drastically increases the number of scenarios in which the system can be rendered functionally useless. However, it is crucial for the Switch so that it can have splitscreen at all times and provide a traditional control meathod on the TV. Which brings ust to the Joy-Con: their size and design compromise portability so that you can have a more proper controler for TV gaming and gaming on the kickstand. And the battery life is symptomatic of both the screen and the active cooling system, anotjer horrible design feature for a handheld as it drains battery and increases size but crucial to a home console. I could go on.
Yes, the Switch could BE a handheld if you welded the Joy-Con to it and lost the dock. Incidentally Citizen Kane could BE a video game if every scene required you to complete a puzzle before it played. However, it would be a very bad video game and the Switch would be a very bad handheld. Which imo is further testiment of why the Switch is a hybrid but more home console than handheld. If you welded the Switch into the dock, it would be an underpowered but still perfectly fine home console that came with a very unique but still also traditional controler that can be a motion controller set, two separate controllers, or one traditional controller. Basically, all the design elements still make some sense. If you forcibly made it just be a handheld...well just look at the Gamegear and the Nomad, two other handhelds that failed to be sufficiently portable and had really bad battery life for the sake of just more power.
