Why are handhelds often seen as inferior or not as important as home consoles?

[curl-6]

Because why would I want to squint at a tiny screen and cramp my hands around tiny uncomfortable controls when I could be sitting back in front of a big screen with a more comfortable controller?

I bought a 3DS last year because it was the only place I could play Monster Hunter 4, it was my first handheld, and it's been collecting dust in my bedroom cupboard for most of the time I've owned it. Whenever I play games on it, aI just can't help thinking how much better it would be on a console.