By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
thismeintiel on 09 March 2017
Edit Thread
RolStoppable said:
thismeintiel said:

If the criteria to be a hybrid/home console is to have a dock/cradle that just allows you to quickly and easily connect to the TV, then the PSP should count.  If not, then you guys are using some mental gymnastics to make it seem any different.

Though, I may have to take off the Vita, as I'm not 100% sure it's cradle worked that way.

The criteria to not be a handheld is that the device offers proper home console functionality when connected to a TV. Obvious example: Neither the PSP or PSV offer splitscreen multiplayer for their games; Switch does.

For people who gamed on Nintendo home consoles in the past, none of the usual functionality is being lost. Switch is legitimately a hybrid.

This will be my last reply on the subject, as I don't want to sidetrack this thread any further.

The problem I have with that reasoning is that the splitscreen multiplayer has nothing to do with connecting it to a TV.  That feature is just supported by the handheld itself.  The dock is just putting the same experience you get on the Switch onto the TV.  If there was no dock, the experience would be the exact same, only on a smaller screen.  It would be no different if the PSP/Vita was designed to support another controller input via a DS3/4.  Displaying that on the TV wouldn't just automatically make them a home console.  Same goes for the simplistic games on the PSP (not sure if there are any on the Vita) where two people play their side of the screen using the controls they have on their side of the PSP.  Putting that on the screen and playing it with one DS3 isn't going to make it a hybrid/home console. 

Now, if the docked mode actually added features and processing power, not just an upclock the handheld could do without the dock, at the expense of battery life, then you'd have a point.