AlfredoTurkey said:
That was my exact thoughts. I believed them when they said their vision was a console that could be taken with you anywhere you went. Now, I'm rethinking that completely. This thing is a handheld. |
I think that is what a handheld is supposed to be. The GameBoy was essentially trying to be a portable NES, it wasn't perfect due to tech limitations. Not to mention Game Gear and Nomad using hardware directly from their stationary counterparts (Master System and Mega Drive/Genesis respectively). Most handhelds, particularly more modern ones, tend to be about two or more generations behind their stationary counterparts in terms of visual fidelity, the Switch differentiated itself by being somewhat more powerful than last gen consoles and also have modern architecture more similar to current generation systems (it also had some conveniences with regards to local multiplayer setups, ease of connecting multiple controllers, etc.). Nintendo's home consoles did not place too much emphasis on graphics beyond what they required to make certain types of gameplay possible, in addition there was a heavy emphasis on local multiplayer experiences that they could not replicate on their previous handhelds; the Switch changed that because it is more powerful than their previous home console and can hence succeed it and it contains the local multiplayer features that Nintendo values in their home consoles. In many ways, Switch is the handheld that managed to succeed Nintendo's home consoles, but yes it is very much first and foremost a dedicated handheld gaming console.
