Portability or Power?

[Shiken]

VAMatt said:
My gaming habits have changed considerably, multiple times, throughout my life. My dad was a gamer from the very beginning, so I've used every major system since Atari 2600, and I've owned all but a couple of them. At some points, most of my time was spent on handheld devices. That's happened maybe 4 to 5 times, for a year or two. The rest of the time I've been console-first.

Right now, I'm in a console-first period. I have been for a while, actually. My last handheld focused period ended around the time I got my WiiU. Prior to that, I was mostly playing on 3DS. Prior to 3DS, I was gaming mostly on Wii and 360. Prior to that, it was DS, which came after my GBA period. Right now, it is is PS4 Pro and Xbone mostly. I own a Switch, and I play it when I'm traveling, or when a can't-miss game launches (Odyssey was the last game I put much time into on Switch). But, since I have a gaming setup in my basement, and I'm home most of the time, I am very much console focused right now. So, given the choice to buy a game on Switch or PSbone, I'll almost certainly choose PSbone (unless a vacation is coming soon, or something like that). I just don't see a reason to sacrifice performance for portability at this point.

I have a baby on the way now. I'm thinking this may bring about a change in my gaming habits once again. Maybe I'll want to play on Switch in handheld mode, so the baby can sleep in the same room as me without the light of TV blasting in his/her face. Or, maybe my basement gaming room (with the consoles) will become an even more important oasis, where I run to when I need a break from the kid.

Anyway, the tl;dr version is that I favor whichever factors work for me at a given point in my life. Today that means more power. Maybe next year it will mean more portability.

I have 4 kids, one being 4 months.  I too have a den.

 

Depending on the situation, I can get about 10-15 hours a week of gaming when tied to the TV of noting comes up.  5 of those hours is dependent om me being able to pull myself out of bed extra early in the morning which sometimes, I just cannot do.

 

However by taking a sacrifice on visuals with DOOM for example, I can play both in my den or on the go with the Switch.  It gives me the best of both worlds and I can maximize my game time easily.  I play on my break at work as it helps calm my mind and helps me focus after the break.  I play it for 45 min while waiting for the mother of my oldest son to drop him off at the meet point as I have a 45 min period where I have nothing to do and it is pointless for me to go home first.  I have played for a good hour while waiting for my truck to finish being serviced.  And as you mentioned, I have played in portable while being in the same room as the baby to better respond to her needs.

Also this weekend for example, I am at my parents house.  Sure during the day I am spending time with them, but during the night and early morning I am gaming as I would be at home.  Or at the early mornings at the beach on myast vacation when everyone is doing their own thing.

Then when I can play on the TV, I use a pro controller in the den.  To me, the visual sacrifice is well worth it when I have the option to take it on the go when I need to.  The games still look great on the big screen, just not quite as good as the PS4 version.  Certainly better than the PS360 though.

Also for me, smartphones are not an option.  I do not like the games they have nor the control scheme.  I have tried to use those on the go for convenience, but I am a core gamer at heart.  The Switch really was a system made for adults like me.