The line between "handheld" and "home console" is getting blurred. This really is all what "hybrid" conveys to me. Hybrid is an inevitability to all mobile devices, but the Switch was the first mainstream system to adopt the concept. The Switch gives you the tools and type of games that almost make you forget that it's a mobile device at its core.
Before the Switch, handheld and home consoles delivered different experiences. Some PSP and Vita games were fairly "home console like", but generally they weren't, and neither system was feature complete. PSP had much better visuals than PS1, and yet its games didn't feel as full or as home-consoley! Handheld game prices were also about 30% lower than home console games, which hints a much lower average of game development costs/times.
So while the hardware technology of the Switch is mobile, it is a hybrid by function. In a few years, the word "hybrid" will disappear, because all mobile devices will provide a home-console-like experience.
PSP was something of a pseudo-hybrid, but the Switch was the first device to truly make you feel like you're using a complete home console.
Last edited by Kyuu - on 02 December 2023
