| Doctor_MG said: The "well the hardware is mobile so it's a portable device" argument is really exhausting tbh. Because we all implicitly understand that what makes a console portable or not has much more to do with how the hardware is utilized rather than what the hardware is. EXAMPLES: The Zilog Z80 microprocessor was used in several home consoles (Master System, ZX Spectrum, Colecovisions) and all of those consoles are considered home consoles. It was also used in an arcade cabinet (Pacman) which is not considered a home console, but an arcade cabinet. It was also used in a portable console (Game gear) which is not considered a home console or an arcade cabinet, and was ALSO used inside graphing calculators which aren't even considered videogame consoles. Is the Master System a calculator? Is the TI-83 a game console? Is the Game Gear an arcade cabinet? You tell me. |
With all due respect. Whether you are exhausted or not is not my concern.
If the only "exhaustive argument" that you have for the Switch not being a pure portable device is "Nintendo Marketing says otherwise" then you just don't have an argument. It's that simple. Literally that simple.
...Marketing has a history of not being factual.
The Switch and Switch 2 are designed as portable devices first and foremost.
The Switch Lite for example literally removes support for the USB-C dock and HDMI passthrough. - Is that still a hybrid or fixed home console in your eyes?
| Doctor_MG said: EXAMPLES: The Zilog Z80 microprocessor was used in several home consoles (Master System, ZX Spectrum, Colecovisions) and all of those consoles are considered home consoles. It was also used in an arcade cabinet (Pacman) which is not considered a home console, but an arcade cabinet. It was also used in a portable console (Game gear) which is not considered a home console or an arcade cabinet, and was ALSO used inside graphing calculators which aren't even considered videogame consoles. Is the Master System a calculator? Is the TI-83 a game console? Is the Game Gear an arcade cabinet? You tell me. |
So here is where you are tripping up or are simply just confused.
You are not including the big picture here.
I am not purely focused on a single chip. I am focused on the entire concept and all it's internal components... The Mega drive didn't have an internal battery, it didn't have a built in display, it didn't have controllers built into the form factor... It didn't use mobile optimized internal components like low powered ram.
As for Home Consoles vs Arcade cabinets.
Arcade cabinets are fixed devices and some arcade cabinets actually used console hardware for their games or a derivative of such... Sega's NAOMI and Triforce hardware were based on the Sega Dreamcast console for example.
As for the Zilog Z80 processor... You are correct that it was used in home consoles and mobile devices.
...But you are also only half right.
The Zilog Z80 processor that was in mobile devices used an enhanced CMOS process optimized for power consumption.
It's like the mobile Core i7 being based on the desktop Core i7, it's power optimized employing extra features like extra power gating to completely shut-off idle parts of the chip (I.E. Chunks of cache, entire CPU cores etc') and various C-states to reduce voltage, amperage and frequency.
And sometimes made on a different power-optimized fabrication process.
And all this is moot. Nintendo is successful as a mobile gaming company, they haven't achieved the same level of consistent success with their fixed home consoles... And that is also the reason why they have remained the longest surviving console manufacturer... Solid mobile devices at the right price with a great games library.
--::{PC Gaming Master Race}::--
