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HoloDust on 05 June 2026
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firebush03 said:
firebush03 said:

I genuinely have to ask: Why isn't there a modern handheld/console/hybrid system with specs similar to that of a supped-up DS/SNES which can sell at a low cost. Indie devs and AA/AAA studios could pump low-cost games on... That just screams runaway success to me— the commonman doesn't care about seeing every strain of hair on Cloud's head. Simply look at the GameBoy OG/Color/Advanced, DS, 3DS, and even to an extent the Nintendo Switch 1. Far inferior technology for their time, but people ate it up because the games were good fun.

Sega saw this post and knew I was onto something.

You pretty much have the answer in your post already - "people ate it up because the games were good fun".

For example, there's plenty handhelds these days, in whatever price category you can imagine, but you need good 1st party games for any such device to really stand out and reach mainstream. And there's no such devices (there's Playdate, not that it made much of a splash).

They can also succeed if they provide you with access to your game library. There's plenty of higher powered ARM handhelds (which are lumped into retro handhelds category, though that's only one of the things they can do) giving you this, with access to Steam, though you have to jump through some hoops to get to it, since they don't come with actual Steam on them. But this will change in foreseeable future - Steam on ARM is pretty much around the corner officially, and once you have that, you will be able to buy those ARM handhelds as mini Steam decks and access your Steam library for those less demanding titles. This coupled with all those devices being classically pocketable handhelds (especially something like DS/3DS alike AYN Thor) is what will tip the scale, and while there won't be any of them that stands out and makes it to Nintendo/Sony category (due to lack of branding and 1st party titles), I think collectively they will make bit of a splash.