The funny state where home consoles that will be siting on a desk and not being ever carried  get some continuous revisions to make it smaller, less cumbersome, etc. It really is justifiable to review the console to make it smaller, cheaper, generate less heat, etc (and make things smaller takes time and money to improve HW).

But on HandHelds we get revisions to make them bigger, not necessarily cheaper, sometimes with better or worse battery life. And with the clear intent to have people rebuy them so they can have bigger screens. Not much justifiable since making things bigger isn´t as hard and could be launched from the beggining.

Consoles being reviewed and revised to be smaller = less materials for construction and therefore it becomes cheaper to produce, not to mention that space in entertainment systems is at a premium for most people so the smaller the better!

Handhelds tend to follow the trend of other portable items and bigger = better as it stands at the moment (in terms of screen size and resolution)

Don't care if it's "less justifiable." I like the handheld revisions more than the console ones.

You're forgetting an important point from the business perspective. It's also a very worthwhile opportunity to relaunch your product, makes it more appealing, revive interest and initiate a marketing blitz to generate attention and, hopefully, even more sales. Especially if it's a popular product.

One such relaunch catapulted the PS3 to very good sales. The first revision actually saved the console, I would say. PS2's revision though, that made the console go even further to become the best selling console of all time, as it was already the undisputed king of its generation.

I also forgot one point... HH becoming bigger makes it a little harder to carry over discretly...

Just think it is funny that we go the oposite side.

Yeah I know what you mean! It will come back full circle soon enough and be reducing in size again... Then again HH gaming is going the way of the dodo at least in terms of dedicated devices... I wouldn't be surprised if Sony never release another HH and if Nintendo shift focus, albeit grudgingly, to mobile gaming on smartphones!

If Nintendo releases Fusion it would make then confused if they shall shrink because of home console side or grow because of HH.