It’s no secret that the Nintendo Switch was and remains to be a massive hit within the gaming industry. The ability to use the Switch as both a handheld device and a home console proved to be incredibly desirable; after all, who wouldn’t want to play the latest games while traveling or even just from the comfort of their own bed?
In order for the Switch to be a suitable platform for new releases the form factor needed to be sizeable enough to reasonably display and run the plethora of available software. This naturally resulted in the design we have come to know, sporting a 6.2-inch display with an integrated controller on either side. The success of this layout is no secret with many similar devices, most notably the Steam Deck, having been released and received with incredible positivity.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this design and it’s absolutely a great fit to play a massive library of games in a variety of settings. That being said, I can’t help but long for the days of smaller handhelds. Devices that I could throw loosely into my pocket or a small bag to take on the go, pulling it out to pass time at every small opportunity.
While the games playable on handhelds such as the Nintendo Game Boy or even the PlayStation Portable certainly can’t match the fidelity of those on the Nintendo Switch or the Steam Deck, that in no way means those experiences are less worthwhile. If anything, as many major game developers pump out releases where much of the content could be considered ‘quantity over quality’, I have found myself craving some of the tighter, condensed games that tended to make their way to dedicated handhelds.
It could certainly be argued that smartphones have occupied the role once held by handheld consoles and I wouldn’t really be able to refute that claim; however, I have never found gaming on a phone to feel nearly as intuitive or immersive as doing so on a dedicated gaming handheld. Of course, I can acknowledge this is mostly due to a blend of nostalgia and my own personal love for physical media.
Those who find themselves nestled within the retro gaming scene are almost certainly familiar with the Analogue Pocket or the dozens upon dozens of handheld emulators released by companies such as Anbernic and Retroid. The consistent success behind these devices seems to indicate a growing interest in returning to dedicated, smaller form-factor portable consoles.
As someone who has a handful of these devices myself, I can confirm that they manage to scratch a similar itch to carrying around my old Game Boy Advance SP and I have whole-heartedly recommended them to others on several occasions.
What keeps these devices from completely recreating the nostalgia, however, is the lack of new releases from prominent developers. How great would it be to have a brand new 32-bit Zelda or Castlevania game released in 2025? Are we doomed to never have a fresh scaled-down output from these franchises ever again?
There are, of course, a dedicated handful of developers who create their own romhacks, and occasionally even new titles, for these now retro platforms and the work they do for usually zero profit is absolutely commendable. Still, their output alone naturally can not match, or come close to, that of an actively supported first-party device.
Do you think dedicated handhelds deserve first-party support once again? What series would you like to see get a new release within a classic style? Is this yearning I’ve described entirely just nostalgia talking? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.
Featured Image: Nintendo (via Jayson Dean)
Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games
The Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games – is the flagship show of the Boss Rush Network and Boss Rush Media. Each week, hosts Corey Dirrig and LeRon Dawkins are joined by friends, fellow creators, indie developers, and industry veterans to discuss the latest in the world of video games, including news, rumors, new releases, and what they’ve been playing. They also answer listener questions, debate important industry topics and Boss Rush Banter discussion points, and feature a rotating weekly segment. New episodes post every Monday.
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