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Are we witnessing an overreaction with everyone wanting to make a handheld these days?

Nikodemos

Member
As the perceivable fidelity differences diminish, more people will opt for the portability benefit, or want it as a companion device if it can play most of their existing game library. The market isn't highlander, you can have more than just Nintendo make a profit off it.
As I've stated in the past, bringing Nintendo into the handheld Android/PC discussion makes little to no sense. Switch is a closed ecosystem with exclusive IPs. People don't buy it for multiplatform IPs: if you look at sales charts, it's 80% Nintendo 1st and 2nd party titles.
And it's logical it would be so: 3rd party titles are more expensive on Nintendo's eShop compared to other storefronts, and discounts are rare and unremarkable.

Somebody who wants to play Nintendo IPs will invariably buy a Switch [number], regardless of other hardware purchase desires (so they're likely to ultimately own both a Switch and a general-purpose handheld); somebody who isn't interested in them won't buy one at all, since it's an inferior experience (not least financially) for multiplatform IPs, compared to other devices.

Switch can be construed as a competitor to general-purpose handhelds only insofar as it vies for the same mental energy and time of a prospective user. Otherwise, it is its own separate, non-crosspollinating segment.
 
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FubukiJ

Member
I just can’t find a use case for gaming on a handheld. If I’m at home chilling on the couch, I’d rather just game on the tv since it’s nicer and most games are meant to be played on a larger screen and with a proper controllers. And playing more games in bed or when I’m out and about seems like overkill. Like, I don’t need to be playing games every waking hour of the day kind of thing.

It’s just not for me I guess.
 
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