Kane99 Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 With the popularity of both the Switch and Steam Deck, it made me wonder if we'll be seeing more of these hybrid handhelds in the near future. I think we are going to see more handheld consoles, that can be utilized as consoles as well. Nintendo will probably release another Switch with better hardware. Maybe the Switch 2. The Steam Deck is likely going to get a new version soon, and there are many competitors to what Steam Deck is doing already. I think Asus made a handheld recently, I forget. Anyway, that being said, I think this is going to draw Sony and Microsoft into making their own handheld/console hybrid. But as side projects to their main consoles. Or they could move to hybrid consoles outright. That would be a bit tough to do since the Xbox Series X/S & PS5 wouldn't fit in a handheld. Maybe streaming, but we're not there yet for putting out graphics like that. What do you think though? Could Sony and Microsoft attempt their hand at a hybrid console like the Switch, Or maybe go the direction of the Steam Deck? Or will both stick to just making consoles? And, will we be seeing more hybrid consoles from other companies going forward? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 It sure seems that way. There's the OneXplayer 2 coming, the Aya Neo 2 and a few others coming out soon. I would wager that there will be more. Will they be as good or better than the Steam Deck? That's yet to be seen. I wanna get one though, i'm just not sure which to buy as I only wanna buy one, once if possible. So i might wait and watch reviews & comparison videos of them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 I havent bought a single third party game i can think of since getting steam deck. They for sure are competitors, just valve isnt trying as hard as nintendo, like putting them in stores everywhere. Also i think switch is different demograph of people. But when two systems play the same games, they are competing 100% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killamch89 Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 Handhelds have been popping up left and right in the past two years especially since the success of the Switch and Steam Deck. However, the other offerings just aren't quite as polished as either of these two. My friend has a Steam Deck and the Steam OS is smooth - I also love the option of installing Windows but if Steam continues to polish it, it may become a viable alternative to Mobile windows in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shortie Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 With the success of the Switch and the Steam Deck it is pretty much inevitable now that we will probably see more companies coming out with their own versions of these consoles that can also be handhelds. I have said it for the longest time and even now I would still love to see it and that is for Xbox to jump on the handheld. Something like a console that is also a handheld I feel would be amazing and very popular from Xbox. killamch89 and Smokey 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killamch89 Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 On 1/11/2023 at 6:27 PM, Shortie said: With the success of the Switch and the Steam Deck it is pretty much inevitable now that we will probably see more companies coming out with their own versions of these consoles that can also be handhelds. I have said it for the longest time and even now I would still love to see it and that is for Xbox to jump on the handheld. Something like a console that is also a handheld I feel would be amazing and very popular from Xbox. While I agree, I think the Switch and Steam Deck are successful for very different reasons. The flexibility of the Switch as a hybrid in addition to having the Nintendo franchise exclusively on the Switch is the main factor it was so successful. The Steam Deck, while being underpowered to more recent offerings, is the most polished handheld gaming experience available and with the ability to boot any OS to it, makes the Steam Deck a far more appealing device. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the competition. Shortie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shortie Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 23 hours ago, killamch89 said: While I agree, I think the Switch and Steam Deck are successful for very different reasons. The flexibility of the Switch as a hybrid in addition to having the Nintendo franchise exclusively on the Switch is the main factor it was so successful. The Steam Deck, while being underpowered to more recent offerings, is the most polished handheld gaming experience available and with the ability to boot any OS to it, makes the Steam Deck a far more appealing device. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the competition. I agree. Nintendo for sure did become successful with their Switch I feel because of them having their franchise as you say exclusively on their console. The addition of popular games as well being created for their console as well like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Among Us, and Overwatch just to name a few I feel also really helped Nintendo as well. I myself haven't used the steam deck myself but I know people who have one and they say the same thing, even though it is under powered it is the most polished handheld and the experience using the console is amazing. Many say the price tag is just a bonus with the steam deck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorpion Posted October 24 Share Posted October 24 The rise of hybrid handhelds like the Switch and Steam Deck hints at an exciting future. Nintendo's potential Switch 2 seems likely. Sony and Microsoft might venture into handhelds, too, though fitting their current console power into portable form remains tricky. They could consider a streaming model instead. Other companies may also explore hybrid designs, given the growing demand for versatile gaming options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killamch89 Posted October 24 Share Posted October 24 8 hours ago, Scorpion said: The rise of hybrid handhelds like the Switch and Steam Deck hints at an exciting future. Nintendo's potential Switch 2 seems likely. Sony and Microsoft might venture into handhelds, too, though fitting their current console power into portable form remains tricky. They could consider a streaming model instead. Other companies may also explore hybrid designs, given the growing demand for versatile gaming options. I don't think Sony and Microsoft will go into hybrid handhelds because it'd be a losing battle trying to overturn Nintendo's dominance. And as we've seen in the past with the PSP, Sony are horrible at supporting anything not named a PlayStation console. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
