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With Nintendo’s Switch 2 achieving massive commercial success and competitors releasing ever more handheld consoles, the future of gaming appears to be portable.
The Big Picture: For decades, handheld gaming has taken a backseat to the home consoles of Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. But gaming giants are now focusing on handheld systems that can double as home consoles. Beyond hardware, this shift could alter the culture of gaming.
Between the Screens: Handhelds have had a huge week — and a strong couple of years.
- The Switch 2 has sold 3.5 million units in its first four days on the market, making it the fastest-selling game console of all time.
- Meanwhile, Microsoft and ASUS announced two versions of the Xbox Ally, a handheld Xbox with full-screen capabilities designed to merge the best of Xbox and the Microsoft PC.
- These consoles are part of a handheld gaming trend first popularized by the original Nintendo Switch and carried forward by devices like the PlayStation Portal, ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion.
Conclusion: The gaming shift towards handhelds is likely due to both more powerful processors and the proliferation of indie gaming, which lends itself to smaller consoles than the triple-A titles designed for wide-screen TVs and surround sound. With this shift comes an expansion of gaming culture beyond the stereotypical teen male demographic often considered the core of gaming.
Prediction: Expect to see more indie games and studios turn a profit while massive triple-A offerings shrink in number — and try weirder things to hold audience interest.
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