Handheld Gaming in 2024 - No. I'm not buying a Steam Deck.

[Rololowlo]

I'm convinced 75%+ of hacked handhelds and chinkware are never looked again after they get set up and have photos posted

And you don't even have to guess that, they will proudly tell you at the first opportunity.

There is a convergence of conditions that created that situation, the first of which is that like elsewhere people do stupid shit for clout with strangers, and they are averse to the idea of questioning an established consensus.

Button layout they don't feel comfortable with but is sold as era-appropriate? Pointless bloated museum-like frontends? The games themselves, when 80/20 was the norm even back then? Constant access to other more engaging distraction from their phone? At no point do they even link these together. They totally love retro games, it just so happens that they like "tinkering" more and it has nothing to do with the extreme amount of friction they put between themselves and the games.

I had a handheld for several years called the X15. It was, merely, an Android handheld with a 16:9 touchscreen and an Xbox D-pad positioning. It was absolutely cheap entry-level chinko trash, and yet it plowed through my GBA/PS1/DS backlogs because it was so natural to pick it up and play: tap emulator shortcut on the home screen, pick game.

By the way you have the same discussions about SteamOS that you have with these Linux handhelds: supposedly if you want to use Windows or Android on a handheld, your first endeavor should be to excruciatingly recreate a console-like UI via whatever frontend. When you have dozens of games installed at the same time and are switching constantly like a typical zero-attention-span overstimulated retard, then of course that puts extreme pressure on the UI to be fancy and colorful.

They can't imagine a scenario where you tap the Parasite Eve shortcut on the home screen and just fucking play it.

 

[Judge Dredd]

They totally love retro games, it just so happens that they like "tinkering" more and it has nothing to do with the extreme amount of friction they put between themselves and the games.

As a tinker toy, the Raspberry Pi was good for that. I messed around installing this or that on it, then when I was bored of it, I put some emulators on it and gave it to a family member as a birthday present. They loved it as it allowed them to play some childhood favourites again.

When you have dozens of games installed at the same time and are switching constantly like a typical zero-attention-span overstimulated retard, then of course that puts extreme pressure on the UI to be fancy and colorful.

I've seen the argument that, even though many 8 and 16 bit console can fit the entire library in just a few hundred megabytes, you should have a game list as small as is reasonable to prevent excess scrolling. When I was messing around with the pi, a saw a bunch of pre-made emulation images that advertised 15000 games, 20000 games! 21000 games!!! and yet their collections are bloated with junk nobody would want to play, or 15 versions of Pac Man.

 

[Stasi]

I've seen the argument that, even though many 8 and 16 bit console can fit the entire library in just a few hundred megabytes, you should have a game list as small as is reasonable to prevent excess scrolling. When I was messing around with the pi, a saw a bunch of pre-made emulation images that advertised 15000 games, 20000 games! 21000 games!!! and yet their collections are bloated with junk nobody would want to play, or 15 versions of Pac Man.

There is definitely a paralysis of choice effect. I've limited myself to uploading a small handful of games for each system on my steam deck and have gotten through way more games than I have in the past with android systems where I had entire libraries for the old systems on there.

You find yourself endlessly scrolling a massive game list and just going back to something you've played before because you can't make up your mind.

 

[Xarpho's Return]

There was a long time when I didn't touch my 3DS. I did try again recently but to play Yoshi's Island, and even then, the current version of the emulator still has a few graphical errors and shits the bed when it comes to the credits.

The thing about handheld systems is that they were great for sneaking games before bed, or on trips, or whatever, but as I got older and had either access to a real computer or had less chance to use it, it became less of an issue. And at least once I remember thinking "holy crap, this screen is so small" when it came to even the regular GBA...and then of course my hands will start cramping up after a while.

 

[Two Dollars]

And you don't even have to guess that, they will proudly tell you at the first opportunity.

There is a convergence of conditions that created that situation, the first of which is that like elsewhere people do stupid shit for clout with strangers, and they are averse to the idea of questioning an established consensus.

Button layout they don't feel comfortable with but is sold as era-appropriate? Pointless bloated museum-like frontends? The games themselves, when 80/20 was the norm even back then? Constant access to other more engaging distraction from their phone? At no point do they even link these together. They totally love retro games, it just so happens that they like "tinkering" more and it has nothing to do with the extreme amount of friction they put between themselves and the games.

I had a handheld for several years called the X15. It was, merely, an Android handheld with a 16:9 touchscreen and an Xbox D-pad positioning. It was absolutely cheap entry-level chinko trash, and yet it plowed through my GBA/PS1/DS backlogs because it was so natural to pick it up and play: tap emulator shortcut on the home screen, pick game.

By the way you have the same discussions about SteamOS that you have with these Linux handhelds: supposedly if you want to use Windows or Android on a handheld, your first endeavor should be to excruciatingly recreate a console-like UI via whatever frontend. When you have dozens of games installed at the same time and are switching constantly like a typical zero-attention-span overstimulated retard, then of course that puts extreme pressure on the UI to be fancy and colorful.

You do know these handhelds usually have multiple frontends, right? The most common EmulationStation-based systems are just “turn the device on, pick console, pick game”. You’ll have some combination of box/screenshot/description next to the game list, but that’s it (and you can disable those). There’s also MinUI which is only slightly fancier than a DOS terminal, where the creator couldn’t even tolerate boxart support because it’s not minimalist enough (if you’re using a Miyoo Mini and want something minimalist, try Allium; it’s MinUI but actually good).

They can't imagine a scenario where you tap the Parasite Eve shortcut on the home screen and just fucking play it.

You can create a Home Screen shortcut that directly opens a rom without needing to enter the frontend.

 

[Calandrino]

There’s also MinUI which is only slightly fancier than a DOS terminal, where the creator couldn’t even tolerate boxart support because it’s not minimalist enough

Bro developing his own frontend to get a plain list of games would be a rather extreme example of how these knickknacks tend to transform into projects rather than be used for the thing they supposedly do.

I've seen the argument that, even though many 8 and 16 bit console can fit the entire library in just a few hundred megabytes, you should have a game list as small as is reasonable to prevent excess scrolling.

Realistically, a list of video games long enough to even require scrolling is enormous, if you intend to play them, rather than hypothetically be able to play "anything". I've recently started using launchbox, a pleb frontend that spoonfeeds users too retarded to maintain a list of desktop shortcuts, i.e. me. I didn't research alternatives, but it let me set up a convenient favorites list of like 15 games that otherwise live in like five different launchers, without having to do anything but drool on my keyboard and click the Next button, so it's good enough.

 

[skykiii]

So I have an Anbernick thingy, and there is an oddity I noticed with it:

It has a folder for Pico8, with games pre-loaded... but I see no way to actually play those games using the stock OS. It only ever loads directories for the arcade and console stuff.

EDIT: I should make this a question... if anyone knows how to actually run the Pico-8 games on this device, I'd love to know.

 

[Brabbit Narp]

GAMERS HATE IT! The One Weird Trick is: the truly convenient pocket-sized handheld with a ton of games that are either exclusive or optimized to the format is just a phone. Not even a phone and a Steam controller, or a phone with a terabyte micro SD full of roms that you'll never look at: just a regular phone with cucksoomer app store stuff on it. Just find something out of the 10,000,000 available games that isn't absolute unabashed whale-hunting mtx-driven normie shovelware and drop the $5 if necessary, it will be more fun than trying to play MGS in five-minute spurts at the dentist's office just to demonstrate that you can. I'm convinced 75%+ of hacked handhelds and chinkware are never looked again after they get set up and have photos posted to reddit.

Speak for yourself. When I hacked my 3DS, I used it to beat that Chocobo Dungeon. And I have been using it for a fair few bit for other things, such as functioning as an alternative to my smartphone to wean myself off the addictive device. Granted, it's isn't a silver bullet, but I have been able to use it to watch YouTube, some ripped DVDs, and other nice little things that I have been able to do with it.

To be honest, if I were to ever have a child of my own, a jailbroken 3DS might be just the ticket to keep em entertained while avoiding the addictive tendencies of those smartphones. Heck, I might even have them do it themselves as a personal project to get them familiar with the technical side of things and teach them a few valuable skills in the process.

To the OP, just get a nice case for your 3DS, one of those third party protective ones that are floating about. The entire point of your precious handheld is to be *used*, not gathering dust in some nook in your shelf. Just use some common sense, take the appropriate protective measures, and you'll have a nice, dainty handheld for your use. Hell, I think you can find a used 2DS for a reasonable price if you are so worried.

As of right now, I have been slowly whittling away at a Pokemon Black/White romhack of the BlazeBlack/VoltWhite variety, and have been getting a decent time out of the handheld for that very purpose.

To be certain, some games are better played on their native systems, but for the many DS/3DS games I have for it, it's been nice.

Edit: A choice pic, this one featuring the lovable purple dragon Spyro.

And of course, Chocobo Dungeon 2.

 

[Judge Dredd]

So I have an Anbernick thingy, and there is an oddity I noticed with it:

It has a folder for Pico8, with games pre-loaded... but I see no way to actually play those games using the stock OS. It only ever loads directories for the arcade and console stuff.

EDIT: I should make this a question... if anyone knows how to actually run the Pico-8 games on this device, I'd love to know.

From what I understand (I don't own one of these, just saw videos on it) it depends on the hardware. Either you're meant to run a third party emulator, or you're meant to add the pico-8 exe to a certain folder. Since Pico-8 is paid software, you have to provide that yourself.

Complicating this is something I don't understand. Some handhelds have good hardware but bad software (anything Android), and some have good software (OnionOS and JELOS being the good ones?).

What I don't understand is that I assume if a device is linux, you could put any version of linux on it. Or even swap from android to linux. Some even have 2 SDcard slots, one for OS and one for ROMs. But supposedly you can't do straight OS swaps like that?

To the OP, just get a nice case for your 3DS, one of those third party protective ones that are floating about. The entire point of your precious handheld is to be *used*, not gathering dust in some nook in your shelf. Just use some common sense, take the appropriate protective measures, and you'll have a nice, dainty handheld for your use. Hell, I think you can find a used 2DS for a reasonable price if you are so worried.

I know. It's completely irrational. The idea that my Vita would fall out my pocket and shatter on the pavement or that a sudden rainstorm would ruin it is largely unfounded, or at least rare.

Like @Xarpho's Return I don't really have much use any more. I'm not taking daily train or bus journeys like I was back in the day. When I am doing something like that, I tend not to have it with it me.

 

[skykiii]

What I don't understand is that I assume if a device is linux, you could put any version of linux on it. Or even swap from android to linux. Some even have 2 SDcard slots, one for OS and one for ROMs. But supposedly you can't do straight OS swaps like that?

Mine has two SD card slots, I always assumed it was for backing up the OS.

The SD card mine came with is weird in all sorts of ways. When I put it in my laptops SD card slot, it actually somehow registers as four devices being inserted. Not sure how they did that. I tried to make a backup since I'm sure I'll have to replace the SD-card at some point, but some of the files and folders it simply would not allow me to touch.

This leads me to assume that the second SD card slot is for backing up the preinstalled software, but if that's the case I have not figured out how to do it.

 

[Iron Jaguar]

+1 for RACISM's suggestion

^ This applies under all circumstances.

 

[Tealeaf]

Buy an iPhone and subscribe to Apple Arcade.

 

[Two Dollars]

Bro developing his own frontend to get a plain list of games would be a rather extreme example of how these knickknacks tend to transform into projects rather than be used for the thing they supposedly do.

How is making a frontend that makes it easier to quickly play a game without any visual flair a point against people wanting to quickly play a game without any visual flair?

 

[Stalphos Johnson]

I have a GPD XD+ which was an affordable Android emulation device in a clamshell format.

It had comfortable controls, a decent battery life, and could actually fit in my front pocket. The only flaw was a lack of power. It could emulate everything up to the 5th generation, as well as the DS and PSP, but nothing past that. I've been disappointed that there hasn't been a new clamshell device that's relatively affordable. GPD abandoned it for the XD's successor.

I could get one of their Windows devices, but those are all around a $1k. Even than, I'd have to deal with frontends for Windows, painful updates, driver issues, etc. That's what pushed me toward the Steam Deck. I'd give up some portability and battery life, but I'd be getting a much better UX, on a more powerful device, for $500 cheaper. I'd love a new device like the XD, or the PSP Go, or the Xperia Play, with enough power to emulate the 6th console gen, but I haven't found one. So I'll stay on my Steam Deck for now, until something better comes around. I hope Valve, GPD, Anbernic, Nintendo, or some other company brings back a clamshell or sliding device with a reasonable price tag. Just being able to have a device like that I don't need to lug around in a backpack or laptop case would be amazing. It's not a technical problem, it's just manufacturers not making these devices. GPD is making decent money on their Windows clamshells, so there's obviosiously some demand. I guess I'll just have to wait.

 

[oh no its pipkun]

I'd recommend the gpd win max 2, bought myself one when it came out and I love the thing. Its basically a small laptop with a gamepad built into it. Can play most modern games easily and can handle up to ps3 emulation surprisingly well.

i got one, the sd card speeds suck ass. it's a great laptop and does games ok. you can also draw on it with a compatible pen but it's not that great. its a clamshell so you don't have to worry about the screen cracking in a bag. I got an rog ally too which works great for games but it's bulky as fuck and needs its own case. plays ps1,2,3 games fine.

 

[Rololowlo]

This leads me to assume that the second SD card slot is for backing up the preinstalled software, but if that's the case I have not figured out how to do it.

It's not so complicated. The first SD card is for the OS, the second SD card is for the content.

There is no need to back up the software when community-made alternatives are so vastly superior anyway. If you've ever created a bootable drive with Rufus it's the same deal: get the .iso, burn it with Rufus, insert the card into your handheld and boot it a first time. It will create all of its partitions and subfolders, now you can drop your content as needed.

Back in the RG351P days it was a single SD card so you had to transfer the content after installing the OS, but now with two SD cards you can simply have an SD card pre-configured with your games that, ideally, will be immediately recognized from device to device.

I prefer Android for an infinity of reasons but these devices with no internal memory are really nice. It's technically impossible to brick them, if you fuck up for any reason you just pop out the SD card, reinstall it with Rufus, and try again.

 

[The Mass Shooter Ron Soye]

DS-like handheld with up to 64 GB of RAM and external GPU support, lol.

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

GAMERS HATE IT! The One Weird Trick is: the truly convenient pocket-sized handheld with a ton of games that are either exclusive or optimized to the format is just a phone. Not even a phone and a Steam controller, or a phone with a terabyte micro SD full of roms that you'll never look at: just a regular phone with cucksoomer app store stuff on it. Just find something out of the 10,000,000 available games that isn't absolute unabashed whale-hunting mtx-driven normie shovelware and drop the $5 if necessary, it will be more fun than trying to play MGS in five-minute spurts at the dentist's office just to demonstrate that you can. I'm convinced 75%+ of hacked handhelds and chinkware are never looked again after they get set up and have photos posted to reddit.

But women and cAsUaLs play phone games.

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

DS-like handheld with up to 64 GB of RAM and external GPU support, lol.

Oh shit that looks cool.

 

[Product Placement]

People are saying Switch 2 will be shown sometimes in March, if true I would wait until then, and try to grab a Switch light for cheap.

A Switch flash card called the MIG Switch has also been announced, even if you don't plan to pirate games, I would still look into seeing how much that opens up emulation.