Portable or Home Consoles?

Started by Dusk October 15th, 2015 9:33 PM
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  • 9 replies

Dusk

Age 29
she/her
Kanon Town
Seen November 18th, 2022
Posted September 24th, 2022
2,997 posts
8.4 Years
In general, which platform do you think you play the most and why? For cross-platform games such as PS3/PS4 and PS Vita, or more rarely, 3DS/Wii U titles, which version do you usually pick and what are the deciding factors? Are there any series that are strictly home or portable that you wish would experiment with the other format? Discuss!
VPP: Vulpix @ 3,086 &Wobbuffet @ 3,012 ✩

Starry Windy

Everything will be Daijoubu.

Male
Liberty Garden
Seen April 28th, 2020
Posted April 28th, 2020
9,307 posts
10.4 Years
Most of the time, I prefer handhelds like 3DS because it's affordable in some way, even though before that, the initial reason I'm buying 3DS was so that I can play Pokémon X and Y. I was thinking of buying home consoles like Wii U at some point, but sadly, it's too expensive for me :(
I've always preferred handhelds to consoles, they're just so much more convenient. I can curl up in a chair downstairs, sprawl on my bed, take them out of the house and wherever I want, whereas consoles are locked to my TV. Price-wise they're generally more affordable both in the hardware and software department, too - I have real issues paying over £40 for a game; handheld titles rarely go above £35 even digitally.

Picking between handheld and console versions of a game (which is only really relevant on Sony platforms) I will usually go with a handheld version, provided that it's not digital-only. If it is, I pick the console version, because I am still extremely anti-digital. It's far more likely that I'll invest a lot more time into a game if I get it for a handheld, and that's usually the case.

The only issues I have with handhelds are that digital purchases are locked to a single account on both, memory cards cost an absolute fortune for Vita (although I have 96GB worth of memory for my Vita now) and Nintendo still practice region locking. There is no need for any of these things, and I get extremely annoyed when I have to wait obscene amounts of time (Atlus, you piece of worthless trash!) for games because Nintendo haven't realised what year it is yet, or when digital is the only choice available to me, meaning I'll only be able to get trophies the once because Sony are scared of consumer choice. But I suppose it's the price you pay for convenience.

Dusk

Age 29
she/her
Kanon Town
Seen November 18th, 2022
Posted September 24th, 2022
2,997 posts
8.4 Years
I've always preferred handhelds to consoles, they're just so much more convenient. I can curl up in a chair downstairs, sprawl on my bed, take them out of the house and wherever I want, whereas consoles are locked to my TV. Price-wise they're generally more affordable both in the hardware and software department, too - I have real issues paying over £40 for a game; handheld titles rarely go above £35 even digitally.

Picking between handheld and console versions of a game (which is only really relevant on Sony platforms) I will usually go with a handheld version, provided that it's not digital-only. If it is, I pick the console version, because I am still extremely anti-digital. It's far more likely that I'll invest a lot more time into a game if I get it for a handheld, and that's usually the case.
Aah I know what you mean about just curling up with a portable game! Even when I play something on Wii U, if it can be played with the Game Pad only, I will use that. Portable games are often times built in mind with a "pick up and play" in short spurts mindset, but heaven knows how often I spend several hours at once on the portable versions of titles like Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, and various visual novel type games. Speaking of visual novels, I think it's generally agreed upon that they suit portable systems best. Cuz it's like a book, so you can take it anywhere and spend as much or as little time with it as you wish. I honestly don't know anyone that bought the Wii ports of the Ace Attorney games... It was always people playing it on DS, 3DS or even the iOS ports. I wonder what spurred the decision to make the next Danganronpa title also available on PS4? Well, at least one of my friends is happy about that decision. She never wanted to invest in a Vita or even the Vita TV.

I also go for the Vita version of cross-platform PlayStation games. I think the only Nintendo game that was both on 3DS and Wii U I can think of is the latest Super Smash Bros? I bought both because there were unique features to both that enticed me to buy them and having a Smash Bros. you could take on the go for the first time was nice. I imagine the 3DS version sold more units overall, as more people own a 3DS than a Wii U.
VPP: Vulpix @ 3,086 &Wobbuffet @ 3,012 ✩

Satoshi Ookami

Memento Mori

Age 30
Male
Abyss of Time, Great Seal
Seen August 5th, 2018
Posted July 3rd, 2018
14,253 posts
14.8 Years
Portable because Vita-chan is portable.

Guess that could be enough, but since cross-platform was mentioned I will answer that as well.
I will not talk about time when I only had Vita-chan because there wasn't really a cross-platform possibility xD
After I got PS3, it became a possibility but I still went with Vita-chan in cross-platform titles.
That changed with PS4 because PS4 has no games so I tend to choose PS4 in cross-platform titles so it doesn't feel that sad.


I wonder what spurred the decision to make the next Danganronpa title also available on PS4?
What I said, PS4 has no games.
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Dustmop

Fight for what makes you happy

Age 30
Seen November 27th, 2022
Posted September 7th, 2016
932 posts
9.2 Years
I tend to prefer home consoles (and my PC) for the most part.

  • Portability/'Convenience.' I don't really go anywhere, so the 'convenience' of a portable device coming along with me is kinda out. As with laptops vs desktops, I'd rather have the other benefits of a desktop as opposed to a less powerful, but portable, laptop. Helps my boyfriend, though. He sits in a waiting room every Saturday for an hour while he waits for me, and he plays Fire Emblem for that hour, haha.
  • Screen size. The smaller screens on handhelds are hard for me to stare at for too long whereas I can play a console/PC game on my monitor or TV, like, all day. Even the games that require me to use the Wii U game pad's screen (like co-op'ing Hyrule Warriors with my boyfriend) are difficult for me to play for more than a couple hours at a time, I don't understand why they couldn't provide the option for normal split-screen. We finally have large, flat-screen TVs that make split-screen co-op tolerable and they give me a 4inx4in screen, smh.
  • Comfort. This is a regular argument for having a smaller device, and I can understand that. But because I'm lazy, I've set up my room to be able to play just about anything comfortably, and when we (boyfriend and I) move, I'll do the same there. However, I still find handhelds to be less comfortable because I have to sit in a way to support them within my eyesight without straining my neck/arms. I honestly find it more comfortable to sit at a desk with my arms resting at a 90 degree angle, staring straight at my monitor, or lounging on a couch looking up a bit at my TV.

The only real "con" is the same for any specific system -- exclusives. For games that are multi-platform, I will always take PC first if it's available there, then the home console, and then the handheld if it's the absolute only way to play it.
That said, I don't hate handhelds, I adore my 3DS and its library, and I realize some games will probably never leave handhelds, like Pokemon. I just don't find a portable console as convenient as people who actually, y'know, leave their homes regularly and/or have to commute on public transport or carpool may prefer them, haha. I just wish I could have those same games on my PC or my Wii U or something. :P

Tamashi_Seishiro

Badoop Badoop Banana Bus!

Female
More fun in the Philippines!
Seen September 14th, 2016
Posted November 27th, 2015
141 posts
7.6 Years
Handhelds are better than consoles because they don't take time to set up, and ready on the go. Consoles, and PC requires work but the good things are it's games are exciting. (I found handheld games weird. [Except Pokemon! {Okay, maybe Pokemon Dream Radar was}] They all require different mechanics. :3) But I like them all the same, as long as your entertained!
"The darkness is always with you"

Nuclearkiller42

A pig in a cage on antibiotics

Age 22
The magical land of Brazil
Seen March 5th, 2016
Posted December 4th, 2015
133 posts
7.7 Years
The only games I really play on my PSP are KH Birth By Sleep and MGS Peace Walker, and the only ones I play on my Vita are MGS 2 and 3 from the HD Remaster, but there won't be any point in playing them on my portables anymore as I have KH 2.5 ReMIX on my PS3 and I'll buy MGS Legacy soon too. And playing on a big screen is just so more exciting.

Mawa

The typo Queen

Age 30
Female
Canada
Seen August 13th, 2020
Posted March 1st, 2020
Both, obviously hehe, but I am more handheld. Don't know why, but my favorite games and series are on handheld :) Like Pokemn, animal crossing, harvest moon, etc.
I miiiiight be back?
And why am I not a supporter anymore >.<