We live in a wonderful technological era where the gaming divide between home systems and portable systems isn’t just blurred — it’s gone.
Thanks to devices like the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and ROG Ally, nearly every game made for a “big” home environment like a TV or a computer screen is now also available as a portable experience. You’re no longer limited in what games you can take with you on the go, and you can seamlessly transition between different play paradigms depending on your personal tastes.
Before these game-changing systems released, there were three distinct types of user for games to target. The first are home players, who generally like longer, more intense experiences, with epic play sessions, huge open worlds to explore, and elaborate story lines or online multiplayer modes. Mobile phone gamers are at the opposite end of the spectrum, with titles targeting incredibly quick and repeatable fun, low/free entry prices, and ongoing rewards to hook you in and get some additional money out of your wallet. Mobile games are meant to fill a minute or two per session, and overtake your life in aggregate rather than in large chunks.
The classical style of portable gaming that I miss used to sit perfectly between these two realms. Systems…
