Some consoles change your life. Others barely make it through a long weekend. And if you’ve ever held a Game Boy under a desk lamp because it had no backlight, you already know that handheld gaming has always been a weird mix of compromises and magic. But now, with the Nintendo Switch 2 just days from launch, it finally feels like all those decades of trial and error are paying off.
So let’s take a walk—no, let’s take a scroll—through the portable consoles that got us here. The good. The bad. And the ones that left batteries leaking in our backpacks.
Why The Nintendo Switch 2 Actually Matters
Let’s be real: the original Switch pulled off something no one thought was possible. It gave us proper games like Breath of the Wild and Smash Bros. in a package we could toss in a bag. Seven years later, the Nintendo Switch 2 doesn’t reinvent the idea – it just does it better.
Here’s what you’re getting:
- 7.9-inch LCD screen with 1080p, HDR, and a buttery 120Hz refresh rate (you’ll notice it the moment you pan a camera)
- A new Nvidia Tegra T239 chip—faster loading, smoother gameplay, less fan noise
- 256GB storage, finally enough to install more than two games without deleting something
- Joy-Con 2 controllers with a magnetic snap, better grip, and an extra “C” button for voice chat and fine control
- Dual USB-C ports, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, and—yes—backward compatibility with most of your Switch library
Basically, it’s the Switch, but grown up. The kind of hardware you stop thinking about once you’re in the game. And that’s the dream.
The Pocket-Sized Start: Blips, Beeps, And Weird Screens
Before “portable gaming” meant docking and detaching, it meant a plastic rectangle gadget that played exactly one game.
Game & Watch (1980)
The first real hit from Nintendo. A single-screen LCD game and a clock. That was it. Ball, Parachute, and Donkey Kong became playground legends. These were the original “one more try” machines.
Nokia’s Snake (1997)
You didn’t buy Snake—it came preloaded on the indestructible Nokia 3310. You played it in class, on buses, while pretending to text. It was slow, blocky, and perfect.
Game Boy: Where It All Got Serious
The Game Boy (1989) was a chunky, green-tinted block of magic. Four AA batteries, no backlight, and zero color—but it had Tetris. That alone made it a global obsession.
Nintendo followed it up with:
- Game Boy Color (1998) – same shell, now in color
- Game Boy Advance (2001) – wider, stronger, still no backlight
- GBA SP (2003) – foldable, backlit, and honestly still pretty great today
The Game Boy family sold over 100 million units. It set the bar for handhelds—and most of its competition tripped over it.
The Handhelds That Didn’t Quite Land
Neo Geo Pocket Color
Good stick, great fighting games, bad timing. Released just as Pokémon was swallowing up Game Boy time.
Wonderswan
Designed by the creator of the Game Boy, sold only in Japan. Affordable, versatile, but never made it west.
Nokia N-Gage
The taco-shaped phone-console hybrid you had to disassemble to change games. Technically clever, practically cursed.
Sony Brings The Flash: PSP And PS Vita
Sony took one look at Nintendo’s handheld empire and said, “What if we made it cool?”
- PSP (2004) had UMD discs, music playback, and games that looked like early PS2 titles. God of War: Chains of Olympus still slaps.
- PS Vita (2011) had a stunning OLED screen, touch controls, and potential. But Sony didn’t support it properly, and third-party devs bailed. A shame, really.
If style won, the Vita would’ve been king. Instead, it became the hipster handheld everyone loved in hindsight.
DS And 3DS: Nintendo Strikes Gold Again
Nintendo doubled down with the DS (2004). It had two screens, one touch-sensitive, and it felt like the future. Mario Kart DS, Brain Age, Nintendogs—the variety was wild.
The 3DS (2011) tried to keep the magic with glasses-free 3D. Cool idea, but most people turned the effect off within five minutes. What saved it? The games. Titles like Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, and Pokémon brought enough excitement into the game (pun intended) for them to forget about the 3D fiasco.
Mobile Games Almost Killed It
By 2012, smartphones had gotten good. Touchscreens were fast. Clash of Clans was everywhere. People were spending real money on virtual cows.
For a while, it looked like handheld consoles were done.
Then Came The Switch
In 2017, Nintendo dropped the Switch and proved that dedicated handheld gaming still had life. Its hybrid design let you go from TV to handheld in seconds. It wasn’t powerful, but it didn’t need to be.
And it gave us games that mattered. Zelda, Mario Odyssey, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. All on the same system. All playable on the couch, in bed, or during long layovers.
Welcome To 2025: Where Handhelds Are Actually Good
The Switch isn’t alone anymore. If you’re into PC gaming, you’ve got choices. Good ones.
Steam Deck
Valve’s Steam Deck is a portable Linux-based gaming PC. It’s got:
- 7.4-inch OLED display
- 16GB RAM, AMD APU
- Access to your full Steam library
It’s heavier than the Switch and less intuitive, but if you want to play Elden Ring on a bus, this is how.
ROG Ally
ASUS made a proper Windows handheld, and it’s a beast.
- 120Hz display
- AMD Z1 Extreme chip
- Runs Xbox Game Pass, Steam, emulators, whatever you throw at it
Battery life isn’t amazing, but the newer ROG Ally X improved that quite a bit. Think of it as a gaming laptop squished into a Switch-sized shell.
So… Which Ones Were The Best? And The Worst?
Everyone’s list will be a little different, but here’s a quick take:
Handhelds That Got It Right:
- Nintendo Switch – perfect balance of accessibility, power, and library
- Game Boy Advance SP – sturdy, timeless, backlit
- DS Lite – sleek, versatile, and had a killer game lineup
- Steam Deck (OLED) – arguably the best PC handheld today
Handhelds That Missed:
- Nokia N-Gage – awkward in every way
- Wonderswan – too regional
- PS Vita – beautiful but abandoned
- Game Gear – color screen, yes, but ate 6 batteries in 2 hours
So Where Does Nintendo Switch 2 Fit?
Right now, it’s looking like the Nintendo Switch 2 will be the best hybrid console ever made.
Is it the most powerful? Nope. The Steam Deck and ROG Ally eat it for breakfast in raw specs.
But is it the easiest to pick up and play? Most likely. Is it going to have the next Zelda, Mario Kart 9, Metroid Prime 4, and who knows what else? Absolutely.
If you’re after plug-and-play gaming with top-shelf exclusives and the freedom to go handheld or docked, Switch 2 is shaping up to be the obvious choice.
FAQ: Nintendo Switch 2 And Handheld Gaming, Explained
- What is the Nintendo Switch 2 release date? It’s launching June 5, 2025.
- Will it support old Switch games? Yes. Nintendo has confirmed backward compatibility with most existing Switch titles and accessories.
- What’s the best handheld console in 2025? Depends on your needs. For Nintendo exclusives and hybrid play: Switch 2. For PC gaming: Steam Deck OLED. For raw power and flexibility: ROG Ally X.
- Is the Nintendo Switch 2 a huge leap over the original? Not a revolution, but a smart, well-needed upgrade: better screen, faster chip, new controls, and a lot more storage.
- Which handheld console had the worst design? It’s hard to top the Nokia N-Gage—form over function gone terribly wrong.