Handheld Gaming

Gaming is probably my oldest hobby. My dad bought a MegaDrive when I was very young - I can't have been more than 6 or 7. Gaming has been with me since that.

I've always had a bit if a preference for handheld gaming. I'm not sure why; I just prefer things that are portable. I think I get a better sense of ownership of something when it's portable. I always wanted a laptop when I started getting into PCs, I've always had a bit of a thing about EDC and carrying stuff and having stuff on me. When I was younger I really wanted a Renault Espace so I could bring my stuff with me. I even had the brochure on my corkboard. Not sure why that was important to me. I suppose it doesn't matter, but it's kinda funny. A kid wanting a people carrier 🤷‍♂️

One thing I don't really like (shut up, Charlotte, I don't) is duplication. I tend to have a lot of similar things, in pursuit of the one thing that is my current perfect thing. I do this with cameras, keyboards, gaming, pens, drinks; all sorts. It means I tend to end up with a lot of things that I don't really use often, but they're also like an autobiographical depiction of my journey through that hobby.

Gaming is a little different because some stuff gets stuck on older consoles where emulation might be possible, but preserving the experience isn't. You can emulate DS games, but having two windowed displays is not a great experience. I prefer to just have a DS for that. As a result, I tend to revisit some older hardware more frequently. I love my 3DS and I'll be upset when it finally dies. I doubt I'll replace it but there are still so many great games that are a little trapped on that system and likely always will be.

Anyway the above is my current rotation of handheld gaming. I pretty much never use my PS5 now. Mostly because it's on the living room TV so if I use it it's pretty selfish, but also I just prefer handheld gaming. I don't even really know why.

The Steam Deck has been so much fun. I've wanted a lower-powered handheld PC for ages. The kinds of games I mostly play don't really need a specced machine, even though the Steam Deck handles things like Spider-Man Remastered and Elden Ring pretty well. It's always felt like a lot of overkill to turn on my PC and deal with all the associated admin, to play Celeste or Nuclear Throne or Hollow Knight. The fact that I can just pick up the Steam Deck and start playing it (most of the time - some games are a little crashy when being woken from sleep) has been a very welcome advantage for my filthy casual gamer tendencies.

The little yellow thing is a Play Date if you're wondering. It's kinda cool; a bit gimmicky. Tabitha plays it more than I do. I just included it in the picture because the hardware looks cool. I expect if I look at this picture in 10 years I'll forget I even had one of those.