The Handheld Gaming Thread | Gaming goodness on the go!

[Herdanos]

I've owned, in order of purchase:

Game Boy Color (lime green)
Game Boy Advance (translucent purple)
Nintendo DS (OG silver)
Nintendo DS Lite (black)
Game Boy Micro (dark blue)
Game Boy Pocket (yellow)
Nintendo Switch (OG)

I only still own the latter two. I might not even have the Game Boy anymore actually, as I have the GB player on GC.

On reflection, the GBA was probably the nicest to look at and hold. I just feel like the software for the console really failed to make the most of the console's potential. Mostly SNES ports and weaker versions of home console franchises. Nintendo absolutely hit it out of the park with the GC so perhaps I'm grateful they focused their efforts there.

The DS had far stronger, more interesting games, but it just came at the wrong time for me and I had no real opportunity or appetite to play handheld games.

I play the Switch more often in handheld mode than docked, but often without any sound. If I get to key moments in games I'm enjoying, I'll wait until I get chance to play on the big screen before progressing.

[Knoyleo]

I've owned:

Grey brick Game Boy
Game Boy Colour (turquoise)
PSP
DS
DSi
New 2DS XL
Steam Deck

And assorted android mobile handsets that have been capable of native mobile gaming and basic emulation.

Despite owning 3 different iterations of the DS, it's probably the console that provides the fewest fond memories for me. Not to say that I never enjoyed any of the games on it, titles like Phoenix Wright and Hotel Dusk were genuinely great games, but I feel like so many others which I enjoyed at the time, just don't appeal to me now. I also really hated the look of any 3D titles (that is, games that allowed you to control on the Z-axis, not few 3D visual effects that came with the 3DS which I never actually played,) on the DS. I think the games that stuck with a 2D art style all looked much better.

The PSP was probably my favourite as a system until I got my Deck. My first proper multi media device, the moment I realised I could just load a ton of music, videos, comics, and games on to a memory stick and be off, it totally blew my mind. I could even use it to browse the Internet while abroad on holiday (on WiFi, natch,) just like I was at a desktop, without a totally neutered browser. The game library was solid, too, a lot of great adaptations of PS classics, and some brilliantly out there stuff. It had enough grunt to make 3D games look decent as well.

[Carlos]

Handheld is my preferred method of gaming these days as I can fit it into my lunch break. The PSP is still my favourite console of all time and that followed on from an over-used GBASP. I didn’t bother with the Vita because I’ve come to regard iOS as a handheld. Laugh all you want but my phone plays Halo, Bastion, Flower and FFI-IX as much as it does Tiny Wings or Angry Birds; a device that plays console games is a console.


I bought an RG35XX for retro gaming. I mainly use it for setting free all my old PS1 PSN purchases but I consider abandonware free game also.

[PuppetBoy]

I've had:

Game Boy (Grey)
Game Boy Colour (Clear Purple)
Game Boy Advance (Clear Blue)
DS Lite (Black)
3DS (Aqua Blue)
3DS XL (Red)
Switch (OG)

3DS XL and Switch are probably my favourites. I disagree with Dan that the GBA was the nicest to look at - I feel that was the DS Lite, it felt a bit more grown up and had a similar aesthetic to Apple products at the time.

[jawa_]

...the nicest to look at - I feel that was the DS Lite, it felt a bit more grown up and had a similar aesthetic to Apple products at the time.

Absolutely. The Lite was an incredible revision over the launch model; the design went from clunky to svelte and I had thought it had an Apple kinda design vibe, too.

[speedboatchase]

I've had:

Game Boy (Grey)
Game Boy Colour (Clear Purple)
Game Boy Advance (Clear Blue)
DS Lite (Black)
3DS (Aqua Blue)
3DS XL (Red)
Switch (OG)

3DS XL and Switch are probably my favourites. I disagree with Dan that the GBA was the nicest to look at - I feel that was the DS Lite, it felt a bit more grown up and had a similar aesthetic to Apple products at the time.

Wow, so similar to me.

Game Boy Pocket (Black)
Game Boy Colour (Purple)
Game Boy Advance (Clear Blue)
DS (Silver)
DS Lite (Black)
PS Vita (OG)
3DS (Aqua Blue)
3DS XL (Red)
Switch (OG)

[Johnny Ryall]

Over the years I had

OG grey DMG GB that got lost
Clear game boy pocket
Tribal patterned GBA SP
Baby blue OG DS
Piano black DS lite
Matte black DSi
PSP Go (liked the concept but it sucked)
Black 3DS
OLED vita
New 3DS XL grey
LCD switch
Steam Deck OLED


Not counting the Chinese emulators like

[Victor Mildew]

The original gameboy I've got now actually belonged to my mum. I've had two myself, the 1st of which I sold along with all my games for a pathetic amount at a games shop to buy f1 97, regretted it very soon after and bought another with all the games back. The second one I don't remember selling on at all, but I must have done so. When we cleared dad's house, I found the gameboy in an old carry pouch along with some games including mum's Tetris which is why she bought it in the first place (amazing how people so against games are suddenly ok with it when it interests them eh). Makes me think of here when I see it

[jawa_]

Game Boy
Game Boy Color (blue x 2)
Game Boy Color (yellow x2)
DS Lite (white)
DS Lite (black)
DSi XL (wine red)
DSi XL (brown)
3DS (black)
3DS XL (silver)
3DS (Zelda 25th)
New 3DS (black)
New 3DS (white)
Switch (LCD)
Switch (OLED)

Still got 'em bar the original Game Boy (the screen went and this was before I knew it could be replaced) and the 3DS XL (traded in as I preferred the original 3DS design).

The DSi XL is an often overlooked version; the large screens look great and even the brown/cream colouring looks terrific! Even so, I think my two faves are the DS Lite (such a cool upgrade over the original model) and the New 3DS (great build quality, colourful buttons, swappable covers and excellent 3D).

[Cuttooth]

Game Boy (was my older brother's really)
Game Boy Pocket (transparent)
Game Boy Colour (yellow)
Game Boy Advance (purple)
Nintendo DS (original grey)
Nintendo 3DS XL (white)
Nintendo Switch (grey)
Steam Deck LCD
Steam Deck OLED

Like a lot of people, handhelds were always a pretty big part of gaming when I was younger. Distinct memories include playing Final Fantasy Legend III on a GB Pocket in a car on a family holiday in Ireland, and getting very excited for playing Link's Awakening while waiting at the tills in Sainsbury's.

Handheld gaming I definitely think peaked for me with the DS. I came late to the 3DS but never built up any kind of big catalogue of games and the Switch is played almost exclusively docked.

The Steam Deck has certainly helped me get back into the groove of handheld gaming but for me it isn't the big game changer to simply playing more like it has been for a few people. Although the majority of my gaming time is now done via the Deck, it turns out that simply having a cool new device doesn't magic up spare time!

I'm annoying tempted by some of those emulators that look like a Game Boy Colour, even though I have very little interest in retro games and emulators. They just look so neat for something to throw in a coat pocket on a daily commute.