Portable gaming consoles are an integral part of video game history, and for many people, they are the only thing they associate with the video game experience, not computers or stationary consoles. The ability to enjoy games anywhere and anytime has proven to be more important than the quality of graphics, which is why «handhelds» have become so popular. They have come a long way from primitive to modern powerful devices with the same hardware as gaming laptops. Let us consider the main stages of development of portable gaming consoles, the best models, their features, and impact on the gaming industry.
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Initial period (1970s – early 1980s)
Microelectronics in the late 70s was at an early stage of development, and the top-of-the-line computers of the time did not have a graphical interface in the system. With portable devices, the situation was even more difficult, because in addition to technological limitations, there was also the problem of autonomy.
Microvision
The first portable game console, which can be considered the prototype of modern devices, was born in 1979. It was a portable Microvision console from Milton Bradley. It had interchangeable cartridges that allowed playing different games on one device. The console had a monochrome liquid crystal display with a resolution of 16×16 pixels. The device is powered by a nine-volt battery.
Despite its innovative design, the Microvision had numerous problems, including a small library of games, not the best screen quality, and a high price. It’s also worth adding that the console didn’t have its own processor — each game contained a processor on a cartridge, not just memory. Of course, this had a significant impact on the price. In the early 1980s, Microvision was a luxury available only to a select few, not a mass product.
Back then, the console cost $50, which is the equivalent of $210 in 2024. It seems like a lot, but the device itself is nothing without video games. Cartridges were expensive, rare, and the variety of video games was not pleasing.
Nintendo Game & Watch
Another significant step in development was made by Nintendo, which in 1980 released a series of Game & Watch devices. These consoles had built-in games and liquid crystal displays that combined watches with gaming functions. The Game & Watch series became very popular and laid the foundation for Nintendo’s future success in handheld gaming.
During the existence of this series, more than 60 different models were released, which had different built-in games, shapes, screen sizes, etc. In the Soviet Union, copies of this console appeared, known for the game about a wolf collecting eggs.
It was this console that inspired the developers of the incredibly popular «Tamagotchi» and «Tetris» (which featured not only Tetris but many other games), which in Ukraine in the late and early 2000s could be purchased for 10 hryvnias.
Although the Nintendo Game & Watch offers only one game, the console became popular due to its reasonable price. Of course, this could not be the peak of evolution because you had to buy another Game & Watch for a new game. Nevertheless, more than 40 million units were sold, which motivated the creation of the next Game Boy hit, which will be discussed below.
Golden era (mid-1980s — 1990s)
The market for stationary game consoles was gaining momentum, and slot machines were going through a tough time. Nintendo was flush with cash thanks to the incredible sales of the NES, so the release of another portable console with replaceable cartridges was inevitable.
Nintendo Game Boy
In 1989, Nintendo released the Game Boy, which changed the market for portable game consoles forever. Thanks to its interchangeable cartridges, long battery life and excellent ergonomics, the Game Boy became an absolute hit, tripling the sales of its predecessor.
Technologically, the console was the best on the market. The Game Boy had a monochrome 160×144 pixel display and ran on four AA batteries. With high-quality batteries, you could play for up to 15-20 hours.
The device had a screen size of 3.2 inches with a resolution of 160×144 pixels. However, its high-power consumption (the console required six AA batteries that ran out quickly) and higher price made it less popular.
In addition to its poor battery life and exorbitant battery costs, the Game Gear is quite large: 210×113×38 mm. After the little «game boy», it was uncomfortable to carry such a giant.
The Sega Game Gear had some success in Japan, but in other regions its sales were below expectations. In total, almost 11 million units were sold, which is 10 times less than its competitor. However, this console has left a serious mark in history as a worthy attempt by Sega to compete with the giant Nintendo.
Atari Lynx
Another significant attempt to create a successful portable console was made by Atari, which released the Atari Lynx in 1989. The Lynx was the first portable console to feature a color display and support for multiplayer through special cables.
64 KB of memory allowed working with much better graphics, and a separate processor was responsible for sound. However, despite its innovative design and technical characteristics, the Atari Lynx was unable to compete with the Game Boy due to its high price and limited game library.
At the time, the console cost $180, which is equivalent to $440 in 2024. Another problem was the battery life, which was four hours at best with six AA batteries.
The Atari Lynx console and the Game Gear demonstrated that the power of the hardware does not have the same impact as ergonomics and battery life, so they could not successfully compete with the Nintendo Game Boy.
New generation portable consoles (2000s)
The rapid development of microelectronics has brought the level of graphics in portable gaming consoles to a whole new level. Sony joined the race for gamers’ wallets, so serious competition only fuelled the situation.
Nintendo Game Boy Advance
Nintendo also continued to develop the Game Boy line with the release of the Game Boy Advance (GBA) in 2001. Designed from the ground up, the console featured a powerful 32-bit processor and a 240×160 pixel color display.
The low cost (equivalent to 170 USD) and a good balance of accessories made the Game Boy Advance another hit, although it sold only «only» 82 million units against 120 million for the original Game Boy.
Graphically, the games were on par with the PlayStation 1, except for the limited memory capacity of the cartridges. Thanks to its excellent ergonomics and 15-hour battery life, the Game Boy Advance became the ideal portable gaming device of the time. It was also important that only two AA batteries were enough to run the device.
The console supported multiplayer games via special cables and had a giant library of games. In 2003, another version of the Game Boy Advance SP was released in the form of a clamshell. It had a built-in screen backlight and a rechargeable battery.
Nintendo DS
In 2004, Nintendo introduced the unique Nintendo DS console, which had two screens, one of which was touchscreen. An entirely new approach to development made it possible to create new types of games with innovative gameplay.
In addition to much more powerful hardware, the Nintendo DS offers a unique gaming experience using two screens for play. Some video games displayed additional information on the lower display, such as the character’s inventory, and some combined the screen space into a single playing field (Contra IV).
The Nintendo DS also supported wireless connectivity for multiplayer games and had a slot for Game Boy Advance cartridges, making it backwards compatible. This step was critical, as it allowed to save a huge library of video games from the previous generation console.
Not surprisingly, the Nintendo DS became the most successful gaming device of the noughties and sold beyond 150 million units worldwide. Players and the company itself liked the concept of two screens, so later the world will see the continuation of 3DS and several new versions of Nintendo DS Lite, DSi, DSi XL.
Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP)
The Japanese giant Sony was confidently winning the stationary console market, pushing the Nintendo 64 into the background, so it could afford to develop a portable device, which is what the company has been doing for years.
The Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) in 2004 ushered in a new era of mobile video games by offering the best hardware of the time. The PSP had a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 480×272 pixels and the ability to play multimedia content such as movies and music.
It also supported wireless connectivity and had a powerful (by 2004 standards) processor, which allowed it to run graphically advanced games. This was facilitated by support for large memory cards and UMD disks.
The situation was similar to the Nintendo 64’s struggle with the Sony PlayStation 1. That is, developers were stuck with the 64 MB cartridge limitations, while Sony had the freedom to use up to 700 MB (the size of a CD). As a result, the graphics on the PlayStation Portable were much better, the games were huge, voluminous, long, with high-quality textures and cutscenes.
Although the PSP did not reach the same level of sales as the Nintendo DS, it gained great popularity and created a strong base for game fans who value graphics over gameplay on two separate screens.
Sony PlayStation Portable was produced in several versions until 2014. In addition to the classic PSP 1000, 2000, 3000, it is worth noting the PSP GO in the form of a horizontal slider and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Android smartphone with the same form factor and a built-in PS1 emulator.
Current trends (2010s — present)
The companies’ opinions were divided, so Nintendo chose to develop the already popular dual-screen model, while Sony released an updated version of the popular PSP, although Nintendo’s strategy was a winner in the end. People were willing to buy casual video games with interesting gameplay rather than AAA games with cool graphics for PS Vita.
Nintendo 3DS
In 2011, Nintendo released the 3DS console, which has the ability to display 3D graphics without the need for special glasses. The design remained similar to its predecessor DS, but the 3DS had additional features such as cameras, accelerometer, Wi-Fi, and gyroscope.
The new console also supported backward compatibility with DS games, which expanded the library of games. Sales were hard to start, as the console was pricier than its predecessor, and smartphone games were rapidly gaining momentum.
At the time, it seemed that smartphones would soon be running AAA games like on computers, but the industry went the way of casual projects. Similarly, Nintendo 3DS games were focused on gameplay rather than high-quality graphics.
The dual-screen concept garnered too many fans, so 76 million Nintendo 3DS units were sold over the years, including the Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 3DS LL versions. Interestingly, they were discontinued only in 2020, meaning that they were released in parallel with the Switch.
Currently, the Nintendo 3DS has an incredibly large library of games, so it remains a relevant console for fans of classics. Although the successor to the Nintendo Switch has a completely different ergonomics with a single screen, it has adopted the 3DS’s formula for success, which states that people do not need games with beautiful graphics. Instead, we have interesting casual projects with interesting mechanics.
Sony PlayStation Vita
Sony released the PlayStation Vita in 2011 as a direct continuation of the legendary PSP, but this model became the last in the series despite its good hardware and excellent ergonomics.
The PlayStation Vita featured a high-quality OLED display with a resolution of 960×544 pixels and powerful specifications that allowed it to run AAA games on par with the then-stationary consoles with slightly simpler graphics.
For example, Mortal Kombat 9 is identical to the one on the PS3, but is displayed in a lower resolution. The console has a touchscreen, a rear touch panel, two analog sticks, a wireless connection, a media player, a browser, and supports large memory cards.
Despite its excellent technical characteristics, the Sony PlayStation Vita did not achieve significant commercial success due to a lack of support from game developers and intense competition from smartphones and tablets. It was smartphones, which were embraced by gamers on the go, that were the main reason for the Vita’s failure, and competition from Nintendo 3DS with casual games added fuel to the fire.
However, the console had a handful of loyal fans and some exclusive games. The PlayStation Vita is still considered to be the portable console with the best ergonomics because it has a slim design and compact dimensions with a fairly large screen. This cannot be said about modern Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck consoles.
In today’s realities, a PlayStation Vita sequel would have a chance of success, as gaming on mobile smartphones has shifted towards hyper-casualization. Valve, Asus, Lenovo, and MSI are gradually trying to dismantle the AAA games niche with their portable consoles based on x86 processors.
Nintendo Switch
The best console of our time, which eclipsed the success of Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation. Nintendo Switch has shown that portability, convenience, controls, casualness, simplicity are much more important than technical specifications and the number of pixels on the screen.
The Switch has a 6.2-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels and supports HD graphics when connected to a TV. The Nintendo Switch can be used as a home console and as a portable device, but the main feature of this model is the detachable gamepads.
The game console allows two people to play together by removing the Joy Con, and the games themselves are perfectly optimized for local multiplayer. As it turned out, milking a virtual cow for speed using the accelerometer is more interesting than playing another AAA game with the same open world.
In total, more than 141 million Nintendo Switch units have been sold, and this is far from the end. The company is not going to stop production, because despite the outdated hardware, this console is still in demand. Exclusive video games of well-known series that are not available on other platforms played a big role.
The console has become extremely popular due to its versatility and extensive library of games, including hits like «The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild», «Super Mario Odyssey» and «Animal Crossing: New Horizons».
The company also released a smaller version of the Nintendo Switch Lite (2019), which is focused exclusively on portable use, and later the Nintendo Switch OLED with a better screen was released.
With the advent of the new Nintendo console (which is just around the corner), it is unlikely that anything will change fundamentally because gamers from all over the world have proven that the company understands them and releases exactly what they need: a minimum of AAA games and a maximum of casual exclusives with simple graphics but interesting mechanics.
Steam Deck and other modern portables
The most powerful but large, non-compact Steam Deck-style gaming consoles have been rapidly gaining popularity lately. Valve has shown that laptop hardware with a seven-inch screen and good optimization allow you to play modern AAA games on a portable device.
Asus Rog Ally, MSI Claw, and Lenovo Legion Go have become alternatives based on Windows 11, and they are quite successful. The companies continue to develop this area, as the consoles have been selling well.
Although they don’t fit in your pocket, they are currently the only way to play modern console-level video games comfortably on the go. Despite the poor battery life and uncomfortable ergonomics of such devices, they have gained quite a following.
It seems that the Sega Game Gear was simply released at the wrong time, although it was a flagship product technologically, and modern portable x86 consoles have ultra-budget hardware by the standards of gaming laptops.
At one time, Game Gear with a similar concept (powerful hardware, poor battery life, large dimensions) failed, but so far, Steam Deck, like its counterparts, has been selling well.
We suggest that you read our reviews of x86 consoles:
- Steam deck OLED — AAA games in the most inaccessible places, myth or reality? (author’s blog);
- Valve Steam Deck review: the mastodon of portable gaming (editorial review);
- Asus ROG Ally review: a powerful competitor to Steam Deck (editorial review);
- MSI Claw review: a portable gaming console with great potential (partner material);,
Lenovo Legion Go review with a docking station and 3D virtual reality glasses will be available on the website soon.
Instead of a conclusion
Portable gaming consoles have come a long way from simple devices with monochrome screens and a single game to hybrid x86 computers that no longer fit in your pocket.
They continue to evolve, influencing the way we play games and consume entertainment content. But smartphones have already taken the lion’s share of this market, continuing to absorb portable game consoles.
It is hard to say how long compact consoles will hold out against the onslaught of almighty mobile gaming on touch screens. After all, the trend is developing exclusively in favor of fans of the App Store and Play Market.
In conclusion, we will mention some less popular but interesting portable game consoles that failed to gain worldwide fame:
- Gamate;
- Watara Supervision;
- TurboExpress;
- Genesis Nomad;
- Game.com;
- Neo Geo Pocket Color;
- WonderSwan;
- GP32;
- GameKing;
- Gizmondo;
- Dingoo;
- Nokia N-Gage;
- Nvidia Shield Portable;
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