Jubenhimer
Member
The Nintendo Switch is an impressive device, its Tegra X1 chip allows it to bring PC-level development and graphics tools to a mobile format. That said, it has its limitations as a mobile device, which means high end games ported to the system often have to make concessions to the graphical fidelity and performance vs. other platforms. If you play on the go or only have a Switch, this isn't a bad thing, but to some PlayStation and Xbox fans, it does make the console's actual capabilities somewhat of a joke vs the main systems.
That said, let's say Sony, who's previously been in handheld/mobile gaming with the PSP and PS Vita, decided to make a similar Switch-like device with similar specs to the Switch. Would PlayStation fans be more forgiving of such a device for its capabilities and limitations vs the Switch as they were with the PSP and Vita vs their console counterparts? Sony's prior handhelds were actually much weaker than the consoles they were based on, but I think Sony was able to do a better job at selling the capabilities of those platforms compared to Nintendo, who these days, isn't one to brag about technical specs, which is probably why many PS fans felt the PlayStation handheld were more powerful than they actually were, or at least more forgiving of their hardware limitations. It also helped that Sony had much more powerful home consoles to go with them, meanwhile Nintendo just has the Switch.
Not like it actually matters though, the Switch, PSP, and even the DS have shown that developers don't actually care if your console isn't powerful enough for games. What matters is if it's popular, and easy to develop for. PlayStaiton Vita could've been the same, had it not been for its failure.
That said, let's say Sony, who's previously been in handheld/mobile gaming with the PSP and PS Vita, decided to make a similar Switch-like device with similar specs to the Switch. Would PlayStation fans be more forgiving of such a device for its capabilities and limitations vs the Switch as they were with the PSP and Vita vs their console counterparts? Sony's prior handhelds were actually much weaker than the consoles they were based on, but I think Sony was able to do a better job at selling the capabilities of those platforms compared to Nintendo, who these days, isn't one to brag about technical specs, which is probably why many PS fans felt the PlayStation handheld were more powerful than they actually were, or at least more forgiving of their hardware limitations. It also helped that Sony had much more powerful home consoles to go with them, meanwhile Nintendo just has the Switch.
Not like it actually matters though, the Switch, PSP, and even the DS have shown that developers don't actually care if your console isn't powerful enough for games. What matters is if it's popular, and easy to develop for. PlayStaiton Vita could've been the same, had it not been for its failure.