Tag Archives: handheld console

This gaming handheld wants to be the Nintendo Switch of Android

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Handheld gaming devices have exploded in popularity after the success of the Nintendo Switch. None of the other console makers, namely Microsoft and Sony, seem to be eager to jump on that train yet, but PC makers have started to show interest, particularly with the launch of Valve’s Steam Deck. Of course, when it comes to being a portable gaming device, nothing really beats a smartphone, especially when you’re talking about games that are designed from the start to be enjoyed in bite-sized parts while on the go. It is arguable, however, whether a smartphone is a proper gaming handheld, considering its multi-functional nature, so Logitech is attempting to solve that by creating an Android device designed and dedicated solely to gaming.

Designer: Logitech (via Evan Blass)

Mobile games have been around ever since Snake first appeared on Nokia handsets, but truly immersive and addictive ones didn’t appear until smartphones did. There are hundreds of games today that you can play on smartphones, plus a thousand more copycats and malware-bearing Trojan horses. What all these games have in common is that they were developed with a touch screen in mind as the primary input method. In fact, many titles don’t even work with a controller, even a Bluetooth gamepad connected to the phone.

That’s what makes the idea of a dedicated Android gaming handheld in the style of the Nintendo Switch a bit less exciting than it is for Steam Deck PC. What would be the point of having physical gaming controls flanking a big screen if the game being played only responds to touch input? That doesn’t seem to worry Logitech, who partnered with Chinese gaming giant Tencent to create a “cloud gaming handheld” device. A leak of the device shows a rather uninspiring design that houses a curious gaming experience.

The white Logitech G Gaming Handheld, as it is being called, easily resembles a Nintendo Switch Lite, which doesn’t have the removable Joy-Cons. While it looks more like a tablet than a phone, it’s what’s running on the screen that makes it really interesting. It shows not just Google Play, which would be a no-brainer for an Android device, but also Xbox, NVIDIA, and even Steam, suggesting it can handle those brand’s cloud streaming services. It seems that Logitech and Tencent are aiming for an all-around handheld gaming device, which would make those buttons and joysticks more useful indeed.

Designer: AYN Technologies

Of course, Logitech is hardly the first to try making an Android-based gaming handheld, and it definitely won’t be the last. The past two years alone have seen a sudden rise in gaming handhelds running Android inside. To some extent, that’s unsurprising because Android is the easiest and cheapest operating system to put on any device. It’s arguable, however, if it has the best selection of mobile games.

The bigger question, however, is whether it actually makes sense for an Android device to have permanent controllers flanking the screen, even if one of them can be removed. Android can be used for more than just gaming, of course, but the fixed controller almost limits how the device can be used for a single purpose only. That’s why Bluetooth controllers that can be attached to smartphones and then removed as needed have somewhat become more popular, offering that same gaming experience without imposing arbitrary limitations.

Designer: GPD

The post This gaming handheld wants to be the Nintendo Switch of Android first appeared on Yanko Design.

AYN Loki Mini wants to make handheld PC gaming a bit more accessible

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PC gaming has taken on a new form in the past years. Although there have already been portable gaming PCs from Chinese brands before, it was the success of the Nintendo Switch and the arrival of Valve’s Steam Deck that spurred the creation of a new generation of handheld PCs, particularly ones that are clearly inspired by the Switch and the Steam Deck. Just like with their larger laptop counterparts, the prices and specs of these gaming computers vary widely, even if they look basically the same. Most of them tend to lean towards the more expensive end of the spectrum, but newcomer AYN wants to shake up that market a bit with not one but four Loki gaming PC handhelds to choose from, depending on your needs and budget.

Designer: AYN

When it comes to the design of gaming handheld devices, there isn’t exactly much room for deviation and innovation. Short of implementing removable controllers like the Nintendo Switch or a hulking “mini” laptop like some of GPD’s designs, the basic form these handhelds take involves flanking a screen with D-Pads, actions buttons, and analog sticks. The AYN Loki and its siblings don’t break out of the mold in this regard and actually look more like a Switch Lite than a Steam Deck.

It doesn’t stray from the staples either, which is actually part of its appeal. In a somewhat small package that has enough room for a 6-inch 1080p screen, you will have the basic hardware and features you’d expect from a handheld console, like analog triggers, a gyroscope for motion control, and vibrating motors for rumble effects. The one thing that the AYN Loki does differently from existing handhelds is to include some RGB lighting that will let owners pick from three different hues. It’s not as expressive as similar features on gaming laptops and desktops, but it’s an added touch that gamers will most likely appreciate.

The biggest appeal that the AYN Loki, particularly the AYN Loki Mini, will try to make is its price, which starts at $299 for that “Mini” model. All four variants will actually have the same basic dimensions, varying only in some thickness and weight to accommodate different hardware components. The AYN Loki Mini is only small in the sense that it has the least powerful hardware options, which might not be enough for anything but the most basic PC games. At that point, the Loki Mini loses its advantage over the $650 Steam Deck, but AYN also has other options on the table as well.

It’s still uncertain whether this new wave of handheld gaming PCs is just a passing fad or the start of something revolutionary. The Steam Deck mostly dominates gamers’ attention, but it is hardly perfect when it comes to execution. Valve does continually push out updates that improve the device’s performance and control, but some things like design are set in stone, affecting the ergonomics of the device until the next design iteration. There’s also the matter that the Steam Deck still offers one of the best balances between price and performance, especially since Valve worked with partners like AMD to optimize the hardware, something that smaller brands might not be able to emulate.

The post AYN Loki Mini wants to make handheld PC gaming a bit more accessible first appeared on Yanko Design.

This rugged handheld gaming console comes with notches to retain our love of pushing buttons!

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A super tough handheld gaming console with a unique overlay gamepad display designed for adventure lovers who stop at nothing!

Meet the Drift Portable Gaming Console, a design set to rival the new Nintendo Switch OLED for gamers who want to balance their work-gaming balance. The rugged handheld gaming console concept designed by Shantanu Maheshwari is a refreshing take on the next-gen handheld devices. Moreover, it can handle the stress of being exposed to the elements. This design is a special solution for those who do not want to replicate standard console games and have them falling short in terms of execution and leaves them missing the tactile button feedback.

Shantanu’s solution is akin to a BlackView or Doogee smartphone to the shock-proof designs available in the market; after all, there are levels to the toughness. The console accomplishes this by incorporating a rugged case that encapsulates it when not in use and is ultra-easy to carry around in your pocket or bag.

The real screen estate of the bezeless console brings the excitement of the first iPod touch with the ever-present notch we find in the current iPhone series. It is a compromise that works in our favor as everyone knows the tactile element of the keypad buttons is an irreplaceable factor while we play. The controls also ensure that the gadget is not oversized and maintains a good screen area for a profound gaming experience.

An excellent example of that is while playing FIFA is on this handheld console. While the player is heading to make a goal, the screen will overlay the penalty area and for such scenarios, there has to be a solution highlighted.

The gaming industry hit a colossal $162.32 billion in 2020, and that number will reach $295.63 billion by 2026. Furthermore, platforms like Netflix have also announced their venture into gaming specifically for the mobile experience. The high level of engagement gaming commands shows that this trend will only grow.

Such is the growth of the gaming industry that everything about it is vital in the larger scheme of things. There is even more reason for such handheld consoles, providing a distinct game-from-anywhere culture while you work at your staycation!

Designer: Shantanu Maheshwari

 

Meet the PlayStation 5G, an upgraded successor to the handheld Sony PS Vita

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It’s a theoretically perfect bridge between Sony’s PlayStation gaming brand, and its Xperia smartphone brand.

While the company’s facing severe chip shortages, leading to high demand but throttled supply, this conceptual Playstation 5G would be a perfect way to quench the demand while allowing Sony’s entire PlayStation catalog to go mobile. Designed by New York-based Anesthétique Projets, the Sony PlayStation 5G concept shrinks the gaming console into a nice, portable design, and in the meanwhile, creates the perfect rival to the Nintendo Switch Lite.

It’s difficult to look past that Switch Lite visual comparison because, in its essence, that’s really what the PS5G is. However, the PS5G comes with some notable upgrades – An incredibly slim, almost smartphone-like design, a multiple-camera setup, and 5G capabilities. Is it a smartphone? Is it a gaming console? Does it run a PS-themed version of Android? Based solely off these renders, I really can’t tell… but let’s dig in further.

It’s been rumored that Sony’s working on a cloud-gaming platform to rival Google Stadia and Microsoft Xbox Game Pass. Codenamed ‘PlayStation Now’, it brings all of the popular PS titles to your smartphone, allowing you to game in a device-agnostic fashion. Given that mobile gaming is now the most popular gaming format in the world, it really makes sense. In that regard, it would also be sensible to conclude that the PlayStation 5G is more of a console/smartphone hybrid. Would that dilute or hurt the Xperia brand? Probably. Would it really be a bad thing? I don’t think so.

An Android smartphone/gaming-console wouldn’t be a bad thing. The PS reputation has enough weight to really create the demand needed to make this popular. Besides, the PlayStation 5G concept has a nice large touchscreen, a slim form factor, physical controls, and a powerful multi-lens camera that sort of makes it feel like the best of both worlds. Just plug a SIM card in, connect to a 5G network, and you can play console-level games practically anywhere. The presence of a 5G network could potentially help the device overcome the hiccups that Google Stadia currently faces, and just like every smartphone has a killer feature (it’s usually always the camera), the PlayStation 5G’s killer feature would pitch it against more gaming-prone smartphones like the ASUS ROG Phone, or the more recent Lenovo Legion Duel 2 Phone. The PlayStation 5’s secret sauce? Its ability to play PS titles… and also those physical controls.

The controls are what makes the PlayStation 5G a bonafide gaming phone. It comes equipped with all the buttons, a D-Pad, action keys, two joypads, and even the L1/L2 and R1/R2 shoulder buttons. The device also comes with front-firing speakers and TWO front facing cameras, located on the top left and top right of the screen as you hold it in landscape mode. It even comes with a dedicated PS button, an option button, and a share button, giving you everything you need in a handheld gaming device. The charging port is located on the bottom of the phone as you hold it in landscape mode, allowing you to charge without the cable getting in the way of your grip.

Given its conceptual nature, there’s little clarity on the phone’s OS and that camera module. It would be safe to assume that the PS5G runs a version of Android tailored to Sony’s specifications… and that camera module looks like it has at least 5 lenses (if you look real close), along with Zeiss branding on it. That would basically help Sony do two things. A. Blow the Nintendo Switch out of the water, and B. Get more people to adopt and test out its camera system, which tends to get ignored along with the Xperia lineup.

While my heart really wishes this device were real, sadly it’s just a concept. Sure, there are a few grey areas as far as the features and technicalities are concerned (Is there a headphone jack? What’s the battery life? And will this phone also be able to run Google Stadia and Microsoft Xbox Game Pass?) but at least on paper, the PlayStation 5G would really help Sony sell more handheld devices while quelling the high demand for the PS5 and eventually even getting more people aboard its ambitious ‘PlayStation Now’ platform. Go ahead, Sony. I know you want to build this. After all, you definitely have a reputation for building odd devices.

Designer: Anesthétique Projets

Oneplus’ $15 wireless Gaming Triggers turn your Android smartphone into a Nintendo Switch

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Good News: They work with Android as well as iOS devices. Bad News: They’re currently only being sold in India.

The Gaming Triggers from OnePlus dropped randomly out of the blue when company CEO Pete Lau tweeted about them. According to Lau, they’re solid, responsive, and pleasingly clicky – and they’re built to work with any smartphone (regardless of their make), because “the best product design is one that leaves you free to make your own choices.”

The Gaming Triggers work like an extra set of fingers. Hit the trigger and a plunger taps a part of your screen. Designed to sit on the upper edge of your smartphone as you game in landscape mode, the triggers are specifically targeted towards players of Battle Royale-style multiplayer mobile games including PUBG, Call of Duty, Free Fire, although mounting and using the triggers sacrifices a small portion of screen estate as they physically cover your smartphone display.

The OnePLus Gaming Triggers’ price point is exceedingly low for most gaming hardware (even mobile ones), although that’s purely because they’re completely analog and have no electronics on the inside (instead, they have capacitive pads that tap on your screen when triggered). This also makes them compatible with any touchscreen device including your Android smartphone, iPhone, and even your iPad, as long as the device in question is under 11.5mm in thickness (case included).

The triggers can be independently placed on any side of the phone, and they come with a bilaterally symmetric design. Depending on your on-screen buttons, you can distribute them on the left or right, or use them both on one side of the phone. They can be used in portrait mode too, although the ergonomics of that arrangement is really up to the user.
Fun Fact: You could potentially even use them to activate your camera shutter, giving you a real, tactile camera button that’s much easier to press instead of awkwardly tapping your smartphone display with your thumb.

The tactile capacitive buttons work remarkably fast, offering zero lag as compared to wireless controls. OnePlus uses industry-leading Omron switches inside the Gaming Triggers, providing users with that reliable clicking sound and much better tactile feedback as they play. The switches themselves are made from a Zinc alloy, for that cool metallic touch, and they sit within a PolyCarbonate enclosure for that rugged, long-lasting build quality. Sadly, the triggers are only available to customers in India through the OnePlus website for a price of 1,099 rupees (a little under $15). OnePlus hasn’t really mentioned anything about global availability yet.

Designer: OnePlus

The Analogue Pocket is a Game Boy from an alternate universe that plays games and creates music

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It looks like a Game Boy. It plays Game Boy titles, along with Game Boy Color, GBA, Sega’s Game Gear, SNK’s Neo Geo Pocket Color, and Atari’s Lynx, giving you an absolute buffet of nostalgia. It also has its own DAW or Digital Audio Workstation called Nanoloop that lets you create your own electro 8-bit soundtracks. It’s called the Analogue Pocket and it is everything a retro gamer dreams about.

With a shape, size, and form that gamers have fallen love with for decades, the Analogue Pocket could be called a Game Boy clone, but that would take away from exactly how much better the Pocket is. Built on Analogue’s FPGA hardware, the Pocket can run practically every 90’s handheld console game on its own, without an emulator. When you’re tired of playing the thousands of games you previously owned (but couldn’t play because of obsolete hardware), Pocket has a digital audio workstation built in called Nanoloop. It’s a synthesizer and a sequencer that’s designed for music creation and live performance, letting you create those wonderfully glitchy 8-bit electronic tracks to take you back to the old days. It also has a 3.5″ LCD screen with a resolution of 1600×1440, mappable buttons, a MicroSD card slot, USB-C charging, an HDMI output, 2 USB inputs for wired controllers, Bluetooth for wireless controllers, and the best feature yet… the ability to save progress in your games. Hallelujah, it’s the glorious 1990s again, but slightly better! The Analogue Pocket will launch in 2020.

Designer: Analogue

PSA: Nintendo 3DS XL now available in US, AC adapter included

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Nintendo 3DS XL now available in US, AC adapter included

That Japan-exclusive Pikachu clamshell might be slightly out of reach for US buyers, but starting today they can pick up a regular 3DS XL to the tune of $200. The oversized Nintendo handheld surpasses its predecessor in just about every category, shining through our review gauntlet with more battery life, a more comfortable grip and a more luxurious screen. On top of the usual fare, US buyers will also receive a power adapter, a necessary accessory that was oddly left out of the Japanese and European releases. Oh, and if you're looking for something new to play on that shiny hardware, New Super Mario Bros. 2 hits the US eShop today as well.

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PSA: Nintendo 3DS XL now available in US, AC adapter included originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo announces $199 3DS XL with 4.88-inch top screen, available August 19th

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Nintendo announces extra large 3DS LL with 488inch top screen

Folks holding their breath for a "3DS Lite" might want to exhale -- Nintendo has decided to go a different route. Company head honcho Satoru Iwata revealed the 3DS LL this evening on Nintendo Direct, featuring a 4.88-inch and 4.18-inch top and bottom screens, respectively. The new hardware adds over an inch to the current 3DS' display, and ships with a 4GB SD card, to boot. The oversized handheld doesn't adopt the Circle Pad Pro's second analog input, however, retaining just a single thumbpad on the console's port side. Japanese gamers will be able to pick up a 3DS LL in white, as well as in two-tone red / black or silver / white on July 28th for ¥18,900 (about $235). In the US, of course, the handheld will be rebranded as the 3DS XL, just like its predecessor's supersized variant, hitting Yankee shores (in red and blue, no less) on August 19th for $200.

Gallery: Nintendo 3DS XL / LL

Nintendo announces $199 3DS XL with 4.88-inch top screen, available August 19th originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 23:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo may have supersized 3DS with 4.3-inch screen in store for E3, Mario never looked bigger (update: Nintendo response)

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Nintendo may have supersized 3DS with 43inch screen in store for E3, Mario never looked bigger

Nintendo might have more up its E3 sleeve than just final Wii U hardware and a boatload of franchise games. According to Nikkei, the Japanese console legend is readying a version of the 3DS with a big 4.3-inch main display. That's smaller than on some smartphones we've seen, but a more than substantial jump from the 3.5-inch original. We might not even have long to wait: the trade paper claims that this biggest of all Nintendo handhelds could be ready as soon as the summer, just in time to squeak in some vacation playtime (and prepare us for Luigi's Mansion 2). As always, rumors such as these aren't guaranteed roadmaps; don't be surprised if we just see a regular-sized 3DS in plaid instead. If the plans are real, however, expect the DSi XL to develop feelings of inadequacy.

Update: Nintendo has been irked enough by the claims to issue a response, although it's non-commital in what it's denying: it says there's a "number of mistakes" in an article that's "entirely speculation," but it won't say what's wrong and is careful to stress that it hasn't unveiled anything yet. We'll add an extra grain of salt to the rumor, but we won't completely rule it out.

Nintendo may have supersized 3DS with 4.3-inch screen in store for E3, Mario never looked bigger (update: Nintendo response) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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