Qualcomm Unveils Switch-Style Device Targeting "The Future Of Portable Gaming"

Wow, looks like they just smacked a phone in the middle of an Xbox controller. Interesting.

The fact that there's more news about new portable consoles almost daily, after I've made my Steam Deck reservation, leaves me nervous 😓

What these companies always forget when going up against Nintendo with these kinds of devices is that the reason Nintendo sells so damn well in this space is because of their exclusive first party games.

Uhhh no, just give me the Steamdeck instead.
I would buy a steam deck together with a switch pro (nintendo read this please) haha

So releasing a handheld nowdays makes everything "Switch like".

Noted /s

Wow, that's fugly.

Switch laughs in mario
Steam deck laughing In half life

I think it is promising because it may prompt Nintendo to upgrade their hardware sooner as mobile tech improves.

Also, this might be a nice Xbox Game Pass streaming device.

I hope they don't cut themselves off at the knee by making it too expensive. Nintendo did a good job at picking a price point for each one of their models. If this, or any other Switch-like device wants to succeed, they'll also need a competitive price point. I'd say aiming too much higher than $400 usd would be too costly to succeed in a broader market. I think aiming for android or pc games with a hybrid device might be too lofty of a goal.
Also, android people usually just play on android phones and pc people are more into gaming pcs, so I will be surprised if this device and the steam deck reach broad success. I hope they do though, I would love to see hybrid consoles from Xbox and Playstation as well as a Switch 2 from Nintendo. I'm glad to see people finally appreciating portable game consoles.

@apoqalypse none of them compare to the Steam Deck though

This is absolutely not a competitor for the Switch. I see this device as the Nokia Ngage. Not optimized for any way of playing. It looks incredibly uncomfortable.

Why are developers going to choose to put time and resources into developing for that when there's so many established platforms, and the Steam Deck, they can already piggy-back?

This just really doesn't look all that portable. It's just a huge thing, brings back memories of seeing Sega Game Gears.

Another day, another mobile gaming Android handheld.

These devices appeal to nobody. They only run phone games, and ppl who play phone games only play them because of their convenience being on their phone. Take that convenience away, and there's no longer a reason to settle for cheap Android games. If they're gonna buy a dedicated handheld, I'm pretty sure they're gonna go with a Nintendo Switch.

And nobody cares about streaming.

Steamdeck is interesting because it actually runs Steam games and has Gyro aiming. But even that's niche. This... this here is a lost cause.

Android based? No thanks I'll pass. It's good for emulation for a few years but it'll suffer from slow down way to quickly.

Riding on the "success" of the Nokia N-Gage?

@FragRed Why is everything a competition? Nintendo already lost the next gen war years ago. No one's looking to compete with them at all.

Might as well buy the Steam Deck, like seriously, who needs this?

"The chipset will run Android games but have a notable emphasis on streaming games from PC / consoles and indeed cloud services"

For Eastern Slavs like myself, all these cloud-based "futures" sound like the 2030s at earliest.

Hopefully this gets in before this degrades in to arguments about nothing.

THIS IS NOT ANYTHING. THIS THE MOST "NOT NEWS" TO EVER "NOT NEWS"

Razor has released a dev kit into the wild that gives developers an easier way to test how their game is going to run on alternate hardware, in this case the snapdragon G3x. They have done this before with other snapdragon chips, most notably the Snapdragon 845 used in the Razor Phone 2.

If anything this is a indicator that Razor is looking to release a new PHONE, not a new portable system. They already sell controller kits and docks that turn a Razor phone into basically what we see in the picture, a handheld would be completely redundant.

Razor is also a "go big or go home" hardware designer. They make a laptop with 3 screens and did a joke production run of a drone system that hovers over your shoulder and sends real-time information to a headset so you can "Play life in 3rd person". If the DO make a handheld, they will use the advanced cooling and form factor tech they already use in their ultra-slim notebooks to ram 2 Ryzen 9s into a calculator or something.

I never get why people talk about Switch competitors, then focus on the hardware. For me, Switch is about the exclusives and (usually!) well ported multi-platform games that just work.

@Bratwurst35 War is a little severe, it may look like a switch but it's not really any competition. How do you think that Nintendo lost the next gen war? They may have lost the specs side of the war but they easily win with sales figures, and surely that's more of a winning factor.

@JaxonH Honestly I think a lot of these companies are seeing Game Pass taking over from Switch as the future of portable and hybrid gaming (perhaps even Valve with the Steam Deck as I could see Microsoft making a Game Pass deal with Valve). Doesn't seem like a wise prediction given Switch's momentum is still increasing.

@dew12333 Take heart. I don't mean that in a negative way. I just simply mean Nintendo due to mistakes along the way lost the spec war.

At this point they've forged their on path and clearly found success after the failure of the previous console. These handhelds aren't trying to compete at all.

Nintendo is pretty much in their own league at this point. They realize their biggest strength lies in the handheld market and managed to create a system powerful enough to attract third party support while also keeping their main base.

I'm just pointing out no one has any reason to compete with Nintendo and Nintendo has no reason to compete with anybody. That is a win.

You lost me at "will run Android games."

@Bratwurst35 I didn't read it as negative at all, and totally agree with your comments, I don't think they are really competing with Sony and Xbox right now and probably won't in the future.

I think consumers are the winners of this gen, such a wide range of games and ways to play them.

More mobile competition means that Nintendo has to finally launch a stronger Switch. After using the Switch OLED for over a month now, I believe that this is what the og Switch sould've been.

@Wordbonder the day 1 Switch runs android games too, if you know what I mean 😊

When I think Qualcomm this is what I think of.

Actually I don't really "think" of anything I just read that name and hear a dial-up connection. Ask your parents kids. 😉

Do PC gamers want a portable device?

Different companies are trying to bring one out after the success of the Switch. But I am not sure the two (types of) devices have the same level of demand.

@dew12333 True they are the real winners. So much verity in gaming to choose from. Cheers!

@Nintendolife, not every handheld pc is a "Switchlike device". The Steamdeck is not Switchlike, neither is this monstrosity.

the fact we have so many devices/consoles similar to Switch, show that everyone want Switch sucess, is better Nintendo watch out or they will lose the sucess Switch have now.

@mike_intv the steam deck was sold out before even trying to add it to the cart. Obviously, many of that was due to bots and scalpers, but I believe that there is a real demand for portable pc or pc like gaming. If it wasn't, GPD wouldn't have launched 4 Win portables by now...

@Damo I don't say that it's not interesting, I only say that it's not a "Switch-like". It's a handheld. It would be the same if you said that an iPad is a "Switch-like" because it's a tablet.

Companies saw the Gameboy and said "the tech is simple, we'll duplicate it, PROFIT!" and failed. I suspect the same will happen here. There's a secret sauce of content, affordability, and branding Nintendo "gets" in this market space that is MUCH HARDER to duplicate than companies think.

I think this will be a bad move, Nintendo will gobble up most of the Market and Valve will gobble up whats left.

I genuinely don't see where these guys will fit.

@sanderev The comparisons is fair. The switch and steamdeck are both handheld hybrids dedicated to gaming.

@Friendly the steam deck looks just as cumbersome.

@Savage_Joe Good points. I was just thinking that some companies may see the tens of millions of sales that Nintendo has with the Switch and are of the opinion that they can get some of that with a handheld device. But it takes more than a device to generate that level of sales.

@Damo i see what you are saying, this is basically a smoke signal of sorts to Nintendo for their next console chips.

I can see that.

On a bright note I'm glad Switch has caused more devs to expand the portable gaming space with more power, options, and diversity. Whether any or all of these systems last for long periods remains to be seen, but it'll be fascinating to see where it goes.

Something like this could easily become my handheld ging platform of choice. I already use my phone to game way more than my switch.
I have access to big AAA games like Doom Eternal and Skyrim that run much better on my phone via gamepass than they do on my Lite - same sized screen & 1080 60FPS on mobile vs 720 30fps on Switch.

Was out at "streaming".

I dont doubt they will attract some companies looking to make a big play in the portable gaming space. Maybe even the likes of Sony or Microsoft is what Qualcomm would be eyeing. At the very least there’s enough gaming-minded investment money out there that they can say ‘plough it into us’ with something like this

@Damo

That's a interesting theory if this was a Qualcomm product (which it isn't) instead of a Dev Kit they designed for Razer (which it is).

I mean you can argue that Qualcomm has a plan to get into the portable gaming space, sure. But that has Z-E-R-O to do with this article. This article is about Razor getting people to make "hardcore" games on Android using a chip they are likely going to use in a phone so they can continue positioning themselves as the "gaming phone" while having software to show that off.

Sounds like it's built around streaming rather than being a device for playing games natively. So basically it's a Wii U control pad with better range.

@JaxonH Really the only saving grace this thing might have is it's emulation capabilities.

Neither the device nor this video is particularly appealing, I feel.

Who decided to cover those corner pixels? In favor of what function?

@Bulborb
Someone who thinks young people think iPhones are cool.

I say HELL NO to streaming games.

@The-Chosen-one I have the v2 switch and I pre-orderd a steam deck. This thing can kick rocks. I will NEVER buy something to play cloud based games on. WTF are these people smoking? lol. This just sounds like a liability for board members and investors lol.

I'm sure it's great, but that's no Switch. This, like the Steam Deck is more than likely going to be more expensive than a Switch, does not include the dock or cables to connect it to a TV, and you can't set it up on a stand and remove the remotes to hold them freely in each hand. Playing in table top mode is one of the best things about the switch, and you can just pass a controller to a friend for a quick multiplayer game (which is fun and also demos the system to friends so it's like free advertising), this thing looks bigger than a switch, it's probably even heavier and without table top mode people's arms are going to get tired. Also as a regular ARMS player, having a new system without motion capabilities that let me punch people with my fists, it seems like a big step backwards compared to a Switch.

they can make high tech chips with extremely little semiconductors, and yet they are unable to figure out the correct position of A, B, X and Y buttons. What a shame.

The Switch may be lacking in the performance department, but how portable is this new handheld and the Steam Deck? They both look huge — and pretty ugly.

So tired of every portable with a controller on the left and buttons on the right being labeled "Switch-Like" as though that hasn't been the standard in portables since the GBA.

This is one ugly piece of kit, it's like they were trying to make it look as unappealing as possible.

@Super_Mattio
Lol i missed the part about streaming games 😂😂that makes it even worse, its gonna flop like google stadia lol.
Hell no i choose even the NES above that thing.
Yeah i also pre ordered the Deck, hyped about that one, and still play on my OG switch everyday, still an amazing device.

Nothing to see here.

Please disperse.

They could had just make an Ouya portable, I would buy that. Razer bought Ouya a long time ago and had access to all the free made games from the platform, I find it odd how they never evolve the platform into something special. Getting the chance to play the Amazing Frog, Gridiron Thunder, or Just Rain on the go would had been sweet.

O kurw* ale to wygląda no jebłem ... Xd
Okropne !!

@Meteoroid I don't think they are trying to compete with Nintendo. Just like Steam Deck, this is targeting the "portable PC" market, which is tiny compared to a regular portable console. The lines might blur a bit over time, but at the moment that's how things stand.
If you read the comments over and over people are doing that very same thing so now sure where you been at lately but it's contrary to what your saying right now. It's not blurred if you read past Steam Deck comments say otherwise.

@mike_intv I see these portables and they are nice looking but my razer laptop and Xbox controller work great and has a bigger screen.

Word of advice: if a games company shamelessly refers to their product as "the future of gaming" that means

A) it's a product that you've probably seen before

B) they're full of it

or C) all of the above

@abdias guess you haven't used an xbox controller... 🤷🏻‍♂️

@Meteoroid Devices like the normal GPD win devices are portable PC, Steam Deck is the one of those devices that blurs the line. This on the other hand is targeting soley the portable gaming market. This isn't even coming close to portable PC. Most portable PC/PC like device still runs an x84-64 chips set using either a custom Linux OS or windows. This is gonna be running Android on an ARM chip.

That thing and the Steam deck both look heavy af. Good luck taking that with you anywhere outside of a purse.

Isnt snapdragon what low to mid tier phones use

It's funny how every single portable is reported as "switch style"

This does what Nintendon't.

@Ultrasmiles No. Actually Snapdragon is really the only good mobile SOC other than Apples in-house chips.

@Meteoroid Well the good thing is that this isn't really pushing to be a competitor anyway. No one will be able to buy this unless they're a developer.

It also really just a product to convince developers to start taking mobile gaming more seriously cause the hardware and marketshare is there... They just need to have the hardware in their hands.

Honestly, we as switch fans should be happy about this. As there is a very high chance that a next gen Switch will be using Snapdragon, and if not... Having developer more familized with developing game around mobile ARM based hardware isn't a negative.

It shows the device streaming to a tv while it's being used like a controller wirelessly but says it's 4k and 144fps. Can that be possible?

Nintendo is the initiator of new technology: the rumble pak, touch screen, dual screen, motion control, etc, and the rest of the industry follows. You can be sure that by the time these handheld gaming form factor is the norm in mainstream, Nintendo will be doing something else.

Kind of reminds me of the Nokia N-Gage. It must be better thought out than that was.

They thought it was a good idea to put the cartridge slot behind the phone battery. Meaning you had to switch the whole thing off and take the phone apart to change games. Shockingly it didn't take off. By the time they'd redesigned and relaunched the thing nobody cared.

Do like the look of the steam deck though. Between that, a switch and an iPad think I'll have all the portable gaming devices I could need.

Steam deck looks much cooler in my opinion, this looks so generic. It's almost cool as there's something about it that screams '90s Nokia.

I am not a tech spec focused gamer, but damn, the Switch is starting to feel dated. I am fine with the graphics, but the load times are so slow. Granted, I am in no hurry for a new console in some regards. I would think the longer they stretch it out the better the specs will better…. Granted, x2 or even x10 the specs of a Switch might not be all that “powerful” when a new system is announced….

Notice in all this review and talk they don't mention the $$$$ of the device and what games would cost for it. This alone should tell anyone reading this is a joke of device. It would alone cost more then Switch and even more then Deck highest model price.

OK this getting out of control haw many more ar going to copy the switch?
OK it's going to happen but come on there is loads keep getting out.

@SwitchForce They didn't talk about price cause it not a commercial product. It a dev kit.