Surprise Leak Reveals Lenovo Is Making Another Switch-Like Gaming Handheld

See this is why the Switch 2 needs to be more than just a more powerful Switch. There's too many companies copying the Switch's form factor and competition is going to be a lot stiffer this gen, they need a unique hook to stand out.

Can't wait for the Nintendo reveal and going over the hardware specs 😍

Be interesting if Switch 2 gets exclusives games as well as better performing version than playing it on the original Switch.

Marketing is important as we know the shambles with the Wii to WiiU 🙄

No matter how many handhelds on the market I will always keep a Switch. Nintendos catalog is too strong to ignore and I'm not the type to "steal" or "hack" games to make them work elsewhere than where they originally belong or have been released.

Copying? I’ve had a switch since launch and a switch oled since launch,

I have a legio go too and I’ll tell you - playing switch games on it is WAY preferable to the OG.

It doesn’t copy - it leaves the switch in the DUST

@Bolt_Strike These devices aren't really competing with Switch (or Switch 2). They're a lot more expensive for one, but consoles also have the benefit of being much more straightforward to use. I love my Steam Deck, but it didn't simply replace my Switch. I use both of them regularly.

@KoopaTheGamer They're both hybrid consoles that do largely the same thing, of course they're competing. Straightforwardness doesn't seem to matter much when PC is just getting so many games. Now Nintendo might be in a better spot than say, Microsoft or Sony because of their first party lineup, but almost everything else worth playing is on PC.

You know, if Nintendo has always kinda done their own thing, off to the side. If everyone starts making these, including Sony and XBOX, that will be the first time since the Gamecube where they are all competing directly with each other. That's interesting.
I personally think the diminishing returns of graphical fidelity will put the focus on the quality of the games, and I'm not sure Sony or MS can compete there. Then again, maybe a handheld would force Sony to start making interesting games again? Or at least something different.

@Bolt_Strike At this point it feels like Nintendo's only reach towards audiences is that they're more in tune with casual gamers. Those who aren't going to buy handheld computers- and are only looking at Nintendo for their exclusive games. A more powerful switch will sell with the people who aren't looking for something like the Steamdeck.

I can't imagine it's relevant to those who defend to the death things like the Steam Deck but honestly why must all these things look so dull? Say what you will about the Switch it's at least eyecatching with its colour scheme.

@Bolt_Strike
Just because the games also on PC it doesn't mean Switch and other consoles suddenly become irrelevant.
I personally choose actual consoles / handhelds than PC because I want to play the games with physical media.
The other devices might be offering PC specs, but it doesn't mean I have to play the PC version.

@VoidofLight Yes, but how many of those people are there? While that audience certainly isn't nothing it's not enough by itself to make the console a sales success. Usually when all a Nintendo console has going for it is first party games, it tends to underwhelm with sub-50 million sales figures. I could definitely see the Switch 2 doing about N64/GC numbers.

@Bolt_Strike you clearly underestimate how many consumers know **** about software and even find it to be complicated to understand their Switch has a software update🤣 I worked in videogame stores a few years and believe me, there are many people who aren't stupid but would not ever try to even bother understanding how a computer works. Let alone a handheld running Windows that's made for keyboard and mouse. Nintendo Wii was a huge succes for a reason.
Nintendo showed the world our technology is ready for more handheld consoles and pc's. But a high end pc handheld won't be much of a challenge for the next Nintendo console.

@Anti-Matter I mean you're free to make your own decisions and that's a valid reason to opt for console over PC, but the market as a whole seems to value convenience and versatility and doesn't care that much about the physical media. That's what's making consoles irrelevant, the market wants devices that are do-everything boxes instead of being forced to buy a specialized device that can only play video games. A console simply cannot compete with a PC or mobile device because it doesn't reach as wide an audience.

@Bolt_Strike "they need a unique hook to stand out"
That unique hook is being a Nintendo console with Nintendo games on it

Let's be honest, 95% of all people who own a Switch don't even know what a Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Lenovo Go etc is and would much rather just buy a Switch 2 than any of those

@Bolt_Strike it's not really competition.
the steam deck sold far less units than the wii u and lenovos system is going to sell even less.
those systems just target very very niche audiences.

I love the Switch. That said, most of Nintendo's 1st party titles are focused on casual gamers, and this has frustrated me for quite awhile. Meanwhile, the PC gaming scene has nearly everything, with less restrictions across the board and the ability to mod my games...

All of this without even getting into my dissatisfaction with the Palworld lawsuit and their other BS. So yes, I will scoff at Sony and Microsoft being able to compete with Nintendo for at least the next gaming generation, but the PC scene is definitely a credible threat. With powerful handhelds like the ROG Ally X already in circulation and this new Lenovo Legion Go on the horizon, things should become very interesting in the near future.

@Bolt_Strike The casual fanbase is the majority who buys into Nintendo's consoles. Adults who don't play many games. Children who's families got them the system for Christmas or Birthdays. I know tons of people who only play on Switch because it's a simple console for them to get into, and it offers family friendly games that they enjoy. Some buy it for the portability that it offers. There's a good reason why the Steamdeck hasn't outpaced the Switch, or why none of these other handheld computers outpaced the Switch. They're novelty items that are made to play PC games- and most of the people who own them already own a gaming PC. It's usually used as a way to play a PC game in bed, or on the go for when people can't just sit at the computer and play those games. Doesn't help that these devices tend to have terrible battery life (worse than the Switch).

Now if Sony or Microsoft got into the space and made their own handhelds that can compete on both price and battery life, then I'd be worried for the Switch 2 just being a more powerful Switch- but they haven't yet. There's rumors about it, but even then there's no telling how long a handheld PS5-like console would last in terms of it's battery.

@Bolt_Strike Here are some of the reasons behind Nintendo's success and why these handheld gaming PC's will never do better than Nintendo: Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Pokemon, Smash, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing and Splatoon (to name a few)

Spoiler: Nintendo never needed the coolest, most performing or most innovative hardware to succeed.

Their hardware is honestly nothing more than a delivery device for the games.

As long as Nintendo market their new hardware well and don't make and weird decisions about naming the system something stupid (like they did with the Wii U)
I think any hardware they make will sell as long as they have the games. (even if it's not innovative or outperforming the competition)

How are they releasing a larger one? The current one is massive already. It's a fun and useful device though.

as ugly as wanna be

@VoidofLight that is just half the truth.
there is no casual audience anymore playing outside of their smart phone.
some years ago you could have sayed there is a core, mainstream and casual audience but even that is not accurate anymore.

on switch you just have mainstream, core and something between mainstream and casual.

just to make sure, mainstream audience are people who mainly play games like fortnite, fifa, call of duty, minecraft etc.
those gamers are the biggest part on all systems and those gamers do not care if the latest pokemon sucks, they still buy it and they have fun with it even though it looks and plays bad.

oh and those mainstream gamers would never buy a lenovo handheld because they can play their games more easy and cheaper on a switch or a ps5

One day, and that day may never come for some, you will finally understand it is in your absolute interest for as many companies to get into handheld console market. Because, that means those companies will have to fight for your money, and try to one-up each-other in terms of higher quality and lower price. Having a monopoly on the market means Nintendo gets away with faulty analog sticks and exclusive premium title for 69.99 EUR that can never reach stable 30 FPS. But go on fanboying.

It looks like the most important factor for a platform's success is the digital library. The PC handhelds are designed to give people access to their existing Steam library. I.e. for portable play Switch is no longer the only choice.

At the same time, the fragmentation in the PC market makes it hard for any single OEM to gain a majority share in the handheld segment. The Steam Deck sells in the millions, sure, but not tens of millions. And for Lenovo, the Legion Go revenue is just a rounding error on their balance sheet.

The digital library is also the reason why Xbox is losing to PlaySation again this generation. People are not willing to give up their, in this case, investment in PS4 games and want continuity.

So it's likely that the Switch audience will stick around for next gen, no matter how underpowered the hardware may be compared to other handhelds. And that's aside from the advantage of Nintendo having first-party exclusives, which Xbox and PS have mostly given up on it seems.

@jojobar I like your analysis. You well describe mainstream gamers. Out of curiosity, how do you define core gamers?

I bought the Legion Go at day 1 of launch in 2023 and it's the best and by far the most flexible handheld ever made.

I also bought a 15.6" USB-C Monitor for my handheld, Steelseries Gaming keyboard + Mouse, Docking station etc. so it can be used as a Laptop.
I paid around 1500$ for my handheld including all add-ons.

I have seen other people spending 1500-2000$ on Legion Go add-ons alone...

First post is about tech power of course. Always bears repeating Nintendo moves units on brand power and makes a profit using cheap outdated tech, with the Switch more than ever. They can't match the cadence of a company like Lenovo who can iterate hardware every year because Lenovo or whoever doesn't have to worry about the game catalogue directly. If the Switch 2 is a powerhouse it'll still be outdated in two years and outclassed by whatever Switch-like unit Lenovo or whoever drops next, and Nintendo will have annoyed customers by having a higher price point than usual.

Why I say the ‘impossible ports’ are a thing of the past, because powerful Switch-like hardware in the next 2-4 years will run ‘possible ports’ and next to Switch 1 at least, those games will actually look good. When Switch launched the Vita was in production, that was the bar for mass market portable consoles, not Steam Deck and ROG. Nintendo will necessarily get more competitive in power than it has in the past 2 (duct taped together) decades.

@dugan
hey thank you.
I would say a core gamer is a gamer who actively seeks out for information about different games on a regular basis.
So everyone who reads websites like this regularly, is a core gamer for me.
But I also think that those groups are not homogeneous. In the core gamer segment you have people who do play Mario Games but other might only play high complex simulation games like Rimworld.

NINTENDO RULES, COMPETITION DROOLS!!!

@Bolt_Strike

they need a unique hook to stand out.

But they have. Its games.

A console it is just a box to play games and Nintendo has the best games in the market.

Honestly this has me excited as I game primarily on my legion go and switch. I just hope it fixes battery life concerns(I have to carry an anker battery whenever I go somewhere with my Lego).

@Bolt_Strike

"See this is why the Switch 2 needs to be more than just a more powerful Switch. There's too many companies copying the Switch's form factor and competition is going to be a lot stiffer this gen, they need a unique hook to stand out."

The unique hook to stand out:
The wonderful games you can play nowhere else. (Legally.)

And I have not seen any companies copying the ease of switching from playing on the TV to handheld and back.
Neither that you can easily play two player games with just one console and no extra peripherals. I assume the reason for this is patents.

The consoles that sort of looks like a Switch usually cost a lot more than a Switch as well.
And might not be as user friendly either.

Remember the Switch 2 will be at the very most $450 while the other handheld gaming PCs are $800 and above, except the Steam Deck because Valve makes money from Steam instead.
Also, they are all a lot heavier, and louder. And can't play Switch and Switch 2 games legally now that all Switch emulators are officially dead.
The Switch 2 doesn't have competition.

@dugan Core gamers are easily identified by asking "how do you feel about God Hand?" Duh.

Oh no! Yet another company has copied Nintendo but with more power!!! Nintendo is doomed! How many times are we going to go through this? Nintendo is over 100 yrs, do you really think copycat competitors are enough to take Nintendo down? As some have previously mentioned, between price point, exclusives and brand power theres no competition to the Switch. Nintendo is the only company with their business designed around gaming, and more importantly Family gaming. 146M+ Switches sold….theres no other dedicated handheld gaming device even remotely close to that install base. We’re already in the age of diminishing returns with the way home consoles are heading. Nintendo predicted this over 20 years ago. At the end of the day software is King and Nintendo are the King of exclusives and until that changes, it’s Nintendo…then there’s everyone else!

@MK73DS $479.99

@NinChocolate

I’m pegging this as the price point as well!

Another crispy chicken sandwich.

@MK73DS my Steam Deck is only slightly heavier than my Switch, not really much louder and the library on Steam is huge. While Switch has Nintendo’s first party games (arguably the only reason to own a Switch) you can get just about anything and everything else on PC. The perfect balance is a two platform solution having both Nintendo’s platform and PC/handheld PC. I’ve been a Nintendo fan from the start, having gotten the original NES shortly after it released in the 80’s but I feel that to get the best out of gaming these days I really need to have more than the one platform.

Nintendo has quite a bit of competition now in the handheld market. The Switch 2 cannot afford to be underwhelming otherwise we'll get a Wii U repeat scenario

@Rainz @NinChocolate
I feel like Ninty will want to keep it sub-$500 tax included.
$425-$450 Max
Plus at least a System seller game at $70
That'll push the system and ONE game to $600

Not many will want to pay that high in one go.

I find it funny that some people see these PC handhelds as serious competition for Nintendo. The Switch has sold nearly 150 million units. Meanwhile, the Steam Deck has sold around 3-4 million, and the ROG Ally likely less than a million. Combine all the PC handhelds, and their total sales might barely rival the Wii U’s. Plus, if you’ve spent any time around kids or in schools, you’d know that these devices aren’t even on most people’s radar.

@cedarhyped I don’t see it as competition but in order to get the best of what gaming has to offer these days you need more than the one console. I view them as more companions than competitors.

@Bolt_Strike Unique look? What matters is the games and the price point for most people which will continue to be a Nintendo selling point over any of the competition. Nintendo doesn’t need to do more to “stand out”. Nintendo brand wise is more recognizable than Valve or any of the other portable PC “competition”. A portable PC can copy everything looks wise off a Switch and it doesn’t mean it’s gonna get Switch level sales.

A Switch is more “standing out” then any Steam Deck or ROG Alley. There are people that still never heard of a Steam Deck because they are not even sold in traditional franchise stores or major website retailers. It’s not even sold in countries that a Switch is sold. Even in countries that does have some in stock like Japan, the stock isn’t remotely the amount compared to Switch being sold on a weekly basis (which last week just in Japan pushed 80k~ units.)

Nintendo already found a try and true look so there is very little reason to deviate too much from it. Just improve upon it at most. They are not gonna ditch the hybrid just because of the Steam Deck and ROG Alley of all things. Switch 1 didn’t die from portable PCs. The Switch OLED sold leagues more than the Steam Deck LCD despite similar reveal windows.

You are not gonna find Pokemon, Mario, or Zelda being sold on the Steam Store and not enough people here are taking that into consideration. Before someone replies to me with “Emulation!” I got a bridge to sell you if you think a significant portion of the gaming audience does this to begin with especially casual gamers which I don’t see them leaving Nintendo’s iron grip anytime soon for a more niche and more expensive entry point hobby device like portable PCs.

A significant portion of gamers also prefer the streamline nature of consoles. There is no “tinkering” required to get a game “optimal” or even “working” on a Switch. Just put a cartridge in or DL a game, maybe DL an occasional patch, and play. There is just less steps in general which is GREAT for the less tech savvy of gamers which are usually older and younger people.

I don’t see why users here keep acting like portable PCs are “competition” for Nintendo when literally all of the portable PC people including Valve said they are not directly competing with Nintendo due to how LITTLE actual audience overlap is. You need more then just be portable to be “competition” otherwise an IPhone is “competition” in gaming to a Switch.

Maybe if PlayStation tries to go into the portable market again we might see actual competition for Switch 2. Until then though? Looks to be smooth sailing again if Nintendo doesn’t shoot themselves in the foot.

@jojobar thank you for your definition. I appreciate it. I had a hard time understanding how some of my coworkers who play Call of Duty all the time don’t know what a JRPG is (for example). Your definition helps me understand. Thanks!

@Bolt_Strike Nintendo’s first party software is the unique hook. I just don’t want this “tock” to be another Wii U.

@Spider-Kev because the Switch was such a success they they won’t be shy on the price. Sub 500 but closer to it than 400 I reckon. Yeah I think the budget friendly reputation is going to take a hit next gen and they’ll hope to get away with it I’ve no doubt

@Rooty Cause these things tend to be more aimed at the working adult consumer. Being able to toss a handheld into your work bag, and not have it standout among your other electronic. So you can avoid the awkward questions. Nintendo bright and flashy color for the switch stems from them still very much being a toy company first and foremost. Lenovo is more know for their line of business oriented products… and that design philosophy probably leaked over into their “gaming” line.

@Bolt_Strike Trust me, I've used the Legion Go and Nintendo has nothing to worry about. Only the most die hard gamers are going to want to deal with the overhead of dealing with Windows in this form factor (or installing another OS). It's a great device but it's much closer to being a PC than it is to being a console.

So is that what them grips that was supposedly for the Switch 2 where for?.

@Rainz Legion Go looks like a giant Switch, but were never a Switch competitor and Lenovo knew that.
Lenovo wanted to make a handheld that were nothing like other PC Handhelds.
The right gyro controller are also a real PC mouse you move around on the table, also a trackpad, 5 extra unused buttons that supports millions of keyboard macros etc.
Unlike Switch, Legion Go are 100% compatible with ever made for desktop PC and Laptops. SSD, Web cameras, HDD and whatever. It supports over 1000 controllers including Sony, Nintendo and Xbox controllers.
Legion Go have a long list of features not possible on a Switch.

I own Legion Go and it's makes my Switch look like a tiny handheld....

Legion's competitors are Rog Ally, Aya Neo, Odin, OneXplorer, MSI Claw, Asus, Steam Deck etc.

These PC handhelds are mainly for people who bought 1000's of games on Steam already on their Gaming PC's.
It's handhelds for PC Gamers, not Nintendo gamers.
It were clearly said 2-3 even by Valve years ago that PC Handhelds will only compete with PC Handhelds.

Soccer moms and kids doesn't know how a PC Handheld works, so they will stick with Nintendo anyway.

Remember there are around 350 million PC Gamers, and the market for PC Handhelds are huge and is why they don't need to compete with anything else.

Wouldn't you say a gaming PC market with 350 millions players are enough for Handhelds?
This is why Sony and Microsoft have so much focus on the PC Market.

@contractcooker Yes, PC Handhelds were designed for PC Gamers, and not Nintendo gamers.
There is nothing to learn on a PC Handheld for people who already play games on PC.
Save games etc. are automatically resumed on PC Handhelds from PC.
If you play Sony/Xbox games on PC Handheld, they resume/sync save games from PS5/Xbox on PC too automatically.
It's seamless.
When a PC Gamer buy a PC Handheld, you more or less only need to login to Steam, Game Pass etc. and you suddenly have 5000 +/- games on PC Handheld without buying any games at all.

Well if the C button isn't just for connecting and we have more than the rails or whatever else of Joycons on the Switch 2, and we don't have a Wii U cough dual screen not a Portal style single screen casting then sure. Dual screens or I'm out.

The split controllers for Legion did always look cool but yeah what next can Nintendo do of a gimmick is what I've been wondering, a return or something different, something minor, or 'safe', shivers, don't want that happening, give the engineers a lot more to tinker with not safeness.

That or else the Iwata era is the end of that and a safe boring future of consoles till the next creative is in the leading position I guess. The games could get worse like some already have (not all but some) and the hardware will be boring.

Congratulation to nintendo for creating, once more, a industry standard for others to follow and copy

@Bolt_Strike i mean, other companies are always coping what nintendo dose.
sony being especially bad with it as they love to just take stuff nintendo dose and make a more upscaled versions of em.

That FPS mode looks like a neat idea. Although it seems like a better fit for Ace Combat than Doom.

@Bolt_Strike Handheld PCs are not “hybrid consoles” at all, believe me. I love my Steam Deck but problems inherent to PC gaming are still there (needing to go into file directories and mess with stuff just to get certain games to work is as far from a console experience as you can get). You can never be sure a new game is going to work often times until it’s actually released, no physical media, games that work fine one day but suddenly don’t when a publisher decides to add anti-cheat software…I can go on. I wouldn’t recommend a handheld PC to “casual” gamers but I’d also be hesitant to recommend them to people who play games a lot but don’t want any friction with the device they play on.

To top it all off, no company making handheld PCs has yet to put even a fraction of the amount of marketing into these devices that Nintendo can (and will) with Switch 2. They’ll be fine.

@Shadowmoon522
You forgot AstroBot and Super Mario Galaxy

Hmm... I don't think Nintendo is in any danger here. I don't pc game much but I do not recall seeing physical copies of pc games in stores. The consequences of this would be an all digital future which a good segment of gamers do jot like. Secondly, with the cost of game development going up publishers will want to release on everything. Lastly because pc is so vast it can fracture/divide gamers attention so much that games will get lost. Console gaming allows for there to be individual sihlos to build an audience instead of being buried by the volume of games on pc or the advertising budget of triple a developer

There are some huge advantages Nintendo has (or any console for that matter).

That is their affordability and many years of support.

Devices like the Legion GO are more than double the price here and you're lucky they are supported for more than 2 years.
Companies like Lenovo and Asus are notorious for their terrible support.

So not only are you paying a lot, but these PC handheld devices become obsolete so quickly... it's not even funny.
At least with your gaming PC you can upgrade individual components.

Valve's Steamdeck is pretty cool and well supported by Valve, but the top model (with decent enough storage) is also double the price of a Switch and its SoC is also quite outdated now, so a lot of new Titles are not Steamdeck verified or not running well on the device.

@Zverik That has nothing to do with AMD, but simply Lenovo.
It's a ***** Chinese brand with terrible support. Will never buy anything from them.

Asus used to be good, but has gone down the drain as well and has taken some serious reputational damage recently due to their ***** practices and terrible support. Especially all the problems with their Rog Ally handheld and how they mishandled that.

Competition is always good, but I really don’t get why this tries to look so much like a Switch. That makes it instantly feel like a cheap knockoff to me instead of an “upgrade”.

To put things into perspective, the Steam Deck has sold less than 5 million units, the ROG Ally less than 1 million and the Legion Go even less than the ROG Ally.
The Switch has sold more than 146 million units.

@Toastmaster all pc handhelds together have sold orders of magnitude less well than the Nintendo Switch. It’s a niche market whereas the switch is mainstream. Many people do not find it “seamless”.

@contractcooker You can also say Switch is a niche market as there are over 350 million PC Gamers and only 140 million Switch players.

If you quit a game on PC, and just click play on same game on a handheld where it automatically resume save.
That's called seamless.

Remember it's not 1990's anymore. PC Gaming became plug and play since around year 2005.
Back then standard for controllers etc. were set too and games on PC used same setup as consoles.
No need to adjust anything.

@Toastmaster Don't try to move the goalposts. We are talking about the gaming handheld market. My original comment was that Nintendo doesn't have anything to worry about from the new Legion Go. Virtually no one is debating between a Switch 2 and a Legion Go 2 because practically no one is buying windows based handheld gaming devices.

@Bolt_Strike saying theyre basically the same is over simplifying it. The vast majority of people will find a handheld PC a bit fiddly to use, this is true for the Steam Deck with its custom frontend. Then you add in a windows desktop it is just unusable for most.

You're underplaying the value of Nintendo's first party IP there too.

@contractcooker You can't stand that Switch have a minority of players and is why you TOTALLY ignore 100% that PC Handhelds is for PC Gamers.
Not Soccer Moms who dominate the Switch market.

You are moving goal post 2 times in same post.
Since you are totally unable to understand anything at all, i refuse to reply anymore as you will keep moving goal posts every time.

@Toastmaster seems like you are very personally invested here. All I’m saying is that there is nobody debating between a switch and a legion go 2. You seem to agree with me that these are two completely different groups of people based on your “soccer mom” comment. No one is looking at a legion go 2 and thinking “gee, I was going to purchase a switch but now I’ve changed my mind”. Nintendo has nothing to worry about from windows handhelds. They don’t compete against each other.

@Bolt_Strike not really, this still behaves like a PC and isn’t going to grab the Switch or smartphone audience. The next Switch will still have way better battery life than any handheld PC using X86 based APUs.

And Nintendo Life outright refuses to cover how Apple is gearing up to get into the market. Especially when they release their first M-powered Apple TV.

Apple is the only threat to Nintendo. They’d likely place their games on their App Store and Google’s Play Store. Hate to break your heart, but if Nintendo left the hardware business it would murder traditional gaming and those customers will leave for their phones.

@Toastmaster you’re assuming every console gamer has a Steam account. I know plenty of console gamers who don’t have one at all.

@norwichred I guess you like to stay plugged into the wall. My Legion Go had better battery life than my old Steam Deck, but my Switch was still my go to device. Also, over 100-120 million active users playing and buying games can’t be wrong too. Nintendo is making lots of money of the Switch, so are the developers.

@Bolt_Strike no portable PC has proven to be a competition for a console yet, even the somewhat affordable ones like Steam Deck. Heck, just last night a whim to take GTA V for a spin on mine resulted in a borderline hour of wasted time - updating Heroic to fix the library access issue, then logging back into Rockstar launcher which randomly decided to ignore the touch input in its text fields only (cue clumsily operating the screen keyboard with the touchpads), and THEN it has likewise randomly decided not to process the game as owned despite all the Epic logins and ties in place as usual. Oh, and we're talking the very GTA V that recently lost its online mode on Deck because its new anticheat doesn't linux. Can you imagine any part of these epic adventures on Switch or Vita? PCs and phones may cover a much wider audience for general purposes, but the majority of people interested in video games prefer the dedicated plug'n'play experience that birthed video game consoles over 40 years ago in the first place.

@norwichred if you're going to tout current gen emulation over native hardware (with recurrently discontinued software at that), it's advisable to do outside the vicinity of people who have spent almost twenty years emulating stuff. Yuzu's appeal on handheld PCs may be gradually boosted by variably telegraphed eShop delistings, but it would take one heck of a motivator to choose it over the available real thing otherwise, and frixel worship only qualifies as such for so many people.

I've said it before, but handheld gaming PCs are best used for games that either aren't on Switch yet or those like Morrowind, Brutal Legend and Disney Infinity that aren't realistically expected to come to Switch... or anywhere new, for that matter.

@SuntannedDuck2 PC gaming is suffering from a stale industry too. This isn’t an exclusive problem to consoles.

@Bolt_Strike and mobile devices will always beat a PC. People will likely buy a Roku, Apple TV, Shield TV or any of those devices over plugging a PC into their TV. They’ll use their smartphone for majority of their use cases, especially places where people used to reach for a laptop or go to their desktop for.

They’re looking for those convenience boxes, but PC isn’t leading the way in that category with consumers. It’s Arm-powered devices, such as smartphones, tablets, smart devices and the Nintendo Switch. Handheld PCs aren’t going to beat Nintendo, nor will they beat Apple if they choose to leverage their ecosystem on its customers.

Can we please stop putting Windows on portable PCs?

@Koffeeking0407 you have got to be kidding about the steam deck not being much heavier and louder than the switch. I have both and the steam deck absolutely dwarfs the switch (in both size and weight). Also, it's much MUCH louder. You lose all credibility when you say things that are so obviously and completely untrue.

@progx Yes, but there were still over 1 billion accounts as of year 2019 5 years ago.
They are not all unique users as there are many who have 2-5 Steam accounts for families etc.

Let's say 3 family members have 3 accounts shared to one account, they will count as 3 accounts.
Steam have around 300-350 million unique users.

The reason there are so many family accounts on Steam is because there are 1000's of local multiplayer games there you can play on TV using Nintendo, Xbox or PS controllers mixed. Most of them have never been released on any console.

@CriticalHit of course it will get exclusive games. They’ll be produced by Nintendo

@contractcooker that’s the hill you’re gonna die on? Weight of a Steam Deck: 1.475 lbs. weight of a Switch with joycons: 0.88 lbs. If you truly think that’s a considerable difference then perhaps someone should visit a gym. That’s just the standard version of those consoles but the OLED counterparts aren’t that much of a difference. The sound is only slightly more noticeable however these slight differences are enough to lose credibility (credibility to what exactly? Having an opinion?)….🤣 sure, okay buddy. You seem to be shilling for Nintendo pretty hard given the numerous debates you’ve sparked in this comments section alone. We don’t deny the Switch is a great system. It’s perfectly okay to like two different consoles so calm down little buddy…the Switch is still on top! 👍🏻

@Koffeeking0407 Sorry to break it to you, but that's almost twice the weight lol.

I do a lot of photography and 600-700 gram difference with my lenses is very noticeable when you carry / hold something long in your hands.

In general, under 1kg is within a comfort zone for a device to hold for hours on end.
The moment it passes 1kg you going to notice. This has nothing to do with going to the gym or not.
It's your fingers and especially your wrists that will tire out.

@Koffeeking0407 I’m not “shilling” for anyone. I have and love my steam deck but in no world is it near as quiet or as near as light as the switch.

it's great that all these heads of marketing of the gaming industry are coming to the comments and sharing their insider knowledge of the customer base of the switch and deck

@eza you don’t have to be in marketing to see that the user bases are largely mutually exclusive. Switch is a dedicated console for “casual” gamers or those specifically into Nintendo IP. Steam deck is for “hardcore” PC gamers. The overlap on that Venn diagram does exist but it’s fairly small.

@Jeronan I also do a lot of photography/videography and my rig is pretty heavy. I also play trumpet in an orchestra. The weight of a console at 1.47 lbs isn’t enough to complain about. Thing is I don’t even know why this is being debated. It’s comparing apples to oranges. Try carrying a M16 at 7.5 lbs on a 7 hour road march then tell me 1.47 lbs is heavy. My initial comment was only in response to someone else entirely saying there’s not that much of a difference, which there really isn’t. The weight difference argument is one only found on a Nintendo site’s comments section and message boards. If people are tiring out because of that (which has never happened to me playing Steam Deck) then good. Perhaps they’ll get some obviously much needed exercise.

@contractcooker and you know this, how, exactly?
what detailed sales data are you drawing upon?
or is it just your feeling based on a belief?

@Bolt_Strike this thing is rumored to be a grand. And i dont think at that price it will do that well. Only other handheld to do somewhat well was the steam deck and that only sold a few million. Any handheld from Sony with good games and way more powerful could t beat nintendo. They know they don't need to.

Tech wise this handhelds aren't that much more advanced than Switch 2 will be, the iGPU's are all around PS4/Pro-ish levels which the Switch 2 should be in that ballpark too and for a significantly lower price point.
If Nvidia keeps the Switch DLSS version up to date Switch will get all the fancy DLSS4 improvements that's getting back-ported (basically everything not including the Frame-Gen stuff), while this isn't getting FSR4. Not to say they don't have a market or their own benefits, the specs are much nicer and AMD CPU should run circles around Nvidia's aging stock ARM CPU.

@Bolt_Strike The thing is that Nintendo can get away with having a switch that's just more powerful because of one thing and one thing alone. The system caters to more casual audiences who are mostly playing for your Marios and Zeldas. To them, a more powerful version of the console which has more of the experiences they're looking for and a few smaller gimmicks will entice them to make a purchase.

These handheld PCs like your steamdecks and the like are all pretty much for enthusiasts. People who already own a PC, and would like to have a novelty item that allows them to play their PC games wherever they are. Something which the majority of Nintendo's audience don't have nor care about.

it all comes back to Gameboy vs gamegear. price beats graphics. and normies buy mainstream things. we as the degenerates that we are, we know about the lenovos and steam decks, your 10 year old nephew doesn't.

@VoidofLight same can be said for those who game on their mobile devices and tablets. They want the simplest experience, if it means owning another device then that’s what they’ll do. These handheld PCs don’t appeal to the wider, non-technical crowd.

@progx Pretty much, yeah. Things like the Steamdeck only really appeal to the hardcore gaming market- and mostly the PC market as well. It carved out its own niche, same with how the Switch did with IPads. The only real competition for Switch would be Sony's handheld and Microsoft's handheld when those end up releasing-and even then Nintendo will have had the Switch 2 out for a good few years before they get their systems out.

@Dirty_Croc interesting take considering Nintendo stocks are the highest they've ever been and so has been profits.

Hmm that's an issue I didn't have in mind. That others would try to beat Nintendo to the market. The concept is a proven success thanks to Switch 1.

Sure, it doesn't matter for us Nintendo fans, because for us it's about the unique games. But it can still hurt them in the overall market.

They should hurry up, I agree now.

@norwichred if you're playing Switch exclusives on a Legion, then it's just feeble shameless piracy, and nothing to do with leaving anyone in the dust

Do these companies think we're all rich or something?

@Bolt_Strike Switch sold like hot cakes partially because it were the most powerful handheld in the world in the beginning, and a lot of PC Gamers bought it too.

PC Handhelds last 2-3 years were not a direct competitor to Switch because of the price, but there are so many of them now running latest Games like Wukong, Indiana Jones, Stalker 2 etc. natively out of the box.

In fact even Sony's Spiderman 2 PC Release this month will run natively on PC Handhelds.
PC handhelds runs all Sony PS5 ports on PC Handhelds out of the box and they don't need ports unlike Nintendo consoles who need ports of all of them.
PC Handhelds also supports Xbox, Sony and Nintendo controllers + over 1000 other controllers on TV.

At this point PC Handhelds will hurt the sales of Switch 2 as Nintendo are late to the game this time.
Switch 2 probably have less power than current handhelds to keep the price down, and to extend the battery time.

More power, less battery time, higher price.

@LEGEND_MARIOID "Legion Go" forum on Reddit would shock you.
There are lots of people who spent up to 2000$ extra on add-ons alone for their handheld. I only spent 7-800$ for add-ons on my Legion so far.

Nintendo revealing the switch this month and surprise releasing it in March may help get a jump on things, especially if the rumor of millions being manufactured already is true. At this point a surprise quick release and a substantial first party title or two with it will get a nice momentum train to distract from competition.

No offense, but I'm not sure I can appreciate this new gaming culture. It's like going to a video game convention, being surrounded by thousands of self absorbed people giving their own 'critical analysis'. It's like comparing a open a bag of vinegar potato chips to a dutch oven.

It's really annoying, I come to these forums in hopes to read something interesting and new. What do I get? A bunch of self proclaimed fortune tellers that want to play CEO.

Hats off to those that have something to say other than their take on the what the 'market' wants.

It can be powered by unicorn urine and dispense fairy dust on command, but in the end it's the sales numbers that matter.

@calbeau It's the money that matters.

Sony lost 300$ on each sold PS3 and almost went bankrupt because of it.
This is why Sony are a small company now compared to what they were during PS3.
The old Sony could have bought Kadokawa with pocket change. Today's Sony, only 10%.

Nintendo 64 and GameCube didn't sell much, but they earned money.

@Toastmaster Great point. That's an even better indicator than what I suggested. Thanks!

Your welcome.

I forgot to mention that the cheap Xbox 360 console were the reason why Sony were forced to lose so much money to compete as 360 outsold PS3 most of the time.

@Toastmaster Small company lmao

@Lucami Sony were worth more than Microsoft, 25 years ago.
Today, Microsoft are worth 25 times more than Sony.
Sony lost so much money on PS3 they even had to sell their headquarter building...

Consoles were only a small part of the real Sony back when they were a giant.

@Bolt_Strike No not at all. Just like with the original iPhone and everyone and their grandmother starting copying them ever since.

It means the Switch's design is just that good and it works.

Nintendo still has a major advantage over the competition and that is all their trademarked IP's and exclusive 1st party games that only release on Nintendo consoles.

That is the main reason why people still buy Nintendo consoles, otherwise Nintendo would have been already out of the console business long ago.

I am a gaming enthusiast and also have the PS5 and XBOX Series X at home, including a powerful gaming PC (which I always build and upgrade myself).

If I was only playing non-Nintendo games, why in earth would I buy a Nintendo console? When XBOX and Playstation have always been superior performing consoles.

Nintendo has never joined this power race and always banked on being different and having a very powerful and large exclusive gaming catalog.

Remember, the Pokemon Company (which Nintendo owns 50%) makes way more money on the Pokemon franchise alone each year, then Nintendo's entire business (this includes their console sales).

@AG_Awesome these devices aren’t competition for the Switch. Lenovo treats their Legion Go product line the same way as every other Legion and LOQ laptop. Just another SKU. Nintendo next Switch will still sell way better than these devices.

@Dirty_Croc yeah, the Switch is the best selling console for them and their game are totally dying for not releasing them on PC /s

No. They’re doing better than fine right now. Nintendo is never going to bring their games to PC. Your smartphone and tablet would have a better chance of seeing Zelda than any PC. Your opinion doesn’t seem to be financially punishing Nintendo.

Clearly their hardware and games are appealing to over 150 million people, with over 120 million users actively engaged on the platform. Nintendo and their partners are making a lot of money.

@VoidofLight if Apple decides to leverage their ecosystem, they’d be the only threats to Nintendo. If the next ATV upgrade features an M series chip, that would get interesting quickly. Resume play RE4 from your iPhone, iPad, Mac AND Apple TV 4K.

@progx I don’t think you’re familiar with the term competition. Any product that can take a customers money is competition. These handhelds are competition.

@Toastmaster
People were super obsessive about Ouya just like that with many of the same talking points and rhetoric and how’d that work out?

Lol Windows on handheld is objectively awful.

@progx The issue is that even then they wouldn't be competing in the same space. Mobile gamers don't tend to buy ports of games like Resident Evil on mobile devices, given they're too expensive. On top of that, a good amount of people who play on consoles dislike the concept. There's a reason why those ports aren't very popular in the first place.

@Dirty_Croc never said Nintendo cared, so I think you took the odd perspective. I said your opinion isn’t hurting Nintendo any since they’re still selling Switch units and games aplenty.

You seem to place a lot of stock in non-tech people to what to buy a PC at all. Android is the most popular operating system in the world, iOS is second and Windows is in a distant 3rd.

If Nintendo games wound up anywhere, they’ll go to smartphones and tablets. And you think from ebbs and flows of stocks, that their shareholders are going to push them into multi platform? It would have to be a catastrophic failure of their company to be desperate enough to put their games on PC and other consoles. As I mentioned, they’ve sold over 150 million units worldwide, about 120-130 million of those Switch units are actively playing and purchasing games. It’s their most profitable piece of hardware of all-time.

Apple is the only one who can hurt them. They know it too. Their ecosystem produces a lot of money through their services, and the iOS App Store is still printing money for the company.

Nintendo innovates and everybody copies. Story old as time

@Dirty_Croc it's actually about to hit the highest... Ever. Dropped a bit (like 3% on the last few days) but it's on the rise again

Just by a few yens

@Dirty_Croc I think misinterpreted me. Yes, they have games on mobile, but not their traditional ones. If Nintendo exits making hardware, they will only make games for Android and iOS devices. Which means you’d likely play Zelda Breath of the Wild on a iPhone long before they’ll ever try PC again. Nintendo had licensed out their IPs and the early 1990s for PC developers, they were very disappointed at the quality and saw the hardware choices as too big of challenge for the company to undertake.

If Nintendo did release their games to PC, their quality would severely diminish and what makes them special would cease to exist. Sony’s Spider-Man game doesn’t play the same on PC as it does on a PlayStation unless you’re willing to pay for the hardware.

@Bolt_Strike Not to mention that Valve is now licensing the Steam Deck's SteamOS to 3rd Party OEMs for their own handhelds.

@Dirty_Croc wow. Throwing in the "fanboy" as an insult when I haven't said anything to contrary. Nintendo deemed PC in the 1990s, they've stated it would be a drain on their resources to maintain their games on any device that are not their own. They have spoken on it already. You'll be waiting A VERY long time before you'll ever see a Nintendo game on PC natively. If they did, you'd likely have to download their installer and they'd maintain themselves. Steam, Epic and GOG would not see a Nintendo branded game on their pages.

Nintendo would go where there is the biggest user base, that's mobile phones and tablets running those operating systems. Apple's App Store is far more profitable than Steam, the same with Google Play. Nintendo has said they are not giving up on mobile, so I will have to believe if they stopped making hardware that's where their development focus will go.

Nintendo isn't going PC any time soon. The Switch 2 will sell well. Nintendo's stock has slid far worse than this drought, they have a huge surplus of cash and this isn't going to push them to PC. Nintendo would give up on their hardware first before wasting resources on PC gaming.

Why don't email Gabe directly and say you'll fund his fourth super yacht?