When you’ve grown up with handhelds as long as I have, you never lose the desire to own one. They’re portable, quick to start and quick to finish, and are usually cheaper than a console you plug into your TV. But I have way too many now and despite trying to play games on all of them, some get left behind. You might be reading this in confusion as to how someone could have too many as your drawer of handhelds becomes so full that you struggle to open it. And to that I say, I hear you. But I try to be sensible. There are too many games to play and not enough time to play them and buying more handhelds won’t help.
Except the following handhelds which I still want.
PS Vita
The first console is the PS Vita—specifically the aqua blue variant. It’s a thing of beauty and I have a thing for that shade of blue. It might not be the most ergonomic handheld but I love the smoothness of the build, the dew drop buttons, and the fact that it has a touch screen! What’s more, it’s backwards compatible with PSP games (via download) and since you can jailbreak it, you get access to thousands of games from a variety of consoles that came before it.
Nintendo Switch 2
I’ve already spoken about why I won’t be getting a Switch 2 any time soon but the appeal is dormant rather than non-existent. I watched the Nintendo Direct where the console was unveiled and I got hyped in parts and liked the build. But the main reason I would want one sooner rather than later is… shiny hunting in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is way easier. Despite that test to my restraint, I realise paying £400 for spawn rates is obscene (I’m not as bothered about the frame rate, ironically) so I will wait. But I can’t deny that the console itself is sleek and a worthy upgrade—in time.
New Nintendo 3DS
Another Nintendo entry and you’ll be surprised to know that I already own a New Nintendo 3DS XL, two Nintendo 2DS’s, and a Nintendo 2DS XL. So why on earth do I want another 3DS, specifically a smaller version of the XL? The white one looks cool. I’m a magpie, so sue me! I keep seeing that variant in YouTube videos and Tumblr posts with all their cute customisations and homebrew setups and it makes me want one. The New Nintendo 3DS XL is great for the larger screen but the smaller white version brings back memories of my OG Game Boy for its general size and colour. No chance of me getting one now without paying as much as I would for a Switch 2 if eBay prices are anything to go by.
Nintendo 3DS
You’re joking. Not another one!
I remember when the 3DS first came out, I tried one in a Toys R Us and when I put the 3D on, my eyes started hurting within minutes. Why would I want to pay this much for headache-inducing gameplay (well, I didn’t want that again!). So I swore off getting one until my then-partner got me the more ocular-friendly 2DS for my birthday in 2014. And many years later, we’re here and having seen someone with a nice shiny metallic red Nintendo 3DS during a shiny hunting event, I took a second look. I know you don’t have to turn the 3D effect on so it’d just be another cool Nintendo console for my collection. If I could afford one.
Anbernic RG556
This one’s a bit of a stretch but I remember when I was thinking of getting my Legion Go whether I should get something smaller and more affordable and the Anbernic RG556 was low on the shortlist. It has a similar form factor to a Switch with Hori split pads and it runs Android so even more systems to choose from compared to other Anbernic consoles. Add in a 5.48-inch AMOLED screen, 8GB of RAM, and support for SD card expansion up to 2TB and you’ve got a decent handheld at a competitive price ($184.99 USD at MSRP). But will I get one? I have like 3 old Android phones in my drawer. I caaaaan’t…