Like with any purchase in our hyper-capitalist world, people continuously ask if something is worth the money. Reddit is full of these kinds of posts but I wanted to take the RG DS as an example of this. It’s an Anbernic handheld designed to look like a DS Lite in New 3DS XL’s clothing. It has dual screens, can play DS games, and now has a slightly better stock OS although the better options are ROCKNIX or Gamma OS.
Initial reviews were quite scathing. Retro Game Corps called it a “half-baked mess” before custom firmware spruced it up and it was another example of Anbernic focusing more on style than substance. But now that it’s more enticing and people have warmed to it, prospective buyers want to know if they should take the plunge. It’s usually around £/$100 which is a fair price given the specs and performance.
After seeing the millionth “is the RG DS worth it?” post, I realised how meaningless that kind of question becomes when it comes to handhelds. Sure, it’s an investment but the return isn’t financial. If you’re planning to play all the 80s and 90s systems (NES, SNES, Master System, Mega Drive, PS1, etc.), there are probably hundreds to choose from. For more powerful systems from the 00s, you have to be more discerning but there are still plenty of options. The goal is to buy a handheld you like and keep it for as long as possible and play it as much as you want. Whether you pay £100 or £300 on your final choice, you won’t feel the difference in cost if you’re happy with the result. That’s not to say it’s not a lot of money but it’s relative and if you’re comfortable enough to spend that much on something that isn’t for survival (food, rent/mortgage, clothes, etc.), it won’t matter in the end.
Imagine buying a bed for £1000. It’s a massive outlay for you but you think it’s justified due to the comfort it gives you when you sleep. A year later, you see another bed that has the same features but it’s £800. You can’t think “if I’d just waited a year, I could have saved £200” because that’d ignore the year you’ve spent relaxing in bed. It doesn’t make sense to offset comfort in the hope that a better deal will come along. And that applies to these consoles too, especially when the prices are going up. Thinking in terms of cost doesn’t quite work in this kind of market. You’ve got to weigh up your options and what you’re actually going to play and pay the price if you have the money.
When it starts to matter is if you keep buying multiple handhelds, trying to chase a feeling. I’m not judging since I have plenty of handhelds myself but you’ve got to check yourself if you’re buying them because they look cool and shiny but don’t use them. Unless you’re looking to sell them and the depreciation kicks you in the behind, just pay the money and play the games. ROI doesn’t live here.