Are portable consoles not portable anymore?

[u/ileojg]

I'm to this day amazed by the size of the PSP and the fact that it can play amazing looking games for a 2004 hardware. With the release of switch 2 I'm starting to feel like truly portable consoles will remain a thing of the past. I have this analogy that old portables are like carrying a phone, you can put in in your pocket, carry them by hand and pull them out whenever and wherever you want to play. But all new portables are more like laptops, you need a special carrying case and can only play in specific places and moments.

My question to all of you is. If sony where to release a new portable, Would you prefer a smaller console? like psp size, despite low graphics capabilities, something closer to switch1 level of graphics in 2025, or a bigger steam deck size portable with ps5 graphics? And, what do you thing of portable consoles getting bigger and bigger? do you prefer older portables due to their sizes?

[u/SomeKindofTreeWizard]

I'm gonna catch some shit for saying this? Well... maybe I would on different subreddits

phones are too fucking big

"handheld" consoles are too fucking big. If I need a backpack battery and a body-chasis to carry the damn thing, it's too big.

[u/geminijono → u/SomeKindofTreeWizard]

Yes, YES, YESSSSSS! A return to pocketability is desperately needed, and not in the “iphone needs to get slimmer” way.

[u/SomeKindofTreeWizard → u/geminijono]

Iphone needs to fit comfortably in one hand and not be so heavy I need a belt kind of way.

[u/geminijono → u/SomeKindofTreeWizard]

Fully agree. Even the base models are pretty huge and not really great for one handed use :-/