When the family reminisces on drizzly family breaks in the Lake District, gamers remember climbing the Pokémon League and sleepless nights thanks to the relentless bit-rhythm of Tetris.
The Gameboy was a defining feature of family holidays, but for a while the rise of the smartphone and its powerful mobile gaming content threatened to kill the market. Yet, in a comeback story to rival Rocky Balboa, console manufactures have fought back to reclaim their sovereign ground in the name of true gamers. Handheld consoles are exciting again.
It’ll be no surprise that Nintendo stands as king in this market – their ability to pack quality content into a portable medium has always impressed. But if looking for something a little different, there’s a sly inclusion of an underappreciated offering from Sony.
Here’s a line-up of the best handheld consoles out there.
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The Best Handheld Consoles
1 of 5Nintendo Switch
The Switch is a handheld console revolution, giving you the power of a home console in the palm of (both) hands. At home it links to the TV and plays like a standard console, but when it's time for the commute it's coming with you. Epic and powerful gaming content, like the open world epic The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or the superb 3D-platformer Super Mario Odyssey, can be played on the bus. It's worth repeating – that's you on a bus, playing a home console quality game. Suddenly 1994 and Donkey Kong feels like a long time ago. Gaming highlights: Super Mario Odyssey ,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles 2
2 of 5Nintendo Switch Lite
The all-new Nintendo Switch Lite strips away the home console elements of its original brother to streamline its handheld experience. By removing the TV connections, IR camera and Joy-Con, Nintendo has managed to reduce the weight and size considerably, making it much more suited to portable play. You can still play a whole catalogue of Nintendo new and classic games and battle friends online over an internet connection or local connection.
3 of 5Nintendo 3DS XL
Nintendo have quite a heritage in mobile gaming and they show no sign of abandoning the format. The 3DS bundles some seriously advanced tech, including a power processor, 3D vision and a massive screen – and it all fits in your pocket. Because the 3DS XL is backwards compatible, the library of games available for you is massive there are multiple generations of fantastic cartridges out there waiting for that gamer needing a classic fix. The console is available in several finishes, but this retro SNES skin is a clear favourite. Gaming highlights: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Smash Bros. and Pokémon Ultra Sun.
4 of 5Nintendo 2DS XL
Another entry for the Japanese giant and master of gaming-on-the-go, this console runs every game available for the 3DS but without the 3D screen. This isn't a big deal – it lowers the price, so that extra saving can be invested straight into some games, new and old. When were you really going to use 3D anyway?
5 of 5PlayStation Vita
Sadly discontinued in the UK, but available second-hand from various retailers, the weird-but-wonderful Vita is worth tracking down. The console has a touchscreen both front and rear, which leads to some pretty insane and innovative gameplay. Retro-gaming fans love it for the wealth of original PlayStation games that can be played on this mobile device. You can also connect up to your PS4 and play the latest games remotely, or you can even load a few films onto an SD card for some more varied portable entertainment.Gaming highlights: LittleBigPlanet, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril, and Metal Gear Solid HD Collection.