Portable gaming devices could face the same decline as netbooks, raising questions about their future.
The gaming handheld market is currently at an intersection, mirroring the boom and eventual decline of the netbook market in the early 2010s. Just like netbooks, these portable devices focus on specialized, portable hardware optimized for specific use cases.
In the gaming handheld landscape, we have the ASUS ROG Ally, priced at around $649.99, the ROG Ally X starting at $899.99, and the MSI Claw 8 AI retailing for $999.99. These pricier options are often as expensive or more expensive than RTX 4060 gaming laptops. The intersection in this market caters to a wide range of customers, from casual gamers to hardcore enthusiasts.
However, there are more affordable options on the horizon. AYANEO's upcoming KONKR line of budget gaming handhelds could be a potential solution to the lack of affordable portable gaming machines. The Steam Deck, launched by Valve in 2022, is a prime example of this, priced at $399 (with a $649 model), undercutting gaming laptops without sacrificing too much performance.
The Steam Deck's success can be attributed to its ability to bridge the gap between portability and performance. It offers a balance that netbooks failed to maintain, as their limited hardware capabilities, changes in operating system requirements, and competition from emerging mobile devices led to their decline and eventual phasing out.
Netbooks, which started with the 2007 ASUS Eee PC, had a significant run in the market. Other companies like Acer, Lenovo, Dell, Samsung, Toshiba, and HP also joined the netbook market. However, as consumer preferences shifted toward more portable, always-connected devices like smartphones and tablets throughout the 2010s, the netbook market started to decrease.
The decline was due to several factors, including limited screen resolution and performance constraints, hardware performance limitations, and the rapid improvement of laptops and tablets. As netbooks grew in size and price to accommodate improved performance hardware, they became less appealing to consumers.
Modern gaming handhelds, like the Steam Deck, learn from these past limitations. They balance portability with performance constraints, requiring efficient hardware and software optimization to deliver enjoyable user experiences within size and power limits. Their success also depends on ecosystem and OS/software support, as netbooks faced compatibility issues with evolving Windows versions.
In essence, netbooks failed due to hardware and software limitations plus shifting consumer usage toward smartphones and tablets. Modern gaming handhelds echo the netbook concept's portability but leverage better hardware, software, and focused ecosystems to avoid similar pitfalls. They represent a new take on portable performance computing, reviving the concept with more advanced capabilities and tailored designs.
One colleague, Rebecca Spear, has expressed the need for more affordable portable gaming machines in the market. As the gaming handheld market continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how it develops and how it caters to the needs of both casual and hardcore gamers.
- Although the gaming handheld market is currently at a crossroads, reminiscent of the netbook market in the early 2010s, it caters to a wide range of customers, from casual gamers to hardcore enthusiasts.
- In the gaming handheld landscape, devices like the ASUS ROG Ally, the ROG Ally X, and the MSI Claw 8 AI are priced quite high, often matching or even exceeding the cost of RTX 4060 gaming laptops.
- However, more affordable options are emerging, such as AYANEO's KONKR line of budget gaming handhelds and the Steam Deck, launched by Valve in 2022, which is priced at $399 (with a $649 model).
- The Steam Deck, with its balance of portability and performance, has been successful in bridging a gap that netbooks failed to maintain, avoiding their fate of limited hardware capabilities, changes in operating system requirements, and competition from emerging mobile devices.
- Rebecca Spear, a colleague, has expressed the need for more affordable portable gaming machines in the market, and it will be interesting to see how the gaming handheld market develops to cater to both casual and hardcore gamers.
- Microsoft Office and Windows 11 are essential components of the Steam Deck's ecosystem, contributing to its success and setting it apart from netbooks that faced compatibility issues with evolving Windows versions.
- The Xbox Series X, Xbox, and Surface Pro, products of Microsoft technology, showcase the potential for future partnerships and integrations within the gaming handheld market, further expanding its capabilities and options for users.
