Mobile Gaming Consoles: Where to Invest Your Time and Money
Long gone are the days where gaming on the go meant a huge sacrifice in quality of experience. The divide between handheld and standalone consoles is becoming increasingly miniscule as premium gaming tech needs less physical space to do its thing. There are several options out there for those who want the best pocket-gaming experience, and we break them down for you here.
1. Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch series offers the most robust and dynamic handheld gaming experience by far. The detachable joypads, when attached, provide as classic handheld console experience. When detached, each side of the joypad converts into a mini-controller for a small-screen multiplayer experience.
The two sides connect to the device via Bluetooth, allowing players to recreate a home gaming experience from anywhere. What’s more, players can plug their Switch into a dock at home that enables TV play with a standard console controller. Several popular Nintendo games are available to play on the Switch, such as Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Animal Crossing, and Super Mario Odyssey.
The only flaw of the Switch is the limited battery life that comes with running systems intensive games. However, by our estimates, it is still the best handheld console on the market.
2. iPad Air
Although not exclusively designed for gaming, the iPad Air is a surprisingly strong contender for best handheld gaming console. Packed with processing power and extensive battery life, the iPad air certainly has the hardware to support serious mobile gaming. It is certainly a feather in Apple’s hat, ranking among the best tablets available across the board.
Its defining feature for gamers, however, is Apple Arcade. For a 5$ per month subscription, the owner has access to over a hundred high-rated games.
Android and Nintendo simply cannot compete with the Apple Arcade’s variety, and some of the top-rated games are exclusive to Apple’s platform. If this sounds too good to be true, well, first wait until you see the price. It is almost twice as expensive as any Android or Nintendo gaming device and is also notoriously fragile. If you have the budget for an iPad Air, you get what you pay for. Just be careful when carting it around!
3. Nintendo 2DS XL
If you’re looking for something a bit hardier than the iPad Air, the 2DS XL is exceedingly durable and has a top-notch game library. Its sturdy clamshell body makes it hard to damage (but please don’t take that as a personal challenge!). Players have access to Nintendo classics like Zelda and Mario, as well as third-party games from developers such as Capcom and Square Enix.
Unfortunately, the 2DS XL has been mostly abandoned by Nintendo in favour of the Switch. They are no longer being manufactured and are therefore becoming scarce, unlike Lucky Creek bonus codes, which are available in abundance. Additionally, no new games are being developed for it, although players still have access to all pre-2021 titles in the library. If you want to keep up with all the latest releases, best stick to the Switch. However, if you’re satisfied with 2DS game library as is, better grab one now before they’re all gone!
