Valve have released a Steam Deck and this looks to be taking the world by storm. The handheld gaming system seemed like a dream before it launched but now it looks like the hardware is taking things to that next level. The gaming tech system has been a dream for most and the hardware is able to work well with PC games as well. It looks like this is one of the biggest surprises for gaming this year and it could have a lot of potential for the future. 

Valve doing this has helped to show how many other manufacturers could give it a go as well. Companies such as Razer and Dell have managed to take things to the next level and there is not a reason at all not to make more of them. One thing to know about the Steam Deck is that it has some great sleep and wake functions. The TV docking makes it feel a bit modular like the Switch and even though it doesn’t have detachable controllers, that isn’t an issue. It’s the general flexibility that is helping it to show a lot of promise. 

Running a variety of games and apps helps to give this a lot more possibilities for the future, and the fact that the Switch’s processor is quite old means that it could surpass the current tech on the market. Gaming handhelds can do a lot more when it comes to potential, especially when you look at the fact that there are now phones that are as powerful as laptops. 

Sure, it’s going to be interesting to see where Valve go, especially in regards to VR but right now, it looks like things are moving forward.

Casino Games can Be Played Anywhere

Sure, you can easily head over to new online casinos and load up any game you want, but at the same time, it’s nice to have a handheld console that is designed for games that can’t be accessed this way. CNET didn’t like the G Cloud very much. They more fell in love with the idea of it. It’s an Android tablet that has the ability to stream games. It’s a custom-made version   

The Razer Edge feels a bit more advanced when you look at the idea, as it is a modular tablet that has controllers along with a Qualcomm processor. This is capable of running games as well as streaming them. This is almost a throwback to the Nvidia Shield, which was a tablet that had the potential to stream games back in 2014. Streaming games looks to have come of age, especially when you look at the cloud and the local aspects of it. 

You may be doing this with your phone or your tablet, but having a good game controller is a different story. When you look at the standalone devices it’s not hard to see how far things have come, and now mobile options are multiplying by the day.

The Rise of Indies

Analogue’s best handheld, the Pocket is a very different piece of hardware. The Pocket plays in a very similar way to the Gameboy or the Gameboy Advance. It even has a game cartridge but it can run virtual hardware too. This gives you the chance to recreate various other gaming platforms. The Panic Playdate however has a season of indie games and you can beam this onto your handheld. You can only do this once a week. Although the two options are very different, they do have one thing in common. They have both used indie efforts so that they can run effortlessly on the same type of system.

About Gaming Portals

Gaming portals such as the one provided by Itch.io have become super popular over time. Indie game designers have created some truly amazing efforts for their platforms and now it is safe to say you don’t need a Playdate or even a Pocket for them. These systems do feel more like vehicles so that they can then be taken to new heights. It doesn’t feel like this is the end of the road and it’s possible that we are going to see even more positive movement in the future. 

Who knows what the upcoming releases are going to mean or if they are going to be successful, but one thing’s for sure, the gaming industry is evolving and now it would seem that handheld gaming consoles have a solid place in the sector. They are coming back and for a very good reason.