OPINION : The quick success of theBreath of the Wildsequel has help hammer home that magnate is n’t inevitably what handhelds require to be popular .

Handheld gaming systems are becoming more democratic every year . While Nintendo has been launching handheld console table for a very prospicient time now , theSwitch familyhas seemingly see interest in portables pass new heights . More brands are jump on the bandwagon , with Valve’sSteam DeckandAsus ’s ROG Allymaking appearance in 2022 and 2023 severally .

Despite all these devices being handhelds , they have very different use case . The principal selling point of the ROG Ally and Steam Deck is that they are basically handheld microcomputer , powered by graphics french-fried potatoes with enough superpower to run modern AAA game such asCyberpunk 2077 . Such a high performance comes with a premium damage tag , but all in all , this current era of handheld gaming seems differentiate by the improvement of hardware .

That ’s why the continued success of the Switch is such a confusing phenomenon . The Switch was likely always break down to be a triumphant endeavour , and once the pandemic hit andAnimal Crossing : New Horizonslaunched , it was unclouded that this gadget was going to harbor a very special property in people ’s hearts for days to come .

But now , six year after its official freeing , it ’s safe to say that the Switch has n’t agedthatgracefully . In this new modern-day handheld grocery store , the Switch ’s specs are lacklustre , with a performance that struggles to push many games over the 30fps mark and a blind ( at least in handheld mode ) restricted to a 720p resolution .

Nintendo has made up for this with an splendid biz library . It does n’t always pick apart it out of the car park , but Nintendo have some of the most iconic franchises in the world . Mario , Kirby , Metroid and apparently , Zelda , are all have by Nintendo and the company has done a very good job in packing out the Switch with these legendary characters . Kirby ’s Return to Dream Land DeluxeandMetroid Prime Remasteredwere both well received in 2023 , but I would n’t say that they helped keep the Switch relevant .

That ’s whereThe Legend of Zelda : Tears of the Kingdomcomes in . This biz has only been useable for less than a week and it ’s already thesecond easily - selling Nintendo sacking in the UK by revenue , with digital copy of the biz selling out within 24 hour . It obtain a perfect five - star rating from us and has garnered an immense amount of praise during its launch .

With The Legend of Zelda : bust of the Kingdom in a very strong position to be named as the best game of 2023 , it just go to show that the quality of a plot will always be more important than the power of the ironware . TheXbox Series Xmay be able to offer 4 thou gaming with documentation forray trace , but it does n’t have an exclusive game anywhere near the timbre of Tears of the Kingdom , especially in 2023 with Redfall seeing major criticism .

That ’s not to say we would n’t all choose to be gaming on a Nintendo Switch that could handleFull HDin portable mode and up to 4 K when docked . And I do n’t doubt that many gamers are overjoyed at the concept of playingElden Ringand Cyberpunk 2077 on the go with devices such as the ROG Ally and Steam Deck .

But ultimately , one of the heavy reward of the Nintendo Switch is that if you desire to play these new game , you need to buy the console . Nintendo ’s biggest skill is building up iconic franchise and get masses to purchase the games from childhood well into adulthood . Since the ROG Ally and Steam Deck are actually PCs , and so ca n’t offer games exclusive to their own political platform , they ’re unable to double Nintendo ’s greatest asset .

And so for all the power on pass from the ROG Ally and Steam Deck , they ’ll never be capable to knock the Nintendo Switch off its plinth as the true portable king .