>Not to mention it pretty much allows you to play AAA games on the online from anywhere you can hold the thing
That was simply a tech issue. The PSP in 2004 was capable of playing games from last generation. it was pretty high tech for its time, and sold for about the cost of a Steam Deck's cheapest variant after inflation.
It also fit in your pocket, very comfortably. The one thing I feel handhelds gave up in their attempt to reach parity with modern consoles (and partially why I rarely take out handhelds anymore, in lieu of phones). I ultimately bought a GPD Win 4 because it was the smallest form factor while keeping those specs, but It fits in my pocket about as well as my high school jersey fits on my body 12 years later :(
>either did the old handhelds allow you to play two player on the same handheld on the go
That's a usability issue, not so much a hardware issue to innovate around. Even if the PSP was like a Switch, we're comparing a 4.3 inch LCD screen to a 6-7" switch/SD screen. over double the screen estate.
I think the real let down here was Sony not having the kinds of party game software that let multiple PSPs play with one cart, like some DS games did. Or at least, they weren't well known if they did exist.
That was simply a tech issue. The PSP in 2004 was capable of playing games from last generation. it was pretty high tech for its time, and sold for about the cost of a Steam Deck's cheapest variant after inflation.
It also fit in your pocket, very comfortably. The one thing I feel handhelds gave up in their attempt to reach parity with modern consoles (and partially why I rarely take out handhelds anymore, in lieu of phones). I ultimately bought a GPD Win 4 because it was the smallest form factor while keeping those specs, but It fits in my pocket about as well as my high school jersey fits on my body 12 years later :(
>either did the old handhelds allow you to play two player on the same handheld on the go
That's a usability issue, not so much a hardware issue to innovate around. Even if the PSP was like a Switch, we're comparing a 4.3 inch LCD screen to a 6-7" switch/SD screen. over double the screen estate.
I think the real let down here was Sony not having the kinds of party game software that let multiple PSPs play with one cart, like some DS games did. Or at least, they weren't well known if they did exist.