I want a portable home console (not talking about a hybrid)

guek

Banned
In 10-15 years, give or take a few years depending on your outlook, we're going to have handheld consoles that are as powerful as the XB1/PS4. It's inevitable.

However, that's not what I'm talking about today.

I'm talking about a console...that's portable. I'm talking about taking this:

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a few steps further.

Yeah, it'd be great if we had a console/portable hybrid with a screen and built in controller and yadda yadda yadda but let's take a few steps back from that ambitious vision and just nail down a console I can easily take with me, plug in to a screen, and play. I have a PS4 and man, is it sweet. Something I love about it that I wasn't expecting though was how easy it was to transport. The console isn't that big (not that small either though), there's no power brick, the power cord is tiny, and the controllers are wireless. I take it over to my friend's place all the time, at least a few times a month. But as easy as it is, it's still kind of a hassle. The console is still a bit big, it's not meant to be lugged around, the physical design is just not meant to accommodate travel the same way the gamecube was. I'm not saying this has to exclusively be a PS4 revision, I want to be able to do this with all of my consoles...any of them, really.

I know I'm talking about a niche audience here but fuck it, I'm fantasizing and dreaming up something that I'd love to personally see. The gamecube handle and cube design unfortunately didn't take off the way nintendo wanted. It actually backfired, causing the console to be labeled a lunchbox. But why not pursue that design philosophy to its limit? Controllers are wireless now and easily transported without the hassle of cords. A powerful console like the PS4 doesn't need an external power brick to function. In a few years, we're going to be able to pack a the performance of a PS4 into a substantially smaller case. Why not go further and make the console itself portable? Give it a cord compartment for easy storage. Give it a handle. Make it easy to carry. Hell, place a clip on it where you can strap on a controller. The only extra cable you'd need is an HDMI cord and boom, you can play anywhere there's a TV and an outlet. How cool would that be?

Would I use that function everyday? No, of course not. But I think it'd be an incredibly awesome and presently under appreciated potential feature that wouldn't be all that difficult to implement.

Typing this out, I realize I'm probably coming across like I'm on crazy pills and asking for something nobody else wants. But dammit, I want it, and perhaps there are others on GAF that want it as well.
 
I despise huge consoles, I agree. It's been a whole generation and I can't get over how huge my PS3 "Slim" is.
 
I don't like *huge* consoles (XB1 could stand to be a tad smaller), but there's something to be said about having a good-sized box on display.
 
The Wii U is pretty cool in this regard. So long as you've got sockets you can play it anywhere. It also is just a bit bigger than the Wii, so it doesn't need much space for transportation. Have taken it to friends' houses about six times no problem. Now, the Gamepad is a bit trickier, but the foam cover it came with helps protect it.
 
My slim PS2 has a screen on it. I used to plug it into the cigarette lighter of my car and play it on long trips when my wife drove. Didn't help my car sickness though.
 
The Gamecube was actually a pain in the ass to carry around because of its weird shape and power brick. I find the PS4 more portable because I can just stuff it in a backpack like a book.
 
The thing with Vita TV is that regular Vita exists, and it kicks it ass in portability. And game compatibility. And availability.
 
i wrap my system in a towel and throw it in a backpack. instant portable console.

slim ps2 just fits in a pocket on my backpack...so it beat the gamecube for portability already within the same gen
 
A lot of people are bringing up the wiiu but there are a few serious limitations there. First is the power brick. It's huge. Second is the tiny HDD. If I want to carry around my digital games, I have to pack the portable HDD. Lastly the gamepad battery life is terrible, meaning I likely need yet another cable and outlet
 
Any decent portable gaming laptop, price is the only issue then.
Hell my surface pro can manage as a decent portable gaming system for simpler titles.

Also the new smaller Intel Iris Pro NUCs are very viable candidates, they support DX12 too so they're a bit future proofed and will benefit from future software optimizations in the gaming realm.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856164012

Once they get Broadwell parts in these it will be insane!
 
My PS4 slides right into my old PS2 bag, you can even put the hdmi/power/usb cables in there if you want. Although I usually use a separate bag for the controller+cables so my baby doesn't risk scratches. :3

OziBUbp.jpg


And it doesn't really weigh much at all, so it's pretty portable.
 
A lot of people are bringing up the wiiu but there are a few serious limitations there. First is the power brick. It's huge. Second is the tiny HDD. If I want to carry around my digital games, I have to pack the portable HDD. Lastly the gamepad battery life is terrible, meaning I likely need yet another cable and outlet

I think there's a difference between portability and playing on the go. At least in this thread, I'm seeing more comments about the former.
 
Use a backpack, you need storage for controllers and additional games anyways if you transport it for lan parties.
 
Even if you use a backpack, a smaller console is more convenient. I can pack a Wii, power brick, games and a couple of GameCube controllers in a very small backpack.
 
Yeah, a laptop would fit the bill for me. A 14" gaming laptop would be very portable, give you access to choose from like 100,000+ games, and be extremely useful outside of gaming as well.
 
In 10-15 years, give or take a few years depending on your outlook, we're going to have handheld consoles that are as powerful as the XB1/PS4. It's inevitable.

I'd like it if consoles got smaller each generation, and while the PS4 is smaller than the PS3, it is still pretty big. The problem comes about because of heat vs. power. As far as I know and remember the PS2 Slim and GameCube barely put out any heat at all, while the 7th gen consoles got very warm. The PS4 gets warm too, and I imagine that the Xbone does as well.
The best solution right now, if both you and your friend have stellar download and uploads speeds, is to have a VitaTV and use RemotePlay.

Also, those console-specific backpacks can get pricey. When I transport my PS4 I usually just do it in a regular backpack that I've lined with newspaper and clothes. I may be paranoid, but I also buckle it into the seat directly behind me in my car. Its $400+ I'm transporting, I like to take precautions.
 
What I wanna know, is with all the plug-in cases with a monitor and shit that we have for 360 and PS3, why don't we have one for Wii U? Hell it wouldn't even need a damn monitor! Just a plug in for the power adapter, a USB port, and maybe a sleeve for some disks.

Really annoying we don't have this yet.

EDIT: "Portable Gaming Environment". Why don't we have one of those for the Wii U. It's a no brainer.
 
What I wanna know, is with all the plug-in cases with a monitor and shit that we have for 360 and PS3, why don't we have one for Wii U? Hell it wouldn't even need a damn monitor! Just a plug in for the power adapter, a USB port, and maybe a sleeve for some disks.

Really annoying we don't have this yet.

EDIT: "Portable Gaming Environment". Why don't we have one of those for the Wii U. It's a no brainer.

If the WiiU allowed the system to operate completely from the gamepad without needing a TV connected for some functions, I would buy one today.
 
Why not go further and make the console itself portable? Give it a cord compartment for easy storage. Give it a handle. Make it easy to carry. Hell, place a clip on it where you can strap on a controller. The only extra cable you'd need is an HDMI cord and boom, you can play anywhere there's a TV and an outlet. How cool would that be?

But why not just use a bag/backpack etc.?
I don't see how any of this would make it better to transport it (and it would increase the size of the console) unless maybe they can make the cables extendable like with a vacuum cleaner. I anyway would not prefer to transport such a device openly (scratches etc.).


The best they can do is to limit console size dimensions to be not bigger than a large laptop (thicker is ok though). That way it fits in pretty much any backpack.
 
If the WiiU allowed the system to operate completely from the gamepad without needing a TV connected for some functions, I would buy one today.

Outside of initial start up, it certainly can. I used it all last week without ever hooking it up to a TV.

I think I'll just have to make my own. :/
 
Outside of initial start up, it certainly can. I used it all last week without ever hooking it up to a TV.

I think I'll just have to make my own. :/
It may sound picky, but 99% TV-free isn't enough for me to invest in a WiiU at its current price-point. If it was 100% I'd go for it now, especially with GBA VC now and Smash around the corner.


My local BestBuy stocks PS4 carrying bags and backpacks. They are around $60-70 though. I haven't bought a backpack in years, so I don't know if that is a good price or not.

Edit: My bad about the double post.
 
Wii U is quite portable, isn't it?

Also gamepad allows you play some of its games even without a TV, you just need a socket. So, for example, you can play with Wii U on a plane or a train.
 
What, really? You could make a case for the unabashedly 90s PC Engine and Famicom AV, but I think Wii, PS2 Slim, PSOne and GameCube are some of the best looking systems ever :0

I prefer size over aesthetics, but none of those strike me as ugly. Not the best color of Wii, for sure.
Different strokes and all that.


Though I admit, the colors chosen are hurting the looks here. I do think the traditional and black Wii's are beautiful consoles. Silver gamecube was nice too. PS2 Slim I never really got me but I can understand some love for it.

Really I think they'd look better if the controller wasn't pictured with them lol. Particularly the gamecube's.




For me, I guess I just prefer a bit more austere look. Most of these just look so ... plasticy? Toy like? Probably is based on my hobbies of home theater and music gear.
 
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