Hand held Gaming

[essy]

Might be a repost ,what are peoples thoughts on these new hand held toys:)


http://www.stuff.tv/news/computers-and-consoles/versus/nvidia-project-shield-vs-razer-edge-pro

[TeaLeaf]

Not impressed, but then I generally hate console gaming and much favour the PC.  

I like:

-the fine motor control on the PC (which you cannot replicate on a console)
-the screen size advantages (I have yet to see a handheld console with a 30" high resolution screen)
-the fact that I can upgrade my PC over time to suit my requirements
-the fact that I can run several programs at the same time and flip between them
-that I am not generally forced to game in the console manufacturer's closed environment
-that I can run the software I want to, not just that the console manufacturer allows & approves
-that I don't have to hack my PC to get root and do the things I want to do with own paid-for hardware
-that I can buy games more cheaply than consoles and regularly get better performance out of them than the console can provide
-that I can particpate more fruitfully in our community via a PC where the consoles typically provide no support whatsoever

....do I need to go on?

I'm sure consoles will have a market, but they are not for me.

[T-Bag]

Not impressed, but then I generally hate console gaming and much favour the PC.  

I like:

-the fine motor control on the PC (which you cannot replicate on a console)
-the screen size advantages (I have yet to see a handheld console with a 30" high resolution screen)
-the fact that I can upgrade my PC over time to suit my requirements
-the fact that I can run several programs at the same time and flip between them
-that I am not generally forced to game in the console manufacturer's closed environment
-that I can run the software I want to, not just that the console manufacturer allows & approves
-that I don't have to hack my PC to get root and do the things I want to do with own paid-for hardware
-that I can buy games more cheaply than consoles and regularly get better performance out of them than the console can provide
-that I can particpate more fruitfully in our community via a PC where the consoles typically provide no support whatsoever

....do I need to go on?

I'm sure consoles will have a market, but they are not for me.

The Razer Edge Pro IS a PC (though I agree with your list of PC advantages). The new NVidia offering is an Android device that can stream from a PC, and as such is essentially useless in my eyes. If you're sat in your house with the PC why not play it. If you're sat on a train you won't be able to stream games smoothly so you're stuck with Android games which your phone (if it's recent) should be able to play...so why use a dedicated device?

Personally I'm not a fan of console controllers for the vast majority of games. I have a 360 controller which I use primarily for racing and fighting games. Keyboard and mouse beats the controller any day of the week in any game which requires precision, I even use it in GTA type games, despite the driving elements. So now that I've gotten the reasons I wouldn't use the Razer out of the way, the reasons I would are, if I stuck to racing games, I imagine it would be pretty fun. It's a full PC which means I could almost justify it's cost as a laptop rather than a handheld. The battery life is surprisingly good from what I've heard.

Finally I have to say I won't be buying one though. It's too expensive and doesn't come with the controller clip by default. So it's an interesting concept, and probably one of the better Windows based tablets, but I don't travel enough to spend that sort of money on a gaming device.

[smilodon]

I'm interested in a PC/console hybrid if I can stick with mouse and keyboard as I'm in agreement with TL's thoughts on console gaming. Consoles work well as a family toy that several people can play together in the living room but as a serious games playing device for me they can't compete with the raw horsepower of a PC. I know some people love their consoles so I guess it's horses for courses but a dedicated gaming box like the Razer is interesting.