I just found out the PSP Go was a thing and I really like the idea of having the screen slide up to reveal the controls. I think this would be a great way to make a more compact version of the Steamdeck. I don’t know about the low profile joysticks though. I’ve never used anything like those before and I’m not sure how they’d feel to use. Maybe it would just be something I’d have to get used to. Regardless, I’d love to hear what other people think about this idea. Edit: I think I should clarify. I’m mostly referring to the style with the sliding screen. I don’t think something as small as the psp would be a good idea either

  • Adderbox76@lemmy.caEnglish
    2·
    6 months ago

    Much of the “slider” form factor died out early for a very good reason.

    The simple reality is that the more moving parts you put on something, the more parts there are to break. It’s why phones became boring rectangles, hand-held gaming devices became slightly less boring rectangles, and why physical buttons were phased out of mp3 players, phones, etc…

    Physical things cause complexity. Complexity increases warranty claims.

  • PastaRhythm@lemmy.world
    1·
    6 months ago

    Low profile circle pads for joysticks aren’t bad at all IMO. Some people dislike them. Depends on the person.

    I don’t think I would want a Steam Deck in this form factor. The current Deck honestly feels like the perfect size for me. Not too big to be unruly, not too small to be uncomfortable. I totally understand the appeal of a pocketable device, but I’ve come to realize that I really just don’t have a need for a device that portable and would rather have something bigger. A device this small wouldn’t have the same number of inputs and would greatly compromise on comfort. That’s mostly a me thing, though. Plenty of people want smaller handhelds, so a smaller handheld PC could probably find an audience.

    I would love an Android smartphone that’s like this. Not a gaming-centric device like a Retroid Pocket, but something that could be my daily driver smartphone while also offering physical controls for a quality gaming experience. Basically the Xperia Play, but modern. It would be far less cumbersome than carrying around a gaming device in addition to my phone, making it much more practical for me.

  • Björn Tantau@swg-empire.de
    0·
    6 months ago

    I think the main factors for the size of the Steam Deck and other similar handheld PCs are the size of the APU and heat dissipation. You’d get some serious performance degradation if you went much smaller. Even the Nintendo Switch is a similar size.

    • Darorad@lemmy.world
      1·
      6 months ago

      The switch is quite a bit thinner, but it’s running decade old arm silicon, so less heat to get rid of.

      And you’d lose that slimness if you had to put the controls on another layer behind all the components.