By Khaleel Walker, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, kjm6184@psu.edu

With the release of the Nintendo Switch and being a year away from the next generation of consoles, it seems like a good time to talk about the sentimentality of home consoles and handheld consoles.

Many of us grew up around home consoles such as the PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo console systems. Nothing can be more relaxing in which after a day of hard work returning home, sitting down on the couch, and playing an engaging game on one’s television.

Speaking of an engaging, home console videogames tend to be better looking as well as having better sounding than their handheld brethren. Therefore, they can be more immersive; the Xbox One X features high-end graphics and spatial audio to provide a grabbing experience for the player. Another beneficial part of home consoles are local couch-cooperative games. These games such as Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., Overcooked, and Halo provided both cooperative and competitive experiences from casual to hardcore players.

However, handheld consoles can be as important to people as much their home counterparts. Let’s use an example of a student who is in between classes and has nothing to do. They could pass the time by pulling out a Nintendo Switch or a PlayStation Vita to help pass the time. With the regular Nintendo Switch, students can play cooperative games with their friends while they wait for their classes to start. It is simply fun to be able to do that.

I went around campus and asked multiple students here at Penn State Brandywine about their own opinions on the subject. Speaking on home consoles, Greg McLauchlan said, “It has basically been the only one I have. I play with my friends and its easier to meet people online.” Jake Iouacchini simply said that home consoles are, “much more powerful than handheld ones.” In contrast, a good amount of students chose handheld consoles as the more sentimental. Student Rahul Gupta stated, “I have it with me everywhere. It helps me in between classes.” Another student, Alex Znamensky also provided input: “I have it all the time. It’s an extension of your hands. It is part of my everyday activity. It’s always been a part of me.” “When you said handheld, I thought PSP (PlayStation Portable)” said student Boubou Magassa. “I have sentimental value with handheld. It was cool because [I could take it] anywhere. And I’m too lazy to set up a home console.” With that all said, many students both care about the value of home and handheld consoles.

It is all about the importance of power verses portability. The home consoles provide many people with power in terms of being a showcase of both graphics and gameplay on the big screens. Meanwhile, other people value the portability of a handheld console which is enough to carry them through a long commute or wait in between class periods. It is ultimately a lifestyle preference and both can provide students an engaging experience when their relaxing from a barrage of college assignments. Pick up a controller and have fun.