I’ll expand on this idea a bit, because I agree. Games are designed with a specific intention in mind, and part of that is 100% form factor. Some games are just made for portable consoles. Some games are just made to be played at a desk with a mouse and keyboard.
This doesn’t mean they can’t be played other ways, it just means the person’s subjective preferences may overlap best with the specific hardware and intentions the gamer has. For example, I’ve beaten Doom 2016 on Switch. It was enjoyable enough, but having played it on PC I just knew I wasn’t capable of achieving the same combos and inputs. Likewise, a game with ranked mode isn’t exactly ideal on Steam Deck, and a big part of that of course is that others have “better” input mechanisms.
When I was growing up I had a PS2 for a couple years (eventually got stolen) and then only had a laptop for a number of years that mostly played flash games. These indie games and a direct translation to indie games available today - typically made for specific styles of input, simple keyboard/mouse inputs. Then with the Wii there was a pretty big overlap between the NintendAA available games and indie games that were using the wiis specific style of inputs.
When I got a PC and started amassing a larger collection of games, I noticed that over the years I was shifting away from the simpler indie games that have consumed such a large portion of my gaming life. The Switch had some, and I’d have a short period from time to time, but I realized it was mostly because the PC at the desk is just not the greatest form factor for a lot of indie games. The portable aspect is a comfort, being able to sit back and relax on the couch, or in bed, versus having to sit in a chair and using a monitor that’s stuck in a mostly not very movable position (I even have a VESA mount). It’s just not quite the same.
I’m sure there are variations on this that can make it untrue, like having a console hooked up to a 75+ inch TV while relaxing on a chair or recliner. But I think for the most part, form factor in gaming is a huge aspect in game design. Like, Starcraft and Mobas aren’t really gonna be played on Switch, save a few exceptions and similarly, the multi-thousand dollar gaming PC isn’t usually the dedicated indie game computer.
I’ll expand on this idea a bit, because I agree. Games are designed with a specific intention in mind, and part of that is 100% form factor. Some games are just made for portable consoles. Some games are just made to be played at a desk with a mouse and keyboard.
This doesn’t mean they can’t be played other ways, it just means the person’s subjective preferences may overlap best with the specific hardware and intentions the gamer has. For example, I’ve beaten Doom 2016 on Switch. It was enjoyable enough, but having played it on PC I just knew I wasn’t capable of achieving the same combos and inputs. Likewise, a game with ranked mode isn’t exactly ideal on Steam Deck, and a big part of that of course is that others have “better” input mechanisms.
When I was growing up I had a PS2 for a couple years (eventually got stolen) and then only had a laptop for a number of years that mostly played flash games. These indie games and a direct translation to indie games available today - typically made for specific styles of input, simple keyboard/mouse inputs. Then with the Wii there was a pretty big overlap between the NintendAA available games and indie games that were using the wiis specific style of inputs.
When I got a PC and started amassing a larger collection of games, I noticed that over the years I was shifting away from the simpler indie games that have consumed such a large portion of my gaming life. The Switch had some, and I’d have a short period from time to time, but I realized it was mostly because the PC at the desk is just not the greatest form factor for a lot of indie games. The portable aspect is a comfort, being able to sit back and relax on the couch, or in bed, versus having to sit in a chair and using a monitor that’s stuck in a mostly not very movable position (I even have a VESA mount). It’s just not quite the same.
I’m sure there are variations on this that can make it untrue, like having a console hooked up to a 75+ inch TV while relaxing on a chair or recliner. But I think for the most part, form factor in gaming is a huge aspect in game design. Like, Starcraft and Mobas aren’t really gonna be played on Switch, save a few exceptions and similarly, the multi-thousand dollar gaming PC isn’t usually the dedicated indie game computer.