The handheld gaming market keeps expanding with new players announcing projects of their own, the latest being a partnership between Logitech G and Tencent Games. The announcement came earlier this week via a tweet from the official Logitech G account:

We're thrilled to announce an official partnership with @TencentGames to bring a cloud gaming handheld to market later this year that will support multiple cloud gaming services.

Be the first to learn more by registering for developments updates: https://t.co/tfAmQMTKCD pic.twitter.com/dNfmuKIz3w

— Logitech G (@LogitechG) August 2, 2022

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The device, which is being called the Logitech G Gaming Handheld on the official news registration page, will focus on cloud gaming and is said to support "multiple cloud gaming services". This means that the manufacturers don't aim to directly compete against devices like the Steam Deck but rather against other niche handhelds for cloud gaming like the Creoqode Lyra+. While more details about the Logitech G Gaming Handheld haven't been made available, the announcement mentions that the device will launch later this year and also provides a registration link for developments updates.

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[Veho]

Let me quote myself from the thread I made about this news days ago.

"My own gripes about game streaming apply here too so I'll just rattle them out per usual: "I can't wait to play all my favorite games on a smaller screen in a janky framerate with a crappier gamepad, while being bound to a WiFi router. And who doesn't love lag?"

But what I want to know is, with every single portable device out there supporting streaming and cloud gaming on top of their intended use, what will this device bring to the table? 5G possibly, as in theory it can offer fast reliable zero-lag internet on the go... once the mobile providers actually offer it. In around 10 years or so.

Or maybe it will cost $100 to be competitive (not impossible, since it doesn't need to have any fancy specs. It's not running anything locally. Just a gamepad and a screen).

Or will it be yet another gaming handheld on the increasingly saturated niche market? "

 

[The Catboy]

They are really going to need to work hard to convince me to buy this over just using my phone to stream my games. Like, why should I buy a separate device over the literally countless mobile controllers or a mount for one of my controllers?

 

[Panzerfaust]

It will fail. Mark my words. Such a stupid idea

 

[smilodon]

But there are already plenty of cheap streaming devices. You can use a Retroid pocket or an Odin to either use softwares like Moonlight, Parsec or standalone streaming services like Nvidia now. I really don't see what this thing would bring to the table.

 

[Localhorst86]

A streaming handheld? Yeah, I'll pass.
I can already stream games on my smartphone, put it into a controller attachment.

 

[Xzi]

They're aiming for a target audience they already control: mobile gamers who will settle for a subpar experience. Why the fuck would anyone pick a "streaming handheld" over Steam Deck or even a Switch? I seriously doubt the price is going to be significantly lower, after all.

 

[krakenx]

Cell signal in the USA is so bad that even with a dual SIM phone (T-Mobile+AT&T), I can barely get enough signal and/or bandwidth on either SIM to check email and play Pokemon Go. Speeds on both 4G and 5G on both networks are just a fraction of what 3G was 10 years ago and keep getting worse as the cell companies keep merging and not increasing tower capacity.

Aside from the fact that a $10 controller mount allows my phone to do everything this device does and more, the infrastructure in the USA simply does not support this kind of cloud gaming.

 

[FAST6191]

I am curious why companies keep throwing their money away on this sort of thing. It is not like there is a game streaming service making all the money, making all the money in [country] or would be making all the money but for a lawsuit or something. Several noted failures from noted players at this point... it surely can't be all "well streaming music and video made all the money so logically with games making more than both those combined"
A peripheral maker and a networking company (Tencent are very good at networking, they are not just an investment firm) stand a better chance than most though.

 

[Marc_LFD]

Another one? Sigh, I'll just use my 3DS and Vita.

Who know the effect the Steam Deck would have.

 

[m00k00]

Tencent involved -> won't buy. Easy as this!

 

[stanleyopar2000]

Yep. No thanks. Fail.

This is stadia but a handheld

 

[Guacaholey]

That's stupid. A handheld should be portable, and a streaming handheld will always need internet access and making a hotspot or using cellphone wireless data on it if it takes SIM cards probably won't work too well. I mean newer things are much faster but stability can still be an issue. I've got unlimited 5G on my phone and even mobile games still have issues. Then you have the issue of some services only giving you limited time playing, and the issue of the libraries of the services. With Tencent Games/Epic's attitude toward Linux I don't even see this thing running Fortnite, unless this runs some crazy custom build of Windows.

Cell signal in the USA is so bad that even with a dual SIM phone (T-Mobile+AT&T), I can barely get enough signal and/or bandwidth on either SIM to check email and play Pokemon Go. Speeds on both 4G and 5G on both networks are just a fraction of what 3G was 10 years ago and keep getting worse as the cell companies keep merging and not increasing tower capacity.

Aside from the fact that a $10 controller mount allows my phone to do everything this device does and more, the infrastructure in the USA simply does not support this kind of cloud gaming.

I don't know what your speeds are like, but I wasn't getting over 100 Mbps on 3G.

 

[Kioku]

Well... That's unfortunate...

With it being a cloud centered handheld it already seemed dumb. Partnering with Tencent cemented my decision to not even glance at it.

 

[HarveyHouston]

This seems to have always been a trend. During the infamous Console Wars in the 90s, various tech companies you'd never suspect would make a gaming console did. Then in the 2000s, they tried again to break into the video game market with handhelds. Then the 2010s came along, and it was Android-based microconsoles. Now, they're doing it yet again with cloud gaming.

I'm just waiting for my WACOM gaming graphics tablet and my Hisense gamer TV to be released soon!

 

[Osha]

Game streaming is bad 90% of the time while wired, what makes them think having it on the go is gonna be any better ?

 

[DeadSkullzJr]

So let me get this straight....A handheld game console is being made strictly for cloud gaming services, at least that's my understanding of this, I'm sure this isn't the first device with such concept(s) in mind either. Let's think about the future for a second, that would mean that when support for this device ends, you would have literally purchased a paperweight system. Yea maybe some modifications to the software may come from the homebrew community respective to the device, but I'm talking from the stock perspective.

This is part of the reason I despise cloud gaming. Digital titles already has a gimmick of being stuck in server limbo once shop services get pulled from life support, forcing your purchased titles into a state of being lost forever, the good news is as long as you have the title installed onto the system even after the services end, you can keep it forever still, but now comes cloud gaming, you don't have any real access or control over the game you are playing, no ownership whatsoever when compared to a regular digital title, and everything about the game is on life support based on the system on the other end running the game, if that system starts to fail, you are shit out of luck, not to mention the reliance on having to have expensive internet solutions just to keep things running smoothly, something not everyone has or can afford really. Why are we going all in on this stuff when it's becoming less sensical, more expensive, and more demanding overall, maybe not from a personal hardware perspective, but in other ways? Why is aspects of my own specie so keen on overcomplicating everything and coming up with horrible concepts like these quite often? The future could be much better than this, so much potential, but alas.

If you haven't figured it out already, I have a haters club card against cloud gaming, too many cons that come with it that I find to be damning. I'm a physical media kind of guy, but the fact I'm willing to even mention regular digital concepts being an alright concept when compared to cloud gaming, kind of says a lot.

 

[RichardTheKing]

A cloud gaming handheld...with CCP tracking likely included.
Hard pass.

 

[DarkCoffe64]

Suppose this is appropriate

 

[krakenx]

I don't know what your speeds are like, but I wasn't getting over 100 Mbps on 3G.

I was getting between 3-6mbit reliably in 2012. Now I'm lucky if I can get 0.3 without it dropping partway through. I live in a poor area and the cell towers are oversaturated with kids that don't have landline internet. But, there are plenty of other areas where it's slow due to just no signal.