I mean it’s not the PS Portal as a companion device. Sure Nintendo consoles can be ‘secondary’ consoles while for others their primary or only consoles they need then other platforms. All fair.
But I mean a label or not it does have some value in marketing or goals the devices set out to do, it’s intended to play games, it’s not a plug and plug, it’s not a toy it’s a game console, a portable one, a handheld, hybrid sure but is a Zodiac for a PDA/game console? That’s a hybrid. It’s not a console/gaming handheld only hybrid but a hybrid.
Same with Ngage/Xperia Play for gaming phones. All device these days in some form are hybrids of goals and hardware use cases. Phones have cameras why not a dedicated camera.
What’s the difference then goals/marketing and intended purpose. Not to write documents in MS Word on a Switch that’s for sure. It’s not a production device so what is it?
Is a PS2 a CD/DVD player for music/movies/PC with Linux kit or Yasbasic or games console because it has multiple purposes? Even if Nintendo isn’t Sony/Microsoft console competing directly. While the 3DS/Vita were.
I can play games with a TV remote peripheral if I want doesn’t make it a Blu-ray player.
Were the Tapwave Zodiac and Gizmondo competing with the DS/PSP or were they other PDAs then? They had features for them, Tapwave were Palm staff so……. but the goals/marketing made it clear it’s a handheld gaming console against the GBA with games and additional apps like a PDA. The PSP was the walkman of the 21st century so is it a media player with games even if gaming layout? Was the CD-i a computer/entertainment system then a gaming console it had encloypedias and other more app software but could play games of many types.
The Switch isn’t a Plug and Play to the tv with built in games. So as something with a physical/digital storefront, it has many accessories, it isn’t built for using a web browser to use Google Docs/Word Online is it? Game controllers that detach (even if the Lenovo PC handheld can do that now) as a unique feature for the time, has media apps, an account system and more I think that’s a modern console in definition isn’t it?
Is Windows a gaming OS or a multi-purpose OS?
Is Nintendo a competitor not in the same way as Sony directly as Nintendo does their own thing but if PCs aren’t the same competition as consoles and different audience, phones the same was then what are gaming handhelds anymore?
The labels can be whatever doesn’t change what other people will see and remember them as for a title/continue to. Regardless of if it doesn’t play MP3s people will still say an MP3 player, Google as the most popular search engine to ‘Google’ something.
Or Pocket PCs and PDAs existed with Windows on them. Or handheld PCs exist. GPD and other companies did their devices in odd form factors after the downfall of Pocket PCs (while tablet climbed in relevance) before the Aya Neo, Steam Deck and more popularised them as like with anything a big company name will push the idea.
Or handheld consoles like the Nomad/PSP had cables or docks to the TV? The PSP/Gizmondo and Tapwave Zodiac were all media gaming consoles and the latter two had PDA features in them. Like the Ngage as a gaming phone, the Xperia Play also, the Gamecom also had some non-gaming apps on it. Is the Gameboy a computer with a Workboy peripheral/software?
If 100 million people were asking for compelling games, a gimmick to make it stand out then a box under your entertainment center (then remote play with wifi capable devices) then I think the Switch is a console/handheld console with a goal of ‘gaming’ not web browsing or using Microsoft Office on it last I checked even if I could totally use Word Online or Google Docs on my Wii U/3DS web browser if I wanted to.