And oddly, it also seems like handheld dipped into near-nothingness even sooner than arcades (perhaps due to things like the Switch and the Steam Deck merging the former field into PCs and consoles, I guess?). How common were arcades when the original version of the Nintendo Switch came out (2017-ish)?
I’d guess that’s correct. Those have incredibly small manufacturing runs for super niche communities, compared to major manufacturers. But also keep in mind these are based on estimates, not omniscient information
And oddly, it also seems like handheld dipped into near-nothingness even sooner than arcades (perhaps due to things like the Switch and the Steam Deck merging the former field into PCs and consoles, I guess?). How common were arcades when the original version of the Nintendo Switch came out (2017-ish)?
Switch and steam deck ARE handhelds for me… so the chart seems poorly defined.
Practically non-existent except in niche settings
So I’m guessing the chart is telling me that non-phone-nor-Switch/Deck handhelds don’t even have a niche scene, by comparison?
I’d guess that’s correct. Those have incredibly small manufacturing runs for super niche communities, compared to major manufacturers. But also keep in mind these are based on estimates, not omniscient information