The potential audience for PlayStation Portal is huge | Opinion

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Years ago, when discussing the surprise popularity of Nintendo Switch (it was a surprise once), Team17 CEO Debbie Bestwick called it 'a lifestyle device'.

I loved that term, because it epitomised what made the Switch so appealing to such a wide group of players. It is a games machine designed to fit around you, rather than a destination device you had to make time for. For me personally, sitting in front of the TV to play games is a luxury I rarely have these days and so the Swich has been a dream.

Considering how quick Xbox and PlayStation were to capitalise on Nintendo's success with motion controls, I am surprised it's taken this long for them to do the same with Switch. I am even more surprised that it was Valve that made the first move.

What's interesting about the Steam Deck is that it's built to be an extension to the existing Steam ecosystem. Whereas Switch is built to be both the console and handheld, Steam Deck is simply the latter part. But what it offers players is the same thing: the flexibility to play their favourite games whenever and wherever suits. It also offers an alternative for those of us who have found themselves low on time, and is one solution to the 'ageing out' problem that has slowed growth in PC and console gaming.

Xbox is no stranger to the trend either and is an active supporter of both Switch and Steam Deck. In an interview with Eurogamer, Xbox chief Phil Spencer spoke enthusiastically about the potential of console gaming on the go.

"I don't think those are going to be niche devices - those are going to reach scale," he told the website. "They've sold millions of Steam Decks and they get used. We have a lot