Quick definition:A small portable gaming device with its own screen and controls, designed to be held in the hands and played anywhere without a television.
Meaning
A hand-held is a portable gaming device that includes a screen, controls and a battery in one unit. It needs no television or external power during play, so it can be used on journeys, in waiting rooms or anywhere comfortable.
Early examples were small electronic toys that played one game. Later devices could run interchangeable games, and the screens, processors and batteries improved steadily. Some added features such as touch screens, wireless play between devices and online connections.
Today the line between hand-held and other devices is blurred. Phones are widely used for gaming, and some hybrid machines switch between portable and television play. The word still tends to refer to devices made primarily for games, though a phone can be used in the same way and offers many of the same conveniences.
Origin:Hand-held simply describes a device held in the hand. It was used for portable electronic games from the early days of electronic entertainment and later for dedicated portable consoles. Modern phones and other portable computers can also be used to play games, so the word now covers a wide range of devices. Example:On a long train journey, Rhys takes out his hand-held console and plays a puzzle game. The screen is small, but the buttons fit neatly under his thumbs. When the battery warning appears, he plugs it in and keeps playing until the train reaches his stop, rather than watching the scenery.
Did you know?Hand-held gaming spans simple devices with a single built-in game to modern systems that can run complex titles. Some hybrid devices work both as a hand-held and as a console connected to a television.
