Portable gaming has always been a battle between form and function. Ever since the earliest days of gaming on the go, publishers have opted for a device that lasts longer over one that looks good - the Game Boy was a revolutionary piece of tech, sure, but it was basically an ugly gray box.
The Pixel Vision, a new handheld gaming device designed by Love Hultén, isn't necessarily trying to redefine the handheld gaming scene. At its core, the Pixel Vision is basically a more powerful version of Nintendo's own classic portable gaming devices - but when it comes to looks, it's easy to see that the Pixel Vision has the upper hand.
Instead of one of gaming's generic plastic boxes, the Pixel Vision is a hand-crafted, wood-finished piece of gaming beauty. Granted, that hand-crafted look comes at a pretty steep cost, but if you're looking for something that looks quite a bit nicer than another plastic rectangle, it's hard to beat the Pixel Vision.
The tech behind the Pixel Vision is nothing new: the device runs a simple emulator, and players simply load games onto the Pixel Vision using a simple USB drive and some ROMs. Given the legally-confusing nature of emulation, some may want to shy away from downloading classic titles from Nintendo or Sega - but, at the end of the day, it's not really about the tech inside the box.
There's no denying that the Pixel Vision is a gorgeous device. It's small enough to be convenient, yet large enough to show off the wood finish - this is something that you'll want to stare at as much as you'll want to play it. To be honest, there's no telling how durable the Pixel Vision is, and wood isn't always the best choice when it comes to personal devices...but when you see the wood paneling up against the stark white faceplate, the trade-off instantly seems worth it.
Sadly, the Pixel Vision is probably more expensive than most gamers are willing to spend: while there is a $1 donation option on the Kickstarter page, actually grabbing one of the Pixel Vision consoles will cost more than $460 USD. Considering that the major home consoles are less than $400 these days, the Pixel Vision is definitely a collector's item - especially if you're looking at one of the $800+ pearl editions.
It's impossible to deny that the Pixel Vision is anything but beautiful. It's an absolutely gorgeous piece of tech, and feels like a high-end evolution of Nintendo's classic consoles. It's just a shame that more people won't be able to get their hands on it - most gamers probably aren't willing to shell out nearly $500 for something they can get on an officla Nintendo console.
At the very least, it looks like the Pixel Vision is on-track to hits its funding goals: with fifteen days left to go (as of this writing), the console is just over halfway there at roughly $23,000 out of $44,000.
For more information on the Pixel Vision and handcrafted gaming, head on over to the project's official Kickstarter page.
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