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> A lot of consoles are sold at a loss

I don't believe that's the case anymore. Newer console generations have moved on from exotic ISAs and the like towards using a lot of off-the-shelf parts for smartphones or PCs. The Switch, for instance, has been sold at a profit from day one [1].

[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20170131084504/https://www.bloom...

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The Switch also has very little power compared to gaming consoles. It's the same price as an Xbox One S, but with far less processing power.

Not to split hairs but it's the same retail price as an Xbox _series_ S, which is a generation newer. Due to supply issues you are mostly correct, in practical terms.

It's portable though. A mobile phone has far less processing power than a workstation or laptop (and some are nearly as expensive) but it's also a fraction of the size / weight / power consumption / heat output.

I don't believe it's ever been the case. On some days (especially early on) the console may sell at a loss, but over the lifetime of the console, the hardware is almost certainly net profitable.

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