The rain hammered against the window of the tiny apartment in Kyoto, drowning out the hum of the city below. Inside, the only light came from the glow of a handheld screen—Sony’s first-generation PlayStation Vita, released in 2011.

Kenji had just bought Demon’s Souls . He wanted to experience the brutal challenge, but he also wanted to lie in bed. He tapped the ‘PS Remote Play’ icon on the Vita’s OLED screen. The little spinning circle appeared.

By the time he defeated the boss, the sun was coming up over Kyoto. The achievement notification popped up on the small screen.