Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Steam Deck: Which Handheld Is Better for You?

Despite Valve and Nintendo’s differences, the Switch 2 and the Steam Deck are amazingly comparable portable gaming machines. Like it oregon not, the PC and console juggernauts are present going head-to-head for your money.

The Switch 2 represents a large measurement guardant for Nintendo’s hybrid concept, portion the Steam Deck—though showing its age—is inactive a formidable unit successful the handheld market. So which should you choose?

Both the Deck and the Switch 2 Are Similarly Powerful

It’s hard to accidental without knowing exactly what the specs of the Switch 2 are, but it seems similar the Switch 2 mightiness conscionable pip the Steam Deck successful presumption of hardware (with 1 large asterisk). One happening is for sure, neither of these machines comes anyplace adjacent to the powerfulness seen successful rival machines similar the ROG Ally X which outgo doubly the price.

Nintendo is rumored to beryllium utilizing an NVIDIA Tegra T239 spot with 12GB of RAM. One quote from Civilization enforcement shaper Dennis Shirk noted that the squad is “extremely happy” with the powerfulness connected connection from Nintendo’s caller console. NVIDIA reports a “ten times” powerfulness boost implicit the archetypal Switch, but you mightiness privation to instrumentality that connection with a pinch of salt.

The Switch 2 has been confirmed to person DLSS, NVIDIA’s hardware-based upscaling technology. This volition let the console to render astatine little resolutions to boost show portion outputting a higher-quality image. It whitethorn adjacent incorporated frame-generation techniques. But, arsenic was the lawsuit with NVIDIA’s caller disappointing 50-Series GPU launch, upscaling and earthy show are 2 precise antithetic metrics.

The information that the Switch 2 incorporates this exertion is thing to beryllium celebrated, but the impervious volition beryllium successful the pudding.

By comparison, the Steam Deck uses AMD’s Zen2 architecture. This is the aforesaid exertion that powers the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, though powerfulness constraints mean that the platform has less cores and little timepiece speeds. It’s besides starting to amusement its age, with the archetypal Steam Deck released successful 2022. The hardware hasn’t changed a batch since then, though the Steam Deck OLED’s revision brought with it immoderate subtle improvements.

The Steam Deck is astir connected par with the PlayStation 4 oregon Xbox One generation, arsenic is the Switch 2. While its aging hardware mightiness beryllium pipped by Nintendo, peculiarly considering the inclusion of DLSS, the Steam Deck’s 16GB of RAM puts it somewhat up successful presumption of memory.

All this is to say, expect akin show from both. The main quality to enactment is that the Steam Deck is simply a PC, truthful you tin tweak and twiddle the settings to get things looking oregon moving nevertheless you like. With a Switch 2, idiosyncratic other volition beryllium taking attraction of that for you and you mightiness conscionable person to marque bash with a show oregon prime mode toggle.

Both Have HDR, But Only the Deck Has OLED

The Switch 2 has a higher-resolution, afloat HD show of 1920x1080. It runs astatine 120Hz, is susceptible of HDR output, and adjacent includes enactment for adaptable refresh rates (VRR). The Switch 2 uses LCD technology, which relies connected backlighting alternatively than self-emissive OLED technology. Ultimately, the Switch 2 sheet should still beryllium a large upgrade implicit adjacent the Switch OLED model.

Depending connected what you spend, you tin person a regular LCD Steam Deck (with nary HDR support) and a 60Hz panel, oregon you tin opt for a pricier OLED sheet that runs astatine up to 90Hz and includes HDR support. The second is simply a acold much awesome display, though some are constricted to 1200x800 successful solution (so they won’t look rather arsenic bully arsenic the Switch 2 successful presumption of fidelity).

The Steam Deck Is Better for Bigger Hands

In presumption of ergonomics, the Switch 2 takes astir of its cues from the archetypal Switch. Though the portion itself is larger connected relationship of the bigger 7.9-inch display, the thickness remains unchanged. That means that the caller Joy-Cons are somewhat larger too, which should beryllium thing of an upgrade if you person larger hands.

The Steam Deck, by comparison, makes the archetypal Switch look tiny. It’s a acold thicker handheld, and this is large successful presumption of wherever your hands grip the unit. It feels acold much similar a modular crippled controller, compared to the Switch which feels much similar holding a tablet.

If you had issues with the archetypal Switch, likelihood are that you’ll person akin problems with the follow-up. This tin beryllium somewhat negated by docking the Switch and picking up a comfy Pro Controller, choosing to lone play much casual experiences successful handheld mode.

The Steam Deck Is a PC

Considering the Steam Deck is conscionable a PC successful a handheld shell, it enjoys galore of the benefits that the level brings. The Steam Deck runs SteamOS retired of the box, which means it has entree to the full Steam marketplace. This means it enjoys a fig of benefits that the Switch 2 cannot match.

Steam itself is seen arsenic a reasonably laissez-faire marketplace, with much games than immoderate different integer store and listings that day backmost to the aboriginal 2000s. It besides has the aboriginal entree program, which allows you to prime up games that are inactive successful improvement for inexpensive and play them earlier they’re ready. Steam Workshop enactment besides makes it casual to adhd mods to your games.

You tin find each sorts of weird worldly connected Steam, though Valve volition occasionally measurement successful and region thing that breaks the rules (rare though it is). Perhaps astir awesome is Valve’s refund policy, which allows you to get your wealth backmost (no questions asked) arsenic agelong arsenic you’ve played little than 2 hours of a title.

You tin adhd non-Steam games that you’ve purchased elsewhere to Steam with a spot of effort, oregon install third-party app stores similar the Epic Games Store and GOG. You tin adjacent instal emulators and apps that marque it imaginable to remotely watercourse games from a PS5, Xbox, oregon different PC.

All this is imaginable due to the fact that the Steam Deck runs Linux. You tin walk your full beingness successful Game Mode and ne'er interest astir looking astatine a Linux desktop oregon Terminal, oregon you tin besides participate Desktop mode and usage the Deck similar an existent PC. You could instal OpenOffice, hook up a keyboard and monitor, and usage it arsenic a mobile workstation. Or you could spell 1 measurement further and actually instal Windows.

The Switch is precise overmuch a closed ecosystem, implicit which Nintendo has implicit control. You get 1 store, the Nintendo eShop, with games taxable to Nintendo’s oversight. There’s nary aboriginal entree programme (at least, not yet), and you cannot instal games from elsewhere.

The lone emulators connected the Switch are provided by Nintendo arsenic portion of the Nintendo Switch Online (and Expansion Pack) subscription tiers. These are decent offerings, with enhanced games and features similar time-rewind, but the room is dictated by Nintendo. Perhaps astir excitingly for Switch 2 owners volition beryllium the accomplishment of GameCube games (though you’ll request to wage for the higher tier).

It’s worthy noting that the Switch was famously exploited for homebrew purposes reasonably aboriginal successful its lifecycle, but this is simply a large mode to get your console banned by Nintendo.

Joy-Cons and Hybrid Gameplay

Another large constituent of quality comes from the power schemes. The Nintendo Switch 2 has detachable Joy-Cons, which makes it casual to leap into section co-op sessions. You tin besides dock your Switch 2 and clasp 1 Joy-Con successful each manus for a genuinely laid-back gaming experience.

Nintendo’s controllers see gyro support, truthful games similar Switch Sports marque it imaginable to simulate bowling and different carnal activities. Games similar WarioWare: Move It! are built astir this benignant of gameplay. The Switch 2 Joy-Cons besides see rodent sensors for a caller mode to play.

The Switch has a dock successful the container and an adapter for turning your Joy-Cons into a modular controller. The Steam Deck tin beryllium “docked” via the usage of a hub and galore communal Bluetooth controllers, but you’ll request to bargain these separately. While the docked acquisition is baked into the Switch, it feels much “tacked on” erstwhile it comes to the Steam Deck.

Valve’s is simply a rigid console aimed astatine solo play. It excessively has gyro controls, but these are mostly reserved for fine-tuning your purpose successful shooters. Two touchpads connected either broadside of the Steam Deck supply alternate input methods, which are peculiarly bully for controlling a pointer successful desktop mode oregon RTS games similar Age of Empires 2.

If thing goes incorrect with your Steam Deck analog sticks, triggers, oregon look buttons past you’ll request to unfastened it up and execute country (or nonstop it backmost to Valve for the service). With the Switch, country is ever an option, but the quality of detachable controllers means it’s easier to conscionable bargain different pair.

Last generation, Nintendo started repairing Joy-Cons for escaped connected relationship of the widespread instrumentality drift issue. It’s apt that Nintendo wants to debar akin problems this clip around, though the institution hasn’t mentioned Hall Effect sticks yet (which are mostly immune to drift issues). The Steam Deck doesn’t usage Hall Effect sticks either.

They Cost Roughly the Same

The Switch 2 volition retail for $449 unless you bargain the Mario Kart World bundle for $499 (which saves you $30 connected the terms of the game). You tin prime up an LCD Steam Deck for $399, which has the aforesaid 256GB of interior retention arsenic the Switch 2 (but lacks HDR, a precocious refresh complaint display, and the artillery beingness improvements of the OLED model).

Alternatively, you tin outpouring for the Steam Deck OLED and wage $549, which doubles the retention to 512GB and includes a acold nicer display. When you origin successful the outgo of a retention upgrade, this feels astir connected par with the Switch 2. Valve besides produces a 1TB Steam Deck variant (with an etched solid show to trim glare) for $649.

Speaking of costs, Nintendo has made the bold determination to complaint $80 for Mario Kart World and Switch 2 versions of open-world Zelda titles. While brand-new PC games are inactive falling astir the $60 to $70 mark, Steam is celebrated for its unthinkable sales. Over the beingness of the device, depending connected your tastes, you’ll astir apt walk acold much connected games if you opt for a Switch 2 (but you’ll besides get entree to the latest Nintendo releases).

Which Should You Pick?

Ultimately, the games you play and the acquisition you expect should dictate your decision.

If you privation Nintendo exclusives, the Switch 2 is the lone choice. The Switch 2 is besides the amended prime for section multiplayer, since it comes with a dock successful the container and Joy-Cons that marque section multiplayer a existent selling point. You tin use galore archetypal Switch accessories with the Switch 2, including the Switch Pro Controller and archetypal Joy-Cons. It’s besides backward compatible with archetypal Switch games, some carnal and digital.

Alternatively, if you’re a PC gamer who wants a handheld that acts arsenic an hold of the Steam ecosystem, the Steam Deck makes a batch of sense. If you privation to fiddle with emulators oregon instal games from different platforms, the Steam Deck is what you’re looking for.