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Switch 2 vs Steam Deck: A closer battle than I expected

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Is it time to make a switch? That might depend on where your game library lives.

The Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck next to each other
(Image credit: Future)
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Pitting the Steam Deck against the Nintendo Switch 2 feels like a very different competition than pitting the Deck against the Switch 2's predecessor. Now, Nintendo's choice is the more expensive, more recent option, and it oddly feels like a bit of an underdog.

The Nintendo Switch was a small revelation when it first dropped onto the market in 2017. Combining the best parts of the (let's be real) highly flawed Wii U, and mixing it with the mass appeal of the Nintendo DS, it was one of the first times you could have a decent console-level experience on the go. That even made sense for PC gamers at the time, who had few good ways to play games out and about.

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(Image credit: Future)

The Steam Deck has dipped down to as low as $300 but has regularly sold for $350. Unfortunately we haven't seen a sale on the device since December last year, but we anticipate it won't stay at full price for too long.

If you can hold out, it is likely you will be able to pick up a Steam Deck for $100 below the cost of the Nintendo Switch 2, which, given its newness and Nintendo-ness, likely won't see any substantial sales for some time.

(Image credit: Future)

Notably, and perhaps most importantly, the pricing structure of Steam's games blows Nintendo out of the water.

Sales are plentiful on Steam, and you can get major games like The Witcher 3 with all its DLC for under $10 regularly, where the comparable Switch port of The Witcher 3 has seemingly not crept under Steam's price since its launch.

It is worth noting, however, that your mileage likely depends on how big a backlog you already have is. If you are a legacy Nintendo Switch owner who hasn't touched a PC, being able to run your old games at a high frame rate is certainly a good prospect. The same is true if you have a more traditional gaming PC.

Nintendo Switch 2 vs Steam Deck: Verdict

This may sound like a cop-out, but the Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck are very different devices for very different kinds of people. You can't (legally) play Nintendo Switch 2 games on any other device, and, for setting up the next generation of Nintendo games, the Nintendo Switch 2 balances power with feel and ease of use to provide a genuinely enjoyable gaming experience.

Thanks to DLSS and Switch 2-specific fine-tuning, I could see future games running better on it than the Steam Deck. This is assuming that those games are coming to Nintendo Switch 2, which isn't always a guarantee.

However, being able to attempt to run something on Steam Deck just requires it launching on Steam, which is the bare minimum for the majority of game developers right now. You can't always guarantee a smooth experience, but you can fiddle with settings to your heart's content—something that the Nintendo Switch 2 does not encourage.

The Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck next to each other

(Image credit: Future)

As far as performance is concerned, the Nintendo Switch 2 offered a prettier and slightly more stable experience in Cyberpunk 2077, though some of this can be attributed to the fact that the Switch 2 port will have been specifically designed for the console. Regardless of whatever DLSS magic is going on under the hood, this is the version of the game I'd play right now, and it makes for a hopeful entry into whatever Nintendo has down the pipeline.

When we previously compared the Nintendo Switch to the Steam Deck, the Steam Deck pulled through in its library and performance, where the Switch put up a fight in price point and Nintendo exclusives. Now, the script has flipped somewhat with the Switch 2 being more impressive and more expensive, but it's once again hard to ignore just how great the Steam library is, especially given how cheap the Steam Deck is now.

If you find yourself particularly swayed by the idea of a new Animal Crossing or Legend of Zelda game, the Nintendo Switch 2 certainly isn't a disappointing console, and it's likely to run specifically optimised games better, but the value of the Steam Deck is still just as strong as ever. You can fill an entire backlog from the next major Steam sale alone, and it's hard to turn that down. The Steam Deck offers more bang for your buck, and the Switch 2 offers something no other gaming handheld can right now: the Nintendo feel, look, and software.

My money would go to Valve here (or perhaps a pricier and beefier gaming handheld PC), but the allure of the Nintendo Switch 2 is certainly there, and this matchup was closer than I thought it would be.

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