Are Pc Handhelds Like Steam Deck Really Competitors For Switch 2?

When Nintendo launched nan Switch successful 2017, it had nary title successful dedicated handheld gaming, a assemblage it had established pinch nan Game Boy successful 1989 and ruled ever since. Sega had travel and gone; Sony, aft 2 wished attempts pinch nan PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita, had conscionable astir fixed up.

As Switch 2 nears motorboat successful 2025, things look a small different — but only a little. The colossal occurrence of nan Switch has awoken nan slumbering giants. Sony and Microsoft are now reportedly preparing dedicated PlayStation and Xbox handhelds. Improbably, though, it was nan PC gaming sphere that made nan first move. Valve led nan measurement pinch nan Steam Deck successful 2022, which swiftly seeded a increasing ecosystem of similar, PC-based handheld devices from manufacturers for illustration Lenovo and Asus. After a quiet decade, non-Nintendo handheld gaming is simply a point again. And that intends nan Switch 2 will not tally unopposed for handheld gaming supremacy.

In a sense, Nintendo is nan unfortunate of its ain strategical foresight. With nan Switch, it was nan first to spot that nan narrowing spread successful processing powerfulness betwixt mobile and at-home devices had enabled a unification of handheld and location gaming experiences. Finally, nan aforesaid games could activity successful some contexts. The Switch proved this constituent emphatically, and now everyone wants a piece.

But pinch dedicated devices from Sony and Microsoft still years away, for now that title must travel from Steam Deck and nan different PC handhelds. My workfellow Chris Plante persuasively based on that these devices correspond Nintendo’s “biggest threat successful nan present.” They trounce nan Switch connected specs and person closed nan spread to modern AAA gaming successful nan location until it’s almost imperceptible. Software-wise, they connection nan compelling worth and staggering scope of conscionable astir everything connected Steam — and overmuch of PC gaming beyond it, if you’re prepared to fiddle astir a bit.

It’s existent that nan Switch 2’s value and specs put it into nonstop title pinch nan lower-end PC handhelds. At $449, it’s $50 much costly than nan guidelines exemplary Steam Deck. The Switch 2 is roughly comparable successful powerfulness and storage, has a overmuch amended screen, and pinch detachable controllers and a TV dock included successful nan price, it’s overmuch much elastic to use. The guidelines exemplary of Asus’ ROG Ally handheld ($499 aliases thereabouts) and nan caller Lenovo Legion Go S ($549) are besides beautiful adjacent competitors successful position of specs.

In earthy hardware terms, these are each very akin devices. It’s worthy noting that nan Switch 2’s exclusive access to Nvidia’s market-leading DLSS upscaling technology should let it to punch a spot supra its weight class. But realistically, there’s not overmuch betwixt them.

But — and it’s a very, very large but — comparing nan Switch 2 to nan PC handhelds by moving your digit down a spec sheet, aliases by noting that they tin each play Civilization 7 and Elden Ring, does not show nan full story. Within an enthusiast bubble, PC handhelds are a large deal, but they do not beryllium successful nan aforesaid beingness arsenic Nintendo consoles. To put it bluntly, PC handhelds are still niche.

The Steam Deck has been a large occurrence for Valve, but let’s put it successful perspective. Valve has not discussed income numbers, but marketplace investigation estimates that it has sold astir 4 cardinal Steam Decks. And Steam Deck dwarfs its competition; nan aforesaid investigation suggests that, successful total, astir 6 cardinal PC handhelds person been sold successful nan 3 years since nan Steam Deck went connected nan market. Worryingly, location aren’t yet signs of beardown maturation successful sales.

Stack that up against nan Switch’s 150 cardinal units sold and nan chaotic quality successful standard becomes evident. Of course, it isn’t a straight analogous comparison. PC handhelds person only existed for 3 years; nan Switch has been astir for 8 years, and Nintendo has been successful nan handhelds business for much than 35 years. All nan same, Nintendo predicts it will waste 11 cardinal units of nan aging Switch successful its existent fiscal twelvemonth — much than 5 times nan predicted income of PC handhelds successful that time. Meanwhile, analysts reckon that nan Switch 2 will, connected its own, outstrip nan size of nan PC handheld market almost immediately, pinch 6 to 8 cardinal units disposable astatine launch, and up to 20 cardinal income successful its first year.

Valve is simply a large subordinate successful nan crippled industry, and a very rich | company. But it is simply a newcomer to nan world of user electronics retail, and it has a batch of catching up to do — if it’s moreover willing successful doing it. Steam Deck isn’t disposable to acquisition successful stores; you can’t locomotion into Walmart and prime 1 up. Valve is not buying ads for it connected TV aliases astatine autobus stops. Companies for illustration Lenovo and Asus person much accepted distribution channels, but they’re mini minnows compared to nan marketing, retail, and distribution mightiness of Nintendo.

There are different factors that make nan PC handhelds niche products. The personification acquisition of Windows-based handhelds for illustration nan ROG Ally and Legion Go is notoriously bad. Valve’s SteamOS is overmuch better, but it is still rather acold removed from nan reliability and simplicity offered by Nintendo and nan different console platforms.

You cannot unbox a caller Steam Deck, move it on, and play a crippled consecutive away. It requires tinkering to get nan champion retired of. Although Valve’s verification strategy for games is simply a adjuvant guide, it’s not guaranteed you’ll get a good, playable acquisition connected each game. The Deck is besides bulky and heavy. You would ne'er bargain 1 for a child, aliases stock 1 wrong a family — it’s intelligibly not designed to beryllium shared. Realistically, it remains a reliable waste for anyone who isn’t a gaming hobbyist.

There is, reportedly, 1 upcoming instrumentality that whitethorn beryllium capable to alteration this communicative a little. Microsoft is said to beryllium moving pinch a PC handheld shaper connected a strategy that will person Xbox branding and a personification interface based connected a caller type of nan Xbox PC app. This has nan imaginable to beryllium a much user-friendly instrumentality that offers easy entree to PC Game Pass connected nan go, which would beryllium rather compelling. But, though Microsoft has now been making Xbox consoles for complete 20 years, it has consistently struggled to usage that acquisition to make PC gaming much seamless, contempt repeated attempts — and nan instrumentality doesn’t sound for illustration overmuch much than a stopgap until Microsoft’s ain dedicated handheld console is ready.

Nintendo will not person existent title successful handhelds until its peers successful nan console abstraction get involved. Microsoft is reportedly eyeing 2027 for nan merchandise of its handheld Xbox. Sony’s portable PS5 is besides said to beryllium years away, if it’s ever released. Things are decidedly heating up for Nintendo, and by nan extremity (or moreover nan middle) of nan Switch 2’s life, nan handheld gaming marketplace is judge to beryllium overmuch busier than it is now. But for nan adjacent fewer years, title for nan caller console will stay distant — astatine best.