Game enthusiasts are already familiar with the claim that the Nintendo Switch is a perfect portable game console, as it provides dock and move modes, has a large library of indie games, and can play Nintendo-only games. With Valve's recent announcement of the release of Steam Deck, a portable gaming console that supports both mobile and indie games, the final advantage of being a Nintendo-exclusive game is once again put to the test.


Steam Deck vs. Who will win the battle on the Nintendo Switch? We'll go into more detail soon, but first let's take a look at the most important game library volume. And let's see why Steam decks and the Nintendo Switch might not be real competitors.

 

Steam Deck vs. Nintendo Switch: Games

The $399 Steam deck and the $299 Nintendo Switch are two completely different gaming philosophies.

 

Like all recent Nintendo consoles, the Switch is centered around Nintendo's flagship third-party series, including Mario, Zelda, and Animal Crossing. It also relies heavily on indie games suitable for portable form factors. But if you're not interested in Nintendo's in-house exclusives, you won't find the Switch very appealing.


Valve's Steam deck brings a wide range of PC games already on Steam into a new portable form factor. You can't take out your gaming laptop to play Hades while riding the bus, but you can pull out your Steam deck. A surprisingly powerful portable PC, the Steam deck should be able to run the latest games pretty well on even the smallest screens, and Valve has demonstrated Control and Jedi: Fallen Order.

 

Whether Valve's Proton compatibility layer (such as multiplayer games that rely on anti-hacking software) on Steam decks will allow Windows games to run remains an important question. Because the device is basically a Linux PC, and enthusiasts can even install Windows.


Users who enjoy retro emulation games will definitely love Steam decks. Thanks to its internal hardware, with the software installed properly, Steam decks support more retro Nintendo games than the Switch.


At this point, it's clear that the target audience for Steam decks and the Nintendo Switch is quite different. The Nintendo Switch is for the masses and focuses on new purchases of family-friendly games. Steam decks are developed for PC enthusiasts who already have a Steam library or prefer to tweak their devices. What's a better option for someone who already owns a gaming PC? When buying either a Steam deck or a Nintendo Switch, keep your purpose in mind, not the hardware specs you're going to introduce.

 

Steam Deck vs. Nintendo Switch: Hardware

Since the important criterion should be the game, most of the specifications are replaced by the following chart. But let's talk for a moment about some important hardware differences between Steam decks and the Nintendo Switch.


Both handhelds are rectangular devices with all the expected buttons and joysticks, and the touchscreen specs are similar. The 6.2-inch Switch display runs at 1280x720, and the 7-inch Steam deck has a slightly higher resolution at 1280x800. The new Nintendo Switch with a 7-inch OLED display is expected to be released in October (with the same resolution).

 

One important difference is the inclusion of two small touchpads under the Steam deck joystick. After some learning, it's a miniature version of the now-defunct Steam controller large touchpad designed to control mouse-centric games. In addition, the Steam deck has a built-in microphone for voice communication. On the other hand, Nintendo's detachable Joy-Con controller and rear pedestal can be split with friends to easily enjoy screen battles depending on the situation.


The Nintendo Switch is clearly advantageous in terms of ergonomics. The Switch measures 9.5 x 4.0 x 0.6 inches and weighs 430 grams, and the Steam Deck measures 11.7 x 4.6 x 1.9 inches and weighs 670 grams. The Steam deck is a bit thicker and heavier than the Switch, and the Nintendo Switch can be used comfortably for hours, but we need to check later if that is the case with the Steam deck as well. The Steam deck supports full Bluetooth connectivity, but the Switch can't connect Bluetooth headsets or controllers (a decision I can't quite understand).

 

Judging by the strong internal hardware specs, Valve most likely designed the Steam deck as a thick gaming device rather than a light and thin one. A custom AMD APU with 3rd Gen Ryzen CPU cores and cutting-edge Radeon RDNA 2 GPU cores will be able to run a variety of games at 60 frames per second without problems, but you will have to lower your graphics options to some extent, especially in high-end games like Cyberpunk 2077. On the other hand, the Switch's older ARM-based Nvidia Tegra processors only run games at 30Hz in portable mode, and many games can't keep up. Steam decks are likely to provide a smoother gaming experience overall, and AMD APUs will be able to use Radeon's FidelityFX Super Resolution acceleration as more games are supported. The Switch's Tegra chips don't support Nvidia's competing technology, DLSS.


The Nintendo Switch's strength is that both the $299 Switch and the $349 Switch OLED Edition can be easily connected to a TV to enjoy gaming. There's also a $199 Switch Lite that doesn't dock. Valve will also release a dock for Steam decks, but it's likely to be an additional purchase option. On the other hand, since the Steam deck is essentially a Linux PC, you'll be able to connect it to a variety of devices, from TVs to monitors or other PCs, using the USB-C port and wireless options. In addition, since the Steam deck supports Steam Remote Play, the advantage is that you can enjoy more powerful performance by streaming games played on a powerful gaming desktop.

 

The Nintendo Switch has a smaller, slower eMMC flash storage built-in and can be expanded with a slower microSD card slot. The base configuration of the Steam deck also includes a microSD card slot and an eMMC drive (64GB, twice the capacity of the Switch), but for an additional fee, you can purchase a faster PC-like version of the NVMe SSD. The upgrade cost is high. A 256GB NVMe SSD will cost you $529, and the fastest SSD with 512GB will cost you $649. As the capacity of the latest high-end games grows, you should consider purchasing these high-end versions if possible. Personally, I choose the largest possible capacity.

 

final decision criterion

Don't focus on the specs alone. The game is key. If you want a traditional console that lets you enjoy Nintendo-only games in a portable form factor, the Switch is the way to go. Games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are great. However, if you want to use the library of your Steam account that you filled up during the summer sale anywhere, choose the Steam Deck. The Steam deck is available for pre-order now and will ship in December.