Nintendo’s Switch is one of the best selling gaming consoles of all times, and the best selling gaming handheld as well. But despite its popularity, a lot of the newer handhelds are more capable in terms of hardware and performance. So let’s see if the Nintendo Switch 2 can rival next-gen rivals, namely the Steam Deck.
1. Nintendo Switch 2 vs Steam Deck: Design & Display
Nintendo innovated the gaming handheld formula with its removable Joy-Con controllers. So even the original Switch had a lot more versatility than the Steam Deck. Meaning, the successor, Switch 2, will likely offer a similar design. However, rumors have also hinted at the Switch 2 offering a new analog stick design. The shoulder buttons might be getting a new scroll functionality on its shoulder pad. The Steam Deck supports a dock like the Switch but lacks any detachable functionality.
On the display front, the Steam Deck sports a 7-inch LCD panel, while the Steam Deck OLED offers a 7.4-inch HDR OLED screen with a 1280 x 800 resolution and 1,000 nits of peak brightness. It also offers up to 90Hz refresh rate. Similar to the Steam Deck, the Switch also has an LCD and OLED variants. But the Nintendo Switch 2 is rumored to sport a taller 8-inch panel. Nintendo might release it with an LCD screen, while OLED options could drop later on like its predecessor. The screen may also receive 1080p resolution bump.
2. Switch 2 may be as powerful as the PS4
The Switch series of consoles were launched with an Nvidia Tegra X1 chipset. This chip is quite underpowered compared to the other handheld consoles in the market. The Steam Deck is powered by a custom AMD APU, which is based on a 6nm process. This is paired with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB of NVMe SSD storage. So in terms of performance, Nintendo’s original Switch can’t compare to the Steam Deck.
But leaks have hinted at the Switch 2 getting a major upgrade in terms of gaming performance. A new chipset may pack the portable gaming console along with 12GB of RAM and upgraded storage. One of the earliest performance leaks regarding the Switch 2 hinted that the console might be as powerful as the PS4 and Xbox One. If this is true, the Nintendo Switch 2 could be one of the best handheld consoles in terms of performance as well. It is worth noting that this is still an unconfirmed report.
3. Nintendo’s Impressive Games Library
Clearly hardware wasn’t what made the Switch so popular but also the impressive lineup of titles gamers get access to thanks to the console. From Mario to the Legend of Zelda, there isn’t a shortage of legendary games franchises that Nintendo offers. In comparison, Steam Deck isn’t an exclusive platform like the Switch. Rather you get various games that are optimized on Steam for the Valve’s console. So the Nintendo Switch 2 would get you access to next gen titles from these iconic series.
