Switch 2 Switch 2 Vs The Steam Deck

[cm2]

According to DigitalFoundry :

Broadly speaking, the Switch 2 is leagues ahead of the Steam Deck when docked, with much better image quality thanks to DLSS, and a much more consistent frame rate in quality mode. In performance mode, during which the Switch 2 targets 40fps, there's a lot more inconsistency, but it still manages to outclass the Steam Deck for the most part.

Handheld mode is a different story. Performance mode isn't available for the Switch 2 in handheld, so we're looking at a target of 30fps, but interestingly, Nintendo's new console showcases slightly more instability than the Steam Deck during both the Kabuki run and The Beast In Me (albeit at a higher resolution). That said, the Switch 2 is much, much more efficient, drawing around 8.9w compared to the Steam Deck's 24.5w. Essentially, the Switch 2 is able to almost match the Steam Deck's performance using just 36% of the latter's power.

In fact, when lowering the power draw in the Steam Deck to match that of the Switch 2, the Steam Deck effectively runs in slow motion, with frame rate dropping to around 9-13fps. Of course, this won't mean a whole lot in real world use cases, but it's interesting to see the stark difference between the two.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that when replicating the Switch 2's performance on PC, a lot of the settings, including crowd density, contact shadows, volumetric cloud, and more are actually quite similar to that of the PS5 in performance mode. Not bad at all for Nintendo's new hardware!

 

[Demon_Skeith]

Nice, but Steam Deck is winner by the fact it has more software.

 

[froggyboy604]

I think the Steam Deck is the more attractive choice for many gamers because the Steam Deck has more games to play on it.

 

[Uncrowned Guard]

I think the real deciding factor here isn’t raw hardware power but the game library. The Switch 2 looks fantastic and its first-party Mario/Zelda lineup is unbeatable, but all my titles live on Steam—so I’m sticking with the Steam Deck for now. That said, we’ll probably snag a Switch 2 down the road so the kid can play Mario games that the Deck simply doesn't have good alternatives to. Not to mention, the Steam Deck is not super kid-friendly.

 

[TheRavenfreak]

I think if I wanted to get a handheld I would go with the Steam Deck over the Switch 2, but since I'm more interested in playing games on a tv/monitor I'm sticking with getting the Switch 2. I already have plenty of ways to play old games via emulation and on real hardware, so I don't really need that extra library of games you'd get with a Steam Deck.

can play Mario games that the Deck simply doesn't have good alternatives to.

Sonic exists and is better than Mario IMO so they can play the better games on Steam.

 

[Uncrowned Guard]

I think if I wanted to get a handheld I would go with the Steam Deck over the Switch 2, but since I'm more interested in playing games on a tv/monitor I'm sticking with getting the Switch 2. I already have plenty of ways to play old games via emulation and on real hardware, so I don't really need that extra library of games you'd get with a Steam Deck.

Sonic exists and is better than Mario IMO so they can play the better games on Steam.

I have been tracking these games. The problem is that I really try to push the kid towards games with puzzles and such to try and keep them away from the mindless loop of gaming. Idk how well that goes or if it is even worth it, but I never found the core Sonic games able to stand with the likes of Mario World and such. It does look like Sonic Racing is getting a lot better, and Superstars seems promising, but to be fair, I haven't looked into it much. The bigger issue is really the access to the complex settings, as the kid hasn't fully gotten past clicking on random things at times.