Tell me if you’ve heard this before. A game is announced, let’s say an indie game. It’s PC exclusive and looks promising. Then out of nowhere the eternal question: When is it coming out on Switch?
Sure, some people might buy this cool game twice. But it’s also common for people to forego purchasing a particular game until it lands on the whimsical Nintendo hardware. I definitely did and can think of a handful of cases where I chose to wait for the Nintendo version instead of spending double the money.
In late July, Valve threw a wrench into this ongoing dilemma. The Steam Deck, Valve’s version of a portable gaming device, doesn’t just let you play games on the go. You could, according to the specifications published by Valve, actually run demanding PC games that the switch just wouldn’t be able to. You would likely drain your Steam Deck’s battery pretty quickly, and you may need to play at a lower frame rate. But it will still be feasible.
It’s easy to check this out and get started, shit, that’s the biggest advantage of Nintendo – a system that lets you play your favorite indie games anytime, anywhere. But that attitude ignores the audience playing in this hardware battle, if not the wider video game landscape.
The switch deck, according to Valve’s own admission, is expensive. The starting model costs $ 400, more if you want faster, bigger internal storage. Given the balloon size of the major video games these days, especially on the pc, some may want the largest possible capacity. But would the average person really spend more than $ 650 on the best version of the Steam Deck? I doubt it. You can’t even play Deer crossing on the thing*, and that’s half the reason most people get the Switch in the first place.
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The fact is, the Steam Deck and the Nintendo Switch are targeting completely different consumers. The Steam Deck seems to be geared more towards “hardcore” gamers who have already purchased a game library on Valve’s platform. It seems unlikely that someone would buy the deck on their own without an existing Steam account. In other words, it’s an add-on device – and a luxury device given the price. The Steam Deck seems to be less for the “I’m waiting for the Switch version” crowd, but more for early adopters with cash who are already committed to Valve’s platform.
The Switch, meanwhile, is often used either as a primary console or as a complementary device to other video game consoles. Unlike its competitors, the first-party games developed by Nintendo remain exclusive to the Japanese company; There is no other way to play certain iconic Nintendo franchises. And given the popularity of the Switch, much of the world already has a portable play device. Most of these people are unlikely to be spending a good portion of their paychecks on some other device that does more or less the same thing as what they already have.
For these folks, the Honkin size, added weight, and lack of color options might make the deck less attractive compared to the cheery and lighter Switch and Switch Lite. And since the Switch Lite is only half what a deck costs for $ 200, what do you think the average person could do?
But even with so-called hardcore gamers, the chances of success of the Steam Deck are a game of chance. These days, thanks to the advent of cloud streaming, you can play modern video games on pretty much any device. For example, you could play Fate 2 on your iPhone or tablet via Xbox Cloud Gaming, or pair it using Remote Play. You may not even need a workaround for big games like Genshin impactthat are already playable on mobile devices. While some of the technologies aren’t quite there yet, we already live in a world with an abundance of portable gaming options at cheaper prices. The Steam Deck is facing an uphill battle, and given the nondescript lifespan of Valve hardware like the Steam Link and Steam Machines, its track record doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
The comparisons between the two are short-sighted. If anything, the two devices do not exist in the same orbit. To learn anything about the Steam Deck at all, you have to be connected to the video game world or at least have an interest in technology. Chances are you both appreciate and understand the leap in performance the deck offers, or have an interest in niche PC games that will never see a console port. Valve’s introductory video for the deck states that the device was designed for extended gameplay sessions, which sounds a lot like, “You usually play this at home, where you can charge it.”
The Switch doesn’t have these barriers. You don’t need any specialist knowledge or interests, nor do you need nearly as much money to get started. You don’t need to spend any special time either, as many games are designed for small downtime or for commuting to work. With next-gen consoles hard to find, the Switch is now the most ubiquitous video game device outside of perhaps phones. Can expensive PC gaming hardware really compete with it?
For some, the Steam Deck will reduce the need to wait months for a Switch release without forcing them to pay twice for the same thing. People who are hungry for an upgrade and tired of playing compromised games on the Switch can skip the somewhat disappointing OLED model and grab a deck instead. Undoubtedly, some confused grandparents could both bypass and entirely accidentally buy Elgato’s Stream Deck for a poor, unsuspecting child.
But which is the more likely scenario? The person who buys the Steam Deck is likely not the same person who will buy a Nintendo Switch.
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