"Welp... I don't need my Nintendo Switch anymore" - PC Gamer

https://www.pcgamer.com/welp-i-dont-need-my-nintendo-switch-anymore/

I love my switch... It truly made me appreciate the power of taking my games with me. I'm on the train with portability being far more important than performance and I'm glad there are devices that don't simply cater to those who obsess over frames per second and teraflops.

... But every word in this article is true....

Nintendo will always have its first-party games to lean on, but that's literally all it has anymore, not just in the console market but in the handheld market, which has been Nintendo's turf for decades. The Steam Deck even mirrors Nintendo's usual hardware gimmickry, slotting into a dock for play on TVs or monitors.

Your Steam purchases will always be there too, playable from here into the end of modern civilization on whatever can run SteamOS. Just think about it: the Deck can run every Steam game. Do some rough math and add up the cost of every game in your Steam library. That's how much you don't have to spend on the Switch to take those games with you. I'll have over 1500 games to play in bed or at the park or at a bar, day drinking while noodling around with the latest Baldur's Gate 3 update, from day one.

It makes the thought of buying Skyward Sword a second time, a 10-year-old game and one of the lesser 3D Zeldas, at $60, truly sting. It's straight up mean, especially when you think about all the classic games Nintendo is sitting on that you can't play on the Switch today.

If you think there isn't a massive swath of folks who have been waiting for this SINCE switch got released you're nuts!

I'll be the Rikusaki of Steam Deck if the world needs it :P but more seriously, Nintendos lack of consistent, priced right business tactics are about to be exposed in a huge way. No. Steam deck isn't going to sell 100million, but it's a sweet spot for a huge demographic or people who are benefitting from what the switch established and want more.

Nintendo is a stronger and more celebrated brand than Valve ever will be. While I'm sure some PC gamers will view this as a big win for portability, it won't be a Switch-killer as some seem to eager wager, considering a portable PC device is about as niche as PC gamers themselves.

I’m pretty excited about being able to play Unreal Tournament in bed. My only concern is the hardware being able to keep up for this current generation. Folks are concerned about the Xbox Series S keeping up, and that thing smokes the Steam Deck. We’ll see I guess.

I put in a reserve on the Steam Deck, but I'm pretty tentative on it right now. If it can only do low to medium settings at 30-60 fps on 720p, that's pretty sad. Also don't forget that battery life will probably be mediocre (I'm guessing 2-3 hours). Hopefully it's better than that. For the amount of money involved, it should be.

As for the Switch comparison, I think Switch will destroy the Deck lol. It's cheaper, has a strong library and decent third party support. But when a game like Animal Crossing sells 30 million copies, you're just not going to beat the Switch right now lol. The next Pokemon will probably sell a ton too.

I am also very keen on it. I have been looking to pick up similar devices like the GPD win but they just didnt really tick all the boxes i was looking for (relying on intel integrated graphics being a sore point in particular).

At one point i had even pledged for the SmachZ (initially called the steam boy funnily enough). I backed out before the campaign ended because it looked like the people making it had absolutely no idea what they were doing. but the concept was great.

And the Deck is basically a realised SmachZ pro. it just offers another way to be able to play PC games and the number of games the PC has suitable for on the go play is immense.

Hopefully they have the anti cheat sorted on the proton side for people who want to play the likes of fortnite (though you can always installed windows on the deck too).

When you have IP's on the Switch that have historically underperformed with sales, to now become top-sellers on the system - says what kind of lightning Nintendo has currently caught.

I wouldn't count on it being the device I want connected to my 4ktv docked, but handheld 720p display? Surely it should be able to put out decent performance in handheld mode.

Battery life is "between 2 and 8 hours" lol... Sooo I'm thinking that's between heavy hitting games and browsing the web? It's a pretty broad range.

Better library though? The day I get the switch deck I'll have 300 games ready to play with no additional purchases... Impossible to have a better library than every game on steam. Impossible!

The Steam Deck will be a monumental flop. There’s a reason Nintendo exclusives sell 10M+ on the Switch while PC has nothing of the sort.

That is a bit premature. The Steam Deck is a much larger system and it doesn’t play Nintendo games. I agree that Nintendo is in potential jeopardy with handhelds because the market is changing and the way people game is also going to be changing. However, I don’t see Nintendo gamers dumping the Switch for a larger device that doesn’t play Nintendo games. I also don’t see this system being remotely as successful as the Switch despite my disdain for the device. At the moment, the Steam deck is just another PC gamer envy of console gaming. The reaction is way too reminiscent of the Steambox. I find it funny to read all the folks who were hating on consoles and the Switch specs, resolution, frame rate, AMD etc now doing a 180.😂

Consumers are not smart ... anybody that isn't a super duper casual should be aware that Nintendo has been getting away with highway robbery for a long time now.

I doubt the Steam Deck will make any impact on the Switch ... but I'm glad it's coming and hope it does well.

What's the reason? I mean, breath of the wild was spectacular, but that's the only game I can think of that felt special this gen. Everything else was either an update of established franchises like kart and smash, or stuff like animal crossing and Pokémon. I'm not understanding your point?

Portal 2 alone is a better game than everything I've played on switch not named Zelda.

I don't see Nintendo fans "dumping" switch... Not for steam deck, I just think there is a bigger demographic of folks out there because of Switch who are interested In bringing the portable experience to a bigger library of experiences.

My 16 year old begged me to pre-order the deck. "dad, we can play elden ring anywhere...!" it's just what we've been waiting for. Steambox is different. They were emulating the console experience with a steam library. The problem, too many skus and it muddled the benefits of pc gaming with console gaming. There was no reason to choose Steambox over a ps4 or building a pc rig. It was niche... This device actually provides something not currently on the market in any meaningful way outside of Switch and nintendos business bottlenecks.

Waiting for a certain user meltdown.

@wonderwinner: are you baiting users or making comments on the thread? Important distinction to be made.

The most accessible portable gaming device are smartphones. It generates the most income despite the hate on almost all gaming media and forums. That is the largest gaming group and the most casual. Streaming, even in its current form is still a viable and cheap option, even for the Switch. Games are specifically designed for the Switch which means the games are aiming for low spec. Also, Switch games can take up 0 space on the device because of the physical nature of their games. This device is for a very specific type of gamer and those gamers are a very small section of the market. It is also on the expensive side and the space available on the lowest option is pretty limiting for general PC gaming on the go.

With that said, whether the device succeeds or fail, it is going to inspire more devices like it.

Nintendo may get their boats rocked time and time again, but they generally steer the ship pretty well and Nintendo has shown that they can and do get out of their own ruts.

The thing about mobile gaming and an actual gaming handheld, is I still see there an overall distinguishing difference between the two, as seen by the general public. We hear these mobile and gaming handhelds skewing together arguments mostly for the sake of arguments as narrated on gaming forums by biased gamers who carry greater ulterior-motive to throw shade at their less flattered preferences, more than they care about the points they make at all (Not directed towards you).

I do think what you are saying is imminent but it may still be a decade more before gaming handhelds become more obsolete. I think Nintendo right now is doing the right thing by exploring the "hybrid" concept. I think hybrid consoles should truly be Nintendo's future (alongside releasing their IP's on other platforms), because that will allow them to splinter away from the handheld market into something newer to them that they can flourish at.

@Pedro: *Looks at switch... Only played in handheld... Only downloads for all my games....

Hey, man you just called me small! :P

Our demographic is growing dammit!

And it begins. Exactly what i was telling WoolBrainCaseyTheSecond a few days ago. When this is released, the amount of negativity toward the Switch will be what will kill its hype as THE best secondary system. Y'all just wait for the dozens of DF comparisons that will be talked about on all the social media. Bad word of mouth is what will kill the Switch.

I mean, I really don't want to buy another traditional console again. They're largely redundant with my PC but closed platforms. The Switch, however, ADDED to the way I play games despite being a closed platform as well. I see that and the Steam deck being my gaming future in many ways, alongside my desktop.

I don't really look at the two as being in competition, though (of course they are on some level - but not with me). Rather, it's like when you have a couple of consoles under your TV - and there's plenty of functional overlap, but you have both of them for different reasons, and one is likely more powerful than the other, etc. Welp - here it is again, same old story but in hybrid form. I'll buy Sony's hybrid when they get around to it too, if it offers intriguing hardware and/or exclusives. But I'm not about to throw the Switch out - just another day with the Switch and PC - but now I have a more mobile PC as well as my desktop one.

So if we ignore everything, the Switch has nothing special? Great reasoning there.

Look at the list of Switch best-sellers. Where are these kinds of games on PC? These are what drive the sales of the Switch. The Steam Deck will play AAA games on a tiny screen or play them like shit on a big screen. Either way, those games are readily available pretty much everywhere unlike with the Switch.

When it inevitably flops, people will wonder why when the answer is so simple.

I'm just impressed by how much faith shade-flinging tryhards are putting into a company that has had monumental flops in the hardware department and a company that can't even count to 3, to put even a dent in a company with a proven formula to their own success that's largely unbothered by the true competition in the industry.

PC gamers (and shade-flingers) are big dreamers, sure.

@jaydan: why be salty towards the folks who are excited for a more robust switch? I'm appreciative that Nintendo was bold enough to make a switch. This device is a continuation of that vision... Its absurd to think the steam deck will "outsell" the switch. It's also equally absurd to think there is no place in the current market for a device that plays thousands of other games in a switch style approach.

"With the Steam Deck there's no need to pay for online functionality, not that Nintendo's online services are useful to begin with. To chat with friends while playing Switch games, you need to use Nintendo's app on a smartphone. Adding friends requires exchanging what amount to ph0ne numbers."

LOL i forgot this was a thing. I am sorry, but this is just pathetic for 2021 standards. Sheep have their heads so far up Nintendo's ass, that i have not seen a single one complaining about this laughable functionality. What are y'all doing? How do you accept below bottom of the barrel shit like this? Nintendo fans really are something.

I do kinda regret buying a lot of smaller, 2D games on the Switch. They don't run well and it's a shame. There is also no cross-save support. Dead Cells and Hollow Knight come to mind.

That a challenge? 😎

Word of mouth from sources like DF, PC gamer, forums, and internet gaming sites sites is absolutely meaningless to a device that has already penetrated the mass market. You guys are delusional.

We'll see what's up this holiday. Keep burying yourselves like Switch will bury the competition.

You guys are playing yourselves like fiddles to believe in this pipe dream and falling right into blockbuster self ownage. You have a fundamental lack on understanding on how to play systemwars.

I'm a PC gamer at heart, I like my Switch but even I can admit I got it for the exclusive games alone and the portability just makes it easier for me to play'em on the go cause I enjoy taking the bus while heading to work and I get playtime like for only 45 minutes. I'm not really a Nintendo fan even though my daughter is, we're both gamers and we play games on it because...exclusives. As far as Steam Deck goes, I wish this is what Nintendo would release instead of the new Switch with an updated screen aka OLED.

Let's be serious about this, the Steam Deck and Switch are not in direct competition. First-party titles drive the sales of the Switch which should be obvious. Nintendo has zero to be worried about from the Steam Deck. Even if the Steam Deck is successful (which I doubt), it's fundamentally targeting a well different market niche. And bluntly, a Steam Deck won't play Mario, Zelda, or Pokemon, that alone keeps it from truly competing.

@hardwenzen: Lol bad word of mouth will kill the Switch after 90M units sold? Sure thing.

Pretty much. All this is Valve's recent attempt to consolize PC gaming, which they tried before (Steambox), so contrary to what every anti-Nintendo fan posts (Techhog, hardwen, miller, etc), this is not true competition for Nintendo (that died when Sony bailed on handheld gaming... after strike two).

Really, Steam's handheld has the same appeal as those third party portable retro systems:

"kill" as in slow them the F down. And might even force Nintendo to change their plans for the Switch 2.

@Juub1990: what is "ignore everything?" what does that mean?

Keep telling yourself that, you only have a few months.

Yes yes.... We all know plenty of people will end up with 3 or 4 Switches. That doesn't mean it's a great way to play games tho.

They don't call 'em sheep for nothing.

@TheEroica: I suppose posting in SW at all makes one salty.

All I'm suggesting is to temper your own expectations if you expect this to be the Switch replacement, with reasons to back up my weariness.

My sentiment about "shade-flinging" is also a true statement. However salty you may find, a true statement nonetheless.

@casey-wegner: I don't think "killing the switch" was ever on the table in my eyes. I've been a happy Switch owner for years. I do see myself playing it a lot less because the games on my steam account will gather far more personal interest than most Nintendo exclusives will. Smash, Mario kart etc don't hold my interest, but I put in 100 hours into skyrim, the Witcher 3 and dark souls each on switch.

To the authors sentiment on the issue, I couldn't agree more... Its the style of gaming I covet most... Its a "who's giving me more reasons to pick this device up?" steam deck will in effect dismantle the switch based on my preferences...

I'll also be first in line to buy botw2... But I'm not choosing Mario kart over say, dark souls 3...and those will he my options for on the go gaming. It's pure win for people like me.

There is a a niche who this will appeal to. No doubt. As long as people realise it's a comparably tiny niche to a mass market device like the Switch, temper their expectations and enjoy it for what it is, who's to say they can't enjoy it for what it is? Not I.

Those are shade-flingers for you. They care more about shade than constructing a compelling argument for just about anything, as long as it gives leverage to their trolling habits.

In cases like these, let's just ignore that Valve has failed attempts at doing consoles under their belt, let's just ignore that they mostly ignore their own fans when it comes to servicing their popular IP's. Let's ignore that most Valve fans carry nostalgia for the company more than anything when their favorite games from the company came out decades ago.

I mean, good luck to Steam Deck, but this thing has a steep and slippery slope to climb and some of you are blinded by that shade.

@jaydan: lol... True. We are salt miners here, and that's maybe the point.

My expectations are funny to an extent... I absolutely loved the vita and would argue it was way ahead of the curve with what it offered my gaming lifestyle. Switch took it further and I see this in the same way I would had Sony or Nintendo announced a switch style console. It's exciting because it's exactly how I want to game.

My issues with Nintendo aren't many... But I do think they bottleneck great games from ever seeing the light of day.... Legacy collection? Vita had a million timed better legacy collection, yeeeears ago. I feel like steam deck will fill a major vacuum for me.

@jaydan: You do realize that the Steambox was just a PC, right? And the Steam Deck? Just a portable PC.

Valve's hardware is all about Linux gaming. Every time Valve does something like this it pushes gaming on Linux ahead light years.

I think you are the one blinded by the shade. This is about getting gaming away from the Windows OS requirement, just like the Steambox was. If you've ever used Steam on Linux you would see just how far Valve's efforts have taken us. The real product is Proton and Steam OS.

The only difference this time is that the hardware is actually interesting as well.

You go "only BOTW counts" and proceed to dismiss Mario Kart, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion, Smash etc. When these games are all 10M+ sellers.

So moving from Windows OS requirement to Linux means what to gamers? The one requirement that remains the same, is that you need Steam.

In hindsight, I'm pretty sure most of us here are well-aware of Valve's ambition to console-ize the PC, hence their failed attempts in the console space.

@Pedro: It means they don't need to use Windows. That seems obvious lol.

Choice is good.

And you actually don't need Steam to use Proton to run games on Linux. It is built into Steam on Linux tho.

My point is: Valve seems intent on making Linux gaming better, and it seems like that is the main goal of their computer hardware products.

@Juub1990: I didn't say the other games weren't relevant, they just don't peak my interest. I mean Mario kart is a last gen game, smash is a continuation of generational content too... I don't feel wow factor in those games the way I did for botw. So yeah, in a way I'm saying what else is there? The same way I do for halo and unfarted.

Its such a sticky topic to equate sales as a strict barometer for relevance. The Wiggles and Taylor Swift sold more than some classic Bob Dylan records... Tricky to stuff sales into the relevancy box.

I still stand by the sentiment that for a consumer like me, a game like portal 2, dark souls 3, elden ring, mass effect legendary are games that will render many of the popular Nintendo standouts null.

I begged bioware to release for switch... C'mon bioware! Make switch mass effect! Guess who will have it day one? How can I ignore that?

@jaydan: What do you mean by 'consol-ize' exactly? Control your PC with a controller? Is that not a good option to have for a living room PC?

When I think of consoles I think of companies trying to lock down hardware such that you can't run unsigned code on them. That is clearly not what Valve's goal is.

You can go download Steam OS right now and turn any PC into a 'Steam Machine'.

I forgot that people are still adamant about gaming on Linux. More power to Linux gamers but it seems like Linux gamers are the hipsters of gaming.

It can’t stop Nintendo, but it sure puts the nail in the coffin on those Vita 2 rumors.

@pyro1245: If the Steam Box was not an attempt at consolize-ing the PC experience, then that thing would not have existed in the first place.

TBH, I pretty much only game on a handheld these days and would like to purchase a device like this because I'm actually a part of the niche market who enjoys AAA multiplat games on the go, but there are a couple things holding me back.

1) I don't think the pick up and play aspect is going to be there and that's the main thing I like about Switch aside from the first party support. I'm not really looking for a portable PC, Switch is much more appealing to me as everything is already calibrated for the console from the jump and gaming is near instantaneous.

2) How badly will the games be compromised a couple years from now when the hardware is out of date and developers aren't going to be optimising games for the device, or even bothering to workaround the massively bloated amounts of memory that will be required to run and patch games with such small amounts of memory available. The higher memory models are also very expensive.

3) The ergonomics and battery life look worrisome, but this is not as much of a concern because I won't be able to tell until I have the device in my hands.

Altogether, it looks like a fun hobbyist device, but it doesn't seem like something that will have very much longevity for its asking price. Maybe in the future when mobile tech is further refined I'll get a device like this, but knowing me, I'll probably stick with a Switch 2.

@Pedro: Steam does make it crazy easy to play games on Linux. A lot of my library just works out of the box as normal without any extra tweaking - identical to launching a game on WIndows.

For the ones that aren't officially supported you just enable Steam Play and most of the time it will run no problem with Proton. I was very impressed when I was able to play Sekiro.

(Proton is just a wrapper for WINE, which provides the proper environment that is required by Windows applications to run. You can check ProtonDB for compatibility)

If not for Valve, gaming on Linux would still be in the dark ages. I can see the Steam Deck as another big push for Linux gaming as well. Pretty soon it won't just be the domain of hipsters 😄