Nintendo Switch vs Steam Deck, What's the difference?

FishZ

Member
Nintendo's new strong rival, Steam Deck from Valve is already on sale and shipping. This article will introduce you to the differences between Steam Deck and the new Nintendo Switch.

Steam Deck.jpg


Nintendo has ruled the handheld gaming market for some time now, but the Switch hasn't really had the upgrades it needs since its release, considering how much gaming technology has evolved over the past four years. Since the Switch's release, a number of other handhelds have appeared on the market, but many are anxiously awaiting Valve's own version. It's worth noting that the Steam Deck is still priced very competitively with the Switch, priced at $399.

The first significant difference between the two handhelds is their storage. the Switch currently has 32GB of storage, some of which are reserved for console use. the Switch OLED has 64GB. however, the Steam Deck starts at 64GB and builds on that with the addition of a 256 NVMe SSD and 512 NVMe SSD options. While these upgrades come at an additional cost, when considering the maximum capacity model combined with the speed of the NVMe SSDs, it makes it an attractive option.

Nintendo Switch.jpg


The biggest difference between the Switch and the Steam Deck is their respective processors. the Switch is powered by an Nvidia custom Tegra processor, which has been in use for over four years. the Steam Deck has a quad-core, eight-thread AMD Zen 2 CPU, allowing it to handle games that the Switch can't, in addition to an 8 CUs AMD RDNA 2 GPU. The Steam Deck also has 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, while the standard version of the Switch only has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM.

There are also some significant differences between the screens of the two hosts. switch currently has a handheld mode resolution of 1280x720p, while the Steam Deck has a resolution of 1280x800p. as you can see, the difference in handheld mode is not significant, and both handhelds currently have a 60Hz refresh rate.
 

FishZ

Member
Will the Switch Lite be phased out soon? No, NS Pro and Lite will be good partners

When it comes to portable gaming devices, one of the biggest issues is battery life. the Switch can run for 4.5 to 9 hours (3 to 7 hours for the Switch Lite), all depending on the game. The Steam Deck, on the other hand, comes with a 40Wh battery and can supposedly run for 2 to 8 hours. While it may seem that the Switch's battery performance is better, the Steam Deck will run more technically advanced games, which will naturally drain the battery more quickly. As Valve states, the device should be able to maximize battery life when using the console for less powerful games or web browsing.

steam deck dock.png


The dimensions of the two consoles are similar. If you add Joy-Cons, the Nintendo Switch measures about 4 inches x 9.4 inches x 0.55 inches, while the Steam Deck is 4.6 inches x 11.7 inches x 1.9 inches, the latter being slightly larger and thicker. The Steam Deck is 4.6 inches x 11.7 inches x 1.9 inches, while the latter will be slightly larger and thicker. the Steam Deck is also quite heavy, about 1.47 pounds, while the Switch is 0.88 pounds. the Steam Deck also has a dock, which will be announced later, and players will be able to connect it to their TVs and monitors and use it just like a PC. It even comes with Bluetooth so that players can connect their keyboards, mice and headsets. However, this dock will be sold separately, unlike the Switch which is included in the sale price.
 

OldCooper

Member
The Steam Deck docking station does not perform as well as the portable mode, the opposite of the Nintendo Switch
 
Top