Nintendo Switch vs Steam Deck: Which Is Better?
The Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck are worlds apart as far as handheld gaming consoles go. However, since both shares the same portability feature they are often compared to one another.
This similarity is big enough for fans to debate which is better due to the prestige of on-the-go gaming. Whether it’s the display, battery life, design, performance, or general availability of games; there is a lot to compare between the two consoles.
Valve and Nintendo created these consoles for two different groups of gamers. But, if you are serious about portable gaming, you are probably intrigued by both options. So if you are planning to purchase either one of them, you should know the best option for you personally.
In this article, you will know all about the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, and the comparison between them. Which is better you might ask? That is for you to decide.
Battery Life
All three Nintendo Switch models, the original Switch, Switch OLED, and mobile-only Switch Lite have a longer battery life than Valve’s Steam Deck. The Nintendo Switch boasts a respectable five to eight hours of battery life.
However, the Steam Deck managed to last only four hours in our testing. But, other reviewers have had the battery drain in as fast as two hours. High-fidelity games like Cyberpunk 2077 suck up a lot of power. The best way to get longer battery life out of the Steam Deck is to play the similar low-fidelity games that exist for the Nintendo Switch on the Steam Deck.
Display
While the Switch and Switch Lite models have LCD touch screens that get the job done, the Switch OLED has an OLED touch screen. OLED displays richer colors and deeper blacks than the other models. The Switch OLED also has a bigger 7-inch screen, while the regular Switch has a 6.2-inch screen and the Switch Lite has a 5.5-inch screen
While there is a special anti-glare glass cover on the most expensive Steam Deck model’s display, all three configurations have the same 7.0-inch LCD at the core. But compared to the 7.0-inch Switch OLED display, the colors on the Steam Deck look more faded and washed out.
Game Availability
Theoretically, any game you purchase from the Steam Store should be able to run on the Deck as well. Unfortunately, that’s not entirely the case. While Valve has confirmed Deck compatibility for over thousands of games it sells on its Steam Store, there’s still a bunch left unaccounted for.
There is no question that if you buy a game for the Nintendo Switch it will work on the Switch. The console has already been out for a few years, unlike the Deck, and the Switch is a closed ecosystem with thousands of available games.
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