I like how this article does not talk about the anti consumer practices engaged in by Nintendo, that might push some customers away from their consoles. /s Nintendo can disable your Switch 2 for piracy in the U.S., but not in Europe, as confirmed by its EULA. There is already a switch in my household, but the price along with the ability to remotely brick the device, is what made our household pass on the switch 2. We bought a second steam deck instead.
The Steam Deck is the better product anyway. Got one recently and damn is it good.
Same. I was able to get like 10 long-wishlisted games for ~$100 with the Steam Winter Sale, too. Nintendo would never.
Well I saw Pokemon Legends ZA for 48% off recently. Not that it‘s worth that much or that I would ever buy a Switch 2. I actually stumbled upon that sale randomly. But the fact it‘s on sale already speaks volumes. Nintendo is likely in panic mode.
i wonder if it has do with pokemon being slop for the past generation and this one too. the lack of quality of the pokemon games doesnt justify its high cost. also because game freak said this the future of all pokemon games.
Bro that’s my patient gaming technique! $10 games FTW!
What you got?
- Just Crow Things
- PowerWash Simulator
- Wanderstop
- Thank Goodness You’re Here!
- Night in the Woods
- Hello Kitty Island Adventure
- Cinnabunny
- Unbox the Room
- April Grove
and I guess no. 10 was a copy of Coral Island I was gifted, oops lol
At some point I still want LAN Party Adventures, and The Lonesome Guild but those will wait until the next sale. In the meantime I have plenty to sink my teeth (thumbs?) into!
Its so much fun! And my library of steam games already works on it.
I got emulators setup so I can even play switch games on it as well.
Which switch emulator is working well for you? I still have yuzu and ryujinx on mine but games are crashing when I try to load them and stuff
There are several yuzu and ryujinx forks floating around. For yuzu there’s citron, and eden-emu; for ryujinx there’s ryubing. Game compatibility varies so I suggest trying them all and see if any works.
I find the Steam Deck far too heavy and bulky unfortunately. I’d love a Switch sized handheld PC.
I love mine but I also agree that it’s a chunky boy. I’d absolutely get a Steam Deck Lite if Valve were ever to come out with one, even if it had weaker performance than the original.
Idk I picked it up and personally I felt the complete opposite. Everyone says its so massive and huge, I expected this massive bulky handheld but sadly its the opposite. Its big yeah but not really controller sized, my hands are too big for it so I’ll just stick to the steam controller (until the new one releases)
It might be, but if you care about the newest games, you either stick with the Switch 2, wait for a SD 2 or look elsewhere… The SD is getting closer to the Switch 1 state where modern games start to look more blurry, and if you want a hybrid device… Well, it is gonna show more.
Also for some stupid reasons SD availability sucks in several countries, like Mexico.
Most of “the newest games” are well within the spec of the Steam Deck. Of the 4 non-exclusive games nominated for GOTY at the Keighleys, they’ll all run on it just fine. Some of the biggest games of the year end up being the likes of Peak, Schedule I, or Megabonk, and not only are those games only available on PC (at least for a while), but they’re not even pushing the spec of the Steam Deck to its limit. With RAM pricing issues going on right now, high end studios are likely going to target a lower spec. And the companies that can afford to make a game that hits that higher spec are few and far between anyway, compared to the AA and indie studios that made most of the best games of the past few years.
With RAM pricing issues going on right now, high end studios are likely going to target a lower spec.
That is quite a positive thought that I would truly want to become real, let’s just wait and see I guess, that doesn’t change the fact that SD 2 is imminent though (I know that is obvious).
What about hybrid gaming? I don’t think anyone can agree that SD is better than the Switch 2 or any other handheld device in 2025 regarding that… Perhaps only in certain cases as locked awful framerate (for the Switch 2).
All of new gaming hardware is decidedly less imminent now that this pricing nonsense is going on. Even if the tech exists, no one thinks they can sell at what they’d have to charge for it. It’s going to be a rough near term future for gaming hardware before it eventually levels out. Reports are that consoles planned for 2027 are now looking like they’ll be pushed back.
I’m not super used to calling that “hybrid gaming”, but my wife seems to have no problem playing cozy games on the Steam Deck, almost exclusively on the TV when I didn’t take it with me on the go. And we’re once again back to the best games and the best graphics not being all that correlated. The other part is that even if a random gamer has a Steam Deck, it’s unlikely to be their only gaming PC, and if they want the power to produce that larger image at better frame rates at home, they’ll play on that other PC, and that game will run its best there. On Switch 2, that one device is your only option no matter what. That means that if you want to play one of those beefier titles from the Switch 1, they’re not going to run at better settings ever unless the developer explicitly upgrades them; even then, there’s often the Switch tax compared to buying the same game on PC.
I’m not trying to talk you down from a Switch 2 if that’s your preference, but if someone’s asking me for a recommendation for a gaming handheld, the Steam Deck is going to be what I tell them until I rule it out due to some other need. I definitely wouldn’t start with a Switch 2. The Deck just hits a compelling price with a good software experience and, perhaps most importantly, a library that dwarfs what Nintendo could ever hope to match by following the traditional console model.
From what I’ve heard, Expedition 33 runs like hot garbage. Even if you use something like Lossless Frames to use AI generated frames to fill in gaps and run at super low settings.
I played it all on desktop, but it looks like it got an update a month ago and is now Deck verified. Friends of mine played it on Deck before that and didn’t mention any complaints, but I wasn’t fishing for them either.
Ain’t got those amazing Nintendo games though. Glhf finding a Mario Cart replacement that is actually as good.
IMO, Sonic Racing: Crossworlds is better than Mario Kart. I find it much more fun.
The Sonic Racing series is great but still isnt the same. Maybe nostalgia :)
nintendo is having its PS3 moment
a comically overpriced console with few interesting exclusives made by an arrogant company high on the success of its predecessor
Don’t forget that rents their old games back to you, which is why they’re so against emulation.
Which is why I’m so for it
When I got my PS3 as a gift, I thought it was beautiful in its time, but no, it’s like the Switch 2 xD
Well… while the price of the Switch 2 certainly causes sticker shock, when you adjust for inflation it’s only about as expensive as the SNES was at launch… and is in fact cheaper then the NES was at launch. However, in the PS3’s case when adjusted for inflation it was about 1.5 times as expensive as the SNES at launch (for the 20 gb version, the 60 gb was double).
deleted by creator
This tired old argument completely ignores the fact that consumer purchasing power was much higher back then. Everything costs a higher portion of our paychecks now, especially housing, healthcare, and education.
I would think what you can get today from a competitor for the same price or less is much more would be much more relevant than anything that occurred 40 years ago
(yes, the NES is 40 years old)
I didn’t get one because it’s too expensive.
Steam deck was a little pricey but it has a backlog of games going back like 50 years, and I already have a large library. Plus the games are cheaper.
-
AIn’t nobody got no money.
-
It’s a Switch, but they added a “2”
-
$80 for Mario Kart? At that price, we’ve got Mario Kart at home.
In all seriousness, the Nintendo Wii was REVOLUTIONARY when it came out. It was gangbusters when it released. It was $249, which is about $400 in today’s money, but for a completely original and amazing new system. The Wii U wasn’t exactly as revolutionary. It was a controller with a screen that you couldn’t take with you. It was a flop.
The Switch was a modern equivalent of the Wii. It was new. It was different. It was a mobile gaming console.
The Switch 2 IS THE SWITCH. There is nothing new about it to the everyday consumer mom and dad. There are no cool new features. No cool new games. It doesn’t justify itself or the cost to the sticky fingered kid next door who is content with Minecraft on the original Switch. Nintendo did what an American company led by shareholders would do and continued to do more of the same and will likely blame the consumer.
$80 for Mario Kart? At that price, we’ve got Mario Kart at home.
OMG this line got me 😂.
There are no cool new features.
B-but you can buy an overpriced webcam to talk to your friends over spotty online voice chat. What other features could you possibly want?! (/s)
Nintendo invented FaceTime but shittier
Mario-Kart-at-home by the way: supertuxkart.net
Buy now for $0 and get Rocket-League-at-home for free on top!
(It’s one of the game modes in SuperTuxKart. 🙃)But yeah, $80 is kind of wild, even just because it’s fundamentally still a cart game. You pretty much need a group to regularly play it with, otherwise you won’t get your money’s worth out of that.
I’ve seen this evolve over the years. Time to give it a shot.
I actually reinstalled it myself after writing that comment. 😅
I only really started to fully appreciate it, when I learned that drifting gives you a boost. So, if you’re going around curves, you pretty much always want to drift, which then kicks your speed up once you stop drifting. Maintaining a higher speed than your car normally goes, is vital for beating the harder difficulties.
Same with Mario kart
-
I doubt the ability to brick your console remotely played too large of a part in this. It’s far more likely the asking price combined with the general economic situation for the average consumer, combined with a worse screen and a lesser launch offering of titles. For my own biases, when you see how consoles have required online subscriptions and how your old games don’t automatically run at higher settings when you buy the new machine, I wonder how much more gas in the tank consoles even have without some fundamental transformation.
Yeah, this is a bubble. I don’t blame op for not liking that but the average consumer isn’t even aware and wouldn’t care anyway. Look at all the other shit the average consumer tolerates.
I agree also- just too expensive and no real improvements. I know two people with one. The one games a lot and he enjoys it but I don’t know how often he plays it anymore compared to steam. The other family plays it but are starved for games.
Nice if you have the pocket change but fundamentally just a lot of money for a slightly upgraded switch with few dedicated games. Jmho.
I like how this article does not talk about the anti consumer practices engaged in by Nintendo, that might push some customers away from their consoles.
The average consumer does not care about this. The biggest reasons for people to not buy a Switch 2 are 1) people don’t have money and 2) lack of major first-party games. I waited months until I found a MKW bundle for $450 at a black Friday sale.
Once we get the next 3D Mario or Zelda, you can bet they will sell a lot of consoles.
Also steamdeck is amazing, and a lot of people who want a handheld just chose that one
steamdeck and switch 2 don’t address the same audience at all imo
Since I’m one of the people who is on the fence about whether or not to pick up a Nintendo Switch 2 or to get myself an ROG Ally (I have $250 of gift cards for Target which don’t sell the Steam Deck) so that I can play steam games on a handheld. I heartily disagree.
And it’s Nintendo’s anti-consumer policies that is making me hesitate on the Switch 2.
Not exactly, but overlap is significant. A bunch of people want Nintendo because they always did Nintendo and that’s all they know, a bunch of people know that switch is something that kids want and so they get one, sure. But a bunch of people want to play some games lying on a couch or riding a metro or sitting in a queue at a dentist, and those people will at least google what exists on the market. This is an overlapped audience, and for a lot of them steam deck will be the obviously better choice.
deleted by creator
They can if you install Linux on it and run a switch emu.
It already comes with Linux installed, and an emulator can be setup with five button presses and thirty seconds of waiting.
The base system is setup as immutable, but /home isn’t, so aur isn’t available out of the box, but flatpacks are for exampleThat’s pretty rad. I don’t have one to know the nuance.
I heard it was possible to install bazzite on the SteamDecks
SteamOS is an Arch Linux, basically, with some stuff pre-installed. The only big difference is that it’s installed in immutable mode, but even that is not a big deal
Thanks for the clarification. I really want to pick one up. Might wait a bit for a SD2 I’m sure is a year or two out.
I don’t think that’s had much of an impact when Nintendo sold more Switch 2s at launch than Valve has manufactured Steam Decks over its entire lifespan. The Steam Deck is still an enthusiast product for a niche crowd, and will likely never be in direct competition with the big three.
It’s a comparatively new product, but it’s not like it’s something unsuccessful. It’s attached to Steam, that everyone who ever had a computer knows about, and everyone has a couple of games there, it’s being talked about very positively everywhere, and they’re repeatedly gained positive reputation over pro-consumer practices they regularly employ, and they somehow evading being put on blast for the child gambling industry they operate.
They’re known among gamers, which is indeed niche crowd, but also a crowd that is important here. They don’t have the cultural grasp on humanity as Nintendo, or other two, but all of them shitting the bed constantly and publicly, while Valve is catching wins all over the place.The real point here is that they don’t have the ability to manufacture at the scale of the big three. It literally can’t be in direct competition.
It’s not set in stone. They have money, they have demand. Scaling production is a bitch and a half, but it’s not impossible to do
Don’t get me wrong, I love my Steam Deck but it’s an extension of Desktop build not a direct Switch competitor.
It’s not a direct competitor, but they occupy the same niche while being a vastly superior product.
i suspect it also pokemon being popular, but hasnt been producing anything but slop has something to do with it too.
We’re broke
Plus Nintendo anti consumer practices, fuck them for that
Also even for people who want they can just get a gaming handheld and then gain access to a bunch of games which rarely cost $80 even when they’re brand new. Buying a Switch 2 just isn’t a financially sensible decision for anyone regardless of how much money you have in your bank account
I’d argue it is financially sensible if you want one. Current price may be the lowest it’s ever been, with increasing prices for RAM and storage. There’s only so much stock they have bought previously.
They ain’t that broke.
No one cares about this console.
I was a Nintendo kid growing up, so I’m biased. But I can’t even defend them anymore. Their uncompetitive prices and anti-consumer practices are completely out-of-touch. I hope they either start listening to their fans, or go away and allow their games to be sold on other platforms…
The biggest issue is the price. I remember a time when even the poorest kid in class had a Nintendo because it was cheap.
The last cheap Nintendo was the 2DS over a decade ago. Most parents are looking for cheap hardware with entertainment and there isn’t anything which comes close to it.
Even the switch lite is the same price as the PS3 bundle back in the day. And it came with 2 real controllers and a game.
i bought my 3ds(latest version) 10years ago, for ultramoon and sun. and never bought a swithc after that.
Nintendo shot themselves in the foot by aggressively going after the modding and archival communities.
They will never get another cent of my money and I own over a dozen Nintendo consoles.
I own or owned every one of their consoles other than the Wii (though can play the games on the wii u). No more, between their pricing (especially on recycled content), wastefullness (all that excess plastic for a case that holds a tiny cart because a small box makes their prices even harder to stomach), and legal bs (going after modders, emulators, and the used game market via anti-piracy bricking depending on what the previous owner of the game did), fuck them.
Gee could it possibly be because there’s absolutely nothing compelling about the product? Everything about it is just crap.
It’s overpriced for what it is, pretty much all of its features are gimmicks and do not demonstrably improve on the original, everyone knows their games are overpriced and never reduce in price, and if you breathe on it in the wrong way Nintendo will sue you for 1100 quadrillion dollars. What’s not to love?
Everyone not on Nintendo’s bubble knew a while ago. The Switch 2 was being discounted in ways that no successful console would be, the PS5 outsold it in key markets, and third party software sales for the Switch 2 are abysmally low.
i suspect alot of them are buying it so they can have pirated games on it, and the pokemon games. with pokmeon being a slop on the console now.
No piracy on the Switch 2 (yet). And it will take a while before it happens. The Switch 1 was blown wide open by a leaked bootrom exploit, I doubt this SOC will repeat the same mistake
Three reasons: 1) It’s too bloody expensive. 2) Most people are scared to spend money right now. 3) The USA as a global superpower, is morphing into something decidedly more sinister.
people should be buying guns and armor for their family and boycotting all this submissive entertainment culture until something changes. otherwise i kind of blame them for the current state of America. funding the enemies they claim to hate keeps them a cog in the machine the hurts humanity.
We’ve never been great. It’s just removing the veneer of respectability we gave ourselves and doubling down on the shittiest parts.
I mean, what is even there to play that you can’t play on Switch 1?
New Mario Kart? Donkey Kong whatever?
I’m sure they’re good games, I just don’t see someone who already owns a Switch buying a whole new system just for themI didn’t buy it because fuck Nintendo. They treat their customers with such disrespect and disdain, a company that’s only bring held together by nostalgia alone. They’ve gotten into a cycle of seeing just how much money they can get while putting in no effort.
especially with pokemon games, its unforgivable how expensive they are for such a sloppily made genre, since swsh.
