For fans of handheld gaming the Steam Deck may force it to up its game. Long gone are the days of severely underpowered hardware that can only run compromised versions of beloved console games, since players now take their console games on the go with the Switch. The first couple of years of the Switch's existence were great, but the problem now is that the device is now much weaker than current-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. New games on the Switch are performing worse and worse each year, and it makes Valve's Steam Deck look much more attractive in comparison. Hopefully, this new competition could push Nintendo to improve upon the Switch itself.
In the wake of the Wii U's poor sales, the Switch was Nintendo's way of backing out of the corner the Wii U placed it in. Luckily, the Switch took off with the help of games like Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Nintendo is in a much better position financially thanks to the Switch and its portability has allowed its relatively weaker hardware a when compared to PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. However, the reveal of the Steam Deck has suddenly changed all of this.
Put up against a portable gaming PC capable of docking to a monitor as well as running Steam's library on the go, Nintendo might have its work cut out for it. For roughly $400 USD customers can purchase the base model Steam Deck, which is a great deal considering the technically inferior Switch OLED Model only saves buyers $50 USD. Each of the three Switch models has the same processing power, which isn't even enough to run games like Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity at a stable 30FPS. The Nintendo Switch is currently doing well, but the Steam Deck could become its first real threat.
The Steam Deck Can Force Nintendo To Improve The Switch
The Switch OLED Model received mixed reactions because it wasn't the Switch Pro all the rumors were claiming it would have been, but the power of the Steam Deck might be enough to make Nintendo get to work a little faster on making such a device. The Switch is underpowered when compared to the other home consoles, but until now the Switch didn't really have a true competitor in the handheld market. Nintendo could opt to stay as the cheaper alternative, but the Switch would likely appeal to more hardcore players if it was a beefier device. If the Steam Deck takes off and becomes a threat to Nintendo, the chances of the company revealing a true Switch Pro may skyrocket.
Nintendo might also be compelled to fix some of the other issues plaguing the Switch that fans have been complaining about. Joy-Con drift has become so rampant that it has become a buzzword of its own, and if customers turn to Valve to avoid faulty sticks Nintendo might actually do something about it.
The Nintendo Switch Online service often has mediocre connection quality and a much smaller library of classic titles that still only include SNES and NES games. With the possibility of losing handheld players to Valve on the table, perhaps Nintendo will finally update its retro catalog and include N64 and GameCube games as well. Historically speaking, Nintendo has always dominated the handheld market ever since the original Game Boy, but if the Steam Deck puts up a fight, Nintendo will have no choice but to retaliate.
