Steam Deck vs. Switch: Valve's portable gaming PC is impressive, but Nintendo's handheld is the best option for most gamers

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• Valve's Steam Deck is an impressive portable PC that launched in early 2022.
• Steam Deck takes design cues from the popular Nintendo Switch, but is much more powerful.
• While Switch is technically a weaker device, its innovative features provide better value and ease of use.

Valve's Steam Deck is a portable PC designed to take your video games on the go. At a glance, Steam Deck looks similar to the popular Nintendo Switch, but there are several big differences between the two portable systems.

Steam Deck is only sold through Steam, the most popular storefront for PC gaming. Orders placed online take one to two weeks to arrive. Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch is widely available at various retailers, with more than 114 million consoles sold since its 2017 release.

Steam Deck is designed to be significantly more powerful than the Switch, but that doesn't mean it's a better overall console for most gamers. In practice, the complexities of the Steam Deck's operating system make it harder to use than the Switch, which has a huge library of exclusive games designed specifically for the platform.

PC enthusiasts will appreciate the performance and customizable nature of Steam Deck, but some of the device's shortcomings showcase why the Switch is so innovative and popular among young and casual gamers. Here's how both handhelds stack up against each other, and why you might want to pick one over the other.

Steam Deck vs. Nintendo Switch: Specs at a glance

Steam Deck vs. Switch: Price 

When it comes to price, Nintendo's Switch offers a more affordable portable gaming solution with prices ranging from $200 to $350. Meanwhile, the Steam Deck ranges in price from $399 to $650. 

The Steam Deck has three options to choose from that are priced mostly based on storage space and drive speed, with the more expensive models offering bigger and faster NVMe drives. Meanwhile, the different Switch models — Switch Lite, Switch, and Switch OLED — offer different design features, like a better screen or the ability to hook up to a TV.

General graphic and CPU performance, however, remain the same across the Switch lineup and across the Steam Deck lineup. 

Steam Deck vs. Switch: Size 

While the Steam Deck and Switch are both portable consoles with similar screen sizes, the Steam Deck has a significantly larger build. The standard Switch and Switch OLED are also designed with removable Joy-Con controllers, which shrinks their footprint even further when sitting on their built-in stands.

At 11.7-inches wide, the Steam Deck is nearly two inches bigger than the Switch OLED, which is 9.5-inches wide. The Steam Deck is also about 1.8-inches thick from the front of the screen to the rear, compared to just 0.55 inches for the Switch OLED.

The Steam Deck's extra space allows for a pair of trackpad controls on the front of the console, four additional trigger buttons on the rear, and multiple internal fans for cooling.

The Steam Deck weighs 1.47lbs while the Switch OLED weighs just under 1lb with the Joy-Cons attached, making the Steam Deck feel even more hefty than the size difference suggests.

Steam Deck vs. Switch: Graphics and performance

In terms of graphical performance, the Steam Deck easily beats the Switch with more up-to-date and powerful hardware. The Steam Deck's visual output is comparable to a PS4, and the console is capable of running more games at 60 frames per second than the Switch.

Users can also manually adjust the performance of Steam Deck games, and use the system's built-in frame limiter to maximize battery life, which can range from two to eight hours depending on how demanding a game is. The Switch gets more consistent battery life ranging from 4.5 to nine hours, but its visual quality simply can't match Steam Deck.

Switch games are often limited to 30 frames per second and run even lower at times, with no options to adjust quality. Popular Switch games, like Animal Crossing and The Legend of Zelda, use stylized graphics to offset the console's limited hardware, but the difference in visual performance becomes apparent when comparing Switch versions of multi-platform games, like Fortnite and NBA 2K, to their Steam Deck counterparts.

Steam Deck vs. Switch: Games

Steam offers the largest library of PC games on any modern platform, but not all of them are playable on Steam Deck. With more than 5,000 games verified for Steam Deck, the available selection is huge to be sure, but some popular games, like PUBG: Battlegrounds and Tekken 7, remain unplayable. Some games, like Cyberpunk 2077, can also encounter glitches on Steam Deck that don't appear on regular PCs.

The largest benefit of the Steam Deck library is that PC gamers who already own Steam titles won't have to start a brand-new collection. Steam Deck can even be set up to run other PC storefronts, like the Epic Games Store.

On the other hand, the Switch library also offers thousands of games, including exclusive Nintendo franchises like Super Mario, Pokémon, and The Legend of Zelda, which add lots of value to the catalog. However, recent Switch titles, like Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, have begun to show the console's age with performance issues.

Games available on both platforms, like Monster Hunter Rise, will typically look much better on Steam Deck than they do on Switch. However, when a developer makes a Switch-specific port of a game, it ensures that it will at least run properly on the console; something that's not promised with PC releases on Steam Deck.

Steam Deck vs. Switch: Connecting to your TV

The standard Switch and Switch OLED can both easily connect to a TV using their included docks, while you have to buy a separate USB-C dock to connect a Steam Deck to an external display. Valve's official dock costs $89, but you can find cheaper third-party options with similar features.

The Switch can output at a maximum of 1080p resolution, meaning 4K TVs will have to upscale the image. Steam Deck can be set to output at 4K or even 8K when docked, but most games won't run well at those settings. It's probably best to run a docked Steam Deck at 1080p, which will still allow it to beat the Switch in general performance.

Steam Deck vs. Switch: Playing with friends

The standard Switch and Switch OLED are designed with multiplayer in mind, starting with the console's two removable Joy-Cons. The Switch's built-in stand is ideal for portable split-screen play, while the Steam Deck requires a separate dock or stand for mobile setup.

Steam Deck does support multiple controllers via USB-C or Bluetooth, but individual games might require a bit more setup to get the second controller properly configured.

The Switch also supports local area connections so multiple Switch owners can use their own console to play multiplayer games like Mario Kart 8. This type of connection is technically possible on Steam Deck, but it's not a standard feature and requires a more complicated setup process.

Which gaming handheld is better?

Ultimately, the choice between a Steam Deck or Switch isn't as simple as picking a definitive winner or just going with the most powerful or affordable option. Both portable consoles are geared toward different kinds of players and you should make your choice based on your priorities as a gamer. 

The Switch is a better buy for casual players, big fans of Nintendo's franchises, and younger gamers who don't care about top-of-the-line graphics. The standard Switch and Switch OLED also provide more value at a lower price than Steam Deck, thanks to their included docks and Joy-Con controllers.

Though the Switch's hardware is showing its age, it still has plenty of quality games. Buyers don't have to worry about customizing settings to get Switch games to work properly, and there's no need to buy extra accessories to connect the console to a TV or play with a friend.

Meanwhile, the Steam Deck is an impressive piece of hardware that's best-suited for people that are tech savvy and have a PC as their primary gaming platform. Players that already own a large library of PC games on Steam benefit the most, since they can bring them right over to Steam Deck.

Getting the best performance requires lots of tinkering, but the Steam Deck is widely customizable, giving users more choice over how games look. Fans of emulation and cloud gaming will also get more long-term use out of the Steam Deck, and it offers all the added benefits you get with a working PC.