Switch 2 vs Steam Deck: testing Valve's OLED model against the new Nintendo hybrid

The Switch 2 versus the Steam Deck is a compelling match-up: Nintendo’s brand new portable hybrid paired up against Valve’s handheld PC. Conceptually, these devices diverge in some crucial aspects, but they do align in form factor and usage patterns. Which portable powerhouse takes the performance crown? And how do they compare in day-to-day use – in terms of their battery life, displays, controls and user experience?

Let’s start with the simplest comparison: game performance. I think Hogwarts Legacy is a fascinating example of the kinds of differences we might expect to see between Switch 2 and Steam Deck going forward, with the Deck running the PC branch of the game and the Switch 2 using something closer to the PS4 release.

The Steam Deck therefore enjoys higher resolution textures and assets, better baked lighting and enhanced volumetrics, while the Switch 2 boasts improved image clarity. It uses a (light) DLSS upscale from 540p to 1080p versus an FSR 3 upscale from 480p to 720p on the Steam Deck. Both suffer from a healthy amount of image break-up, as the Switch 2 struggles with disocclusion and the Deck fails to resolve clean foliage.

But the Switch 2 has one key edge: performance. Hogwarts Legacy suffers from distracting frame-time issues on Steam Deck, with modest 50ms drops being commonplace when traversing more complex NPC-filled areas, while the Switch 2 locks to 30fps largely successfully, with only rare interruptions. We’re basically seeing the merits of the console approach here. Switch 2 gets a tailored version of the game that may have cutbacks, but runs well on the hardware, while Steam Deck has to cope with the PC version that only really works well on higher-end PCs with strong CPUs. Processor limitations are a common achilles heel for the Deck.