When I received my Nintendo Switch 2, almost a year ago, I thought that it would be curtains for my Steam Deck OLED. I packed the Valve handheld in its case, put it on a shelf, and assumed I'd maybe pick it up from time to time, maybe during the occasional Steam Next Fest, if that. It felt a bit like that moment in Toy Story when Andy chooses Buzz over Woody, discarding the pull-string cowboy without hesitation. However, cut to eleven months later, and that's not exactly how it's all played out.
No, it turns out that the Steam Deck OLED is still my go-to for gaming on the go, and, if I'm being honest, gaming at home. While I think that both the Valve console and the Switch 2 are two of the best handheld consoles around, I've come up with four reasons that I'm picking up the Deck when given the choice between the two. So, with my apologies to Nintendo, let's get into the details.
Battery life and charging
Okay, so this is one I'm sure anyone who owns both a Steam Deck OLED and a Nintendo Switch 2 can relate to. The Valve console just has better battery life; it's as simple as that. In my experience, it's more noticeable in indie games, as I'll get about six hours of gameplay in something like Balatro or Stardew Valley on the Switch 2, whereas it's closer to eight or nine on my Steam Deck.
Not only does the Steam Deck hold its charge better than the Switch 2, but it's also quicker to charge, and in this area, it's not even close. I can charge my Steam Deck OLED from flat to full in around two hours, whereas my Switch 2 takes closer to three. That means if I'm leaving the house in an hour, and both consoles need charging, I'm almost always going to opt to juice the Deck and take it with me, and that's exactly what I've ended up doing on multiple occasions in recent months.
The OLED factor
In our Nintendo Switch 2 review, I pointed out that while the hybrid console has an LCD screen, rather than an OLED, it's one of the better LCDs I've used. The problem is, it's still not an OLED. I never used to care that much about screen technology. Still, I do wonder how much more colorful games such as Pokémon Pokopia and Donkey Kong Bananza would pop on an OLED. It doesn't help when I've got my Steam Deck almost constantly reminding me why OLED displays are quickly becoming the norm for handhelds and mobiles, with their vivid visuals and deep, inky blacks.
As with the battery situation, Nintendo's decision to follow up the Switch OLED with a console that you could easily accuse of having an inferior screen just doesn't sit right with me. It's made more annoying by the fact that the Switch 2 display is great in every other regard, with a boosted resolution and more generous dimensions. The cynic in me thinks this might be a way for the gaming giant to set up a future Switch 2 OLED launch, which the sucker in me would definitely buy, given the opportunity. Still, it means that, for now, if I want to see glorious colors in games available on both devices, I'm usually opting to play them on the Steam Deck.
Early access games
This is more of a wider benefit of Steam compared to almost every other digital gaming marketplace, but as far as I'm concerned, early access games are a massive selling point of the Steam Deck. Since its early access launch in March, I've accumulated more hours playing Slay the Spire 2 on my Deck than I have in multiple Switch games, including Pokémon Pokopia and Mario Kart World, combined. I did the same thing with Hades 2 when it was in early access, and while I finished the game after launch on Switch 2, I racked up considerably more hours on the Deck.
I'll be honest, I think the Switch 2 does have a form factor advantage over the Steam Deck, in that it's much less clunky and a bit more lightweight, so if Slay the Spire 2 were available in early access on the Nintendo console, I'd potentially play it there. However, it isn't, and that means that unless I want to wait months or even years to play what I already consider to be one of the best roguelike games around, as well as any future early access titles I'm particularly looking forward to, I'm doing it on my Deck.
Desktop mode
I'm sorry, but is it not wild that you can't use YouTube on the Nintendo Switch 2? It wouldn't be as big a deal if it weren't for the fact that you can use the app on the original console, as well as its Lite and OLED sister consoles. It's even worse when you compare this usability issue to the Steam Deck, which, when in desktop mode, essentially functions as a true handheld PC with access to YouTube plus other streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ via the browser.
The other benefit to desktop mode is that you can delve into your files more easily, which is a massive benefit if, like me, you're into tracking in-game data. I've become so obsessed with developing the best Slay the Spire 2 builds - yes, I know, I've mentioned it a lot, but I love it - that I'm uploading data files to my PC to track my most successful runs, and that just wouldn't be an option on the Switch 2. Those are just a couple of use cases for desktop mode, but there's plenty more, and I don't anticipate the Switch 2 getting an equivalent any time soon.
Despite all this, I'll admit, things could be different in the future. There's plenty of speculation floating around that a Switch 2 OLED model could arrive before long, and I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo still has plans to bring YouTube to the hybrid console, if not other streaming services. Still, for now, it's the Steam Deck OLED keeping my hands warm, and I don't see that changing any time too soon.