Nintendo Switch 2 vs Steam Deck: Why Nintendo's handheld could be the one to beat

A person holding a Nintendo Switch 2 playing Mario Kart World

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

In a shocking turn of events, it looks like the newly announced Nintendo Switch 2 might be the best handheld to play third-party games on.

I know that sounds outlandish, especially since we have handhelds like the Steam Deck OLED, Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go S doing a good job running some of today’s most popular games. However, as we saw during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct event yesterday (April 2), a lot of third-party publishers are releasing something on Switch 2. That could spell trouble for the best handheld gaming consoles.

In my Steam Deck review, I labeled it the “Nintendo Switch for adults.” In an ironic twist, it now seems the Switch’s successor could be the best handheld for adults and children alike thanks to its robust first- and especially third-party support.

Here’s why the Nintendo Switch 2 could be the best handheld for playing third-party games.

Nintendo isn't taking Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders yet, but you can register for the Switch 2. You can choose between the standalone console ($449) or a Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle for $499. You'll need a Nintendo account to pre-order and invitations will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to registrants who have purchased a Nintendo Switch Online membership with a minimum of 12 months of paid membership and a minimum of 50 total gameplay hours, as of April 2, 2025. There's a chance that Nintendo pre-orders will begin on April 8 — a full day before retailers.

Capable hardware

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct — (Image credit: Nintendo)

The official spec sheet for the Nintendo Switch 2 doesn’t divulge many details about the custom Nvidia chip inside the console. Based on what insiders and alleged leakers have said, Nintendo’s handheld is as powerful as a PS4 or PS4 Pro. Considering some of the games coming to Switch 2 (more on those shortly), I’m inclined to believe this.

The original Switch has notable third-party games, such as The Witcher 3, Doom Eternal, Dragon’s Dogma and Guilty Gear Strive, among many others. And while these games ran decently enough, graphical concessions were clearly made to get them running on Switch 1.

However, it appears the Switch 2 might not have to make such sacrifices, especially in docked mode where the system can output at up to 4K resolution and run at 60 frames per second.

Steam Deck handheld playing games — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The Steam Deck does a commendable job of running the best PC games. This is especially true for “Deck Verified” games optimized for the system. However, the Steam Deck is now having difficulty running games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Monster Hunter Wilds. This will no doubt get worse as the Steam Deck continues aging.

One of the main reasons Steam Deck struggles with newer games is due to advanced features like ray tracing, which the system can’t handle too well.

Though we don’t know all the details about the Nvidia chip inside the Switch 2, it’s supposedly capable of running features like AI upscaling and ray tracing. This could give Nintendo’s console a noticeable edge over the Steam Deck and similar handhelds.

Obviously, we won’t know how well third-party games (or games in general) run on the Switch 2 until we get the chance to play some. But given the slew of announced games, it gives me hope they’ll run decently well.

Third-party support

Street Fighter 6 — (Image credit: Capcom)

I expected to see some third-party games get announced during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, but not the deluge of titles we were bombarded with. You can see all the Nintendo Switch 2 games coming to the console, but here’s a small taste of what we’ll get.

Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Hades 2
Street Fighter 6
Split Fiction
Hogwarts Legacy
Yakuza 0 Director's Cut
Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Star Wars Outlaws
Fortnite
DuskBloods

In all fairness, I’ve already played most of these games before on PS5 and PC. However, the fact that we’re getting major games like Street Fighter 6, Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and Elden Ring is absolutely huge. This ties back to my earlier point about Switch 2 potentially being as powerful as PS4 — a platform almost all of today’s third-party Switch 2 games are available on.

Then there’s DuskBloods, a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive developed by FromSoftware. If this game (and the Switch 2) prove successful, you better believe more third-party developers will start releasing exclusive games on Switch. That will only make the system more enticing to folks who would never give a Nintendo console a second glance.

Outlook

Again, we won’t know what the Nintendo Switch 2 is truly capable of until we’ve tested some games on it. But the fact that it has such rich third-party support at launch is a good sign that this will be one capable machine.

If that’s the case, then the Steam Deck and other handheld manufacturers better watch out. Nintendo’s upcoming system could be the best place to play third-party games on the go.

More from Tom's Guide

Tony is a computing writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on X/Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.