Switch 2 vs. Steam Deck: How Nintendos next console measures up
www.polygon.com
The Nintendo Switch 2 was finally revealed, and it looks more like a Steam Deck than its predecessors ever did. Its new design paints over the iconic red and blue Joy-Cons with a black finish you could almost mistake for Valves handheld PC. Details are slim on whats inside the Switch 2 as we wait to learn more in April, but for now, we can look at how it stacks up against the Steam Deck as a portable gaming device based on what was shown.Heres all the specs we can surmise about the Switch 2 from the trailer and how they compare to the Steam Deck.System sizeNintendo stretched the Switch 2s overall size out a little bit to accommodate its larger screen. While we dont have specific measurements, we did the math based on the teaser video and found that its about 14% larger than the original Switch (with Joy-Cons included). That makes the Switch 2 about 4.5 inches tall and 10.7 inches wide. The Steam Deck is a little larger at 4.6 inches tall and 11.7 inches wide.Screen sizeA report from last year said that the Switch 2 will have an 8-inch LCD screen, and the video looks close to that. Our measurements put the Switch 2s screen at 7.8 inches, a sizable upgrade from the original Switchs 6.2-inch LCD screen, and its actually a tiny bit bigger than that of both models of the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck OLED has a 7.4-inch touchscreen, and its LCD cousin has only a 7-inch touchscreen.Screen resolutionResolution remains a mystery for the Switch 2. Leaks suggest it might still have a 720p screen like the original console, but will be able to use upscaling tech similar to Nvidias DLSS to hit 4K when docked. That would put it just under the Steam Decks 1,280800 resolution, a difference you wouldnt notice without holding the screen real close to your face. But the Steam Deck can output up to 8K using its USB-C port, and the newest model has an OLED screen. Picture quality on the Switch 2 will have blacks that look more gray and duller colors than the Steam Deck OLED, but itll probably have a better battery life because of it.CPU/GPUHeres where the speculation happens. According to leaks from someone getting their hands on the Switch 2 motherboard, the system will run on an Nvidia custom Tegra T239 processor. Analysts predict itll reach a similar power level as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Its unclear how much of that power will be tied to having it docked or not, though. If thats true, the Switch 2 will be slightly faster than the Steam Deck OLEDs Zen 2 processor, but when you take into account its rumored 12 GB of memory compared to the Steam Decks 16 GB of memory the differences will be minimal.StorageThe Switch 2s storage situation isnt something you can glean from a fancy teaser video. More rumors courtesy of the motherboard leak suggest the Switch 2 will have 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage, a huge jump up from the original systems 32 GB of storage. It might also have a slot for microSD Express cards with up to 128 TB of capacity. The Steam Deck OLED beats the Switch 2 with a 512 GB NVMe SSD for internal storage in its base model and a 1 TB NVMe SSD in its upgraded version. But keep in mind, PC games are often a lot larger than Nintendo games, so the difference might not matter much. And Valves device only supports microSDXC and microSDHC cards, which gives the Switch 2 a slight advantage in terms of data transfer speeds.PortsNintendo surprised us with not one, but two USB-C ports on the Switch 2. And just like the previous model, itll have a 3.5 mm headphone jack (take that, Apple!). The Steam Deck only carries one USB-C port along with its headphone jack and, unlike the Switch 2, it doesnt have a fancy kickstand.Battery life and other specsThe Switch 2s battery life is up in the air still. Leaks can only tell us so much, because a lot of it will depend on how its hardware and software will work in concert. The original Switchs battery life ranges from around two and a half to six and a half hours, so the Switch 2 could last a little longer. The Steam Deck is a similar story: Its battery is rated for between three and 12 hours of gameplay, depending on what youre playing and how high you have the graphics settings cranked up.And that leaves us with that mysterious button and the mouse-like Joy-Cons on the Switch 2. Rumors say the new button is a C button, but nobody seems to have any idea what it does. And even though were pretty sure the Joy-Cons can be used as mice, we have no idea how you actually use them. We are certain the Switch 2 doesnt match the Steam Decks dual trackpads that also work as big buttons.
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