It’s silly to compare Switch 2 sales to Steam Deck sales.
The Switch 2 is a locked-down, vertically integrated platform. There are no ROG Switch 2s. No Lenovo Switch 2s. No Switch laptops or tower PCs with discrete GPUs. If you want to play Mario Kart World, your only option is to buy a Switch 2. Period.
Steam Deck, by contrast, isn’t a platform. It’s just one hardware option—one entry point into the sprawling, open ecosystem known as PC gaming.
Every year, around 245 million PCs are shipped globally. If even 20–25% of those are gaming-focused, that’s 49–61 million gaming PCs annually. Steam Deck is a sliver of that. So of course it won’t outsell a console that’s the only gateway to a major IP.
But that’s exactly the point.
PC gaming is too decentralized for any single device to dominate. The last “PC” that did was the Commodore 64, which sold 12.5–17 million units over 12 years because it was a self-contained platform, unlike modern Windows, Mac, or Linux machines.
That the Steam Deck has sold 4 million units despite competing with every other gaming PC in existence is remarkable. It didn’t just sell—it legitimized a category. Handheld PC gaming is now a thing. That’s why Lenovo, ASUS, and MSI have followed. Even Microsoft is getting in, optimizing Windows for handhelds—something they would never have done if the Steam Deck didn’t hold their feet to the fire.
So no, Steam Deck didn’t outsell the Switch 2. It didn’t need to.
It won by changing the landscape.
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I’ll emulate Nintendo games till the day I die because fuck Nintendo and their greed.
I won’t even pirate their games
They make great games and they’re a super anti-consumer company. Perfect combination for going out of your way to pirate their games.
Meh, personally I haven’t enjoyed a Nintendo game since the GameCube. Every new game they release feels like a rehash of the same shit they’ve been shoveling down our throats since the Wii. Nintendo forgot how to innovate.
BotW and TotK were both really good. Don’t mistake this as me saying “Nintendo is good actually”, more like a broken clock is right twice a day sort of statement.
Personally I thought botw was pretty mid overall. The world is so empty and there’s no reason to really ever fight anything for the most part. The weapons breaking so easily just cements that. Haven’t played the second tho.
There’s not a reason to fight most enemies in most video games to be honest. TotK mostly fixed the weapon breaking mechanic in my eyes. They’re much more durable now and last longer when fused (there is generally no reason to not do fusion). The only thing that’s more fun in BotW than TotK is riding a horse through Hyrule field while dodging tons of guardian lasers.
There’s not a reason to fight most enemies in most video games to be honest.
Hmmmm… that’s a thinker.
In the older zeldas, you didn’t especially need to fight stuff on the overworld. I’d usually just run by, or kill the ones that were in my way.
In most FromSoft games, you can run past enemies but that can quickly spiral out of control. Killing them gives you time to explore safely, on top of the XP rewarded.
In shooters like Doom, you could probably run past most enemies, but they’ll keep attacking. Clearing them makes you safer.
Monster hunter it’s the whole point of the game.
What games are you thinking of where fighting is pointless? I don’t think it’s “most” games.
I don’t get this line of thinking… If you’re using arguments like “you can run past them but it’s safer to kill them so they stop attacking” how does that not apply to BotW/TotK? Obviously some eneny camps you ignore because they’re irrelevant, it is an open world game after all, all open world games are like that (many learned the hard way why you should ignore giants in Skyrim lol). But in areas where you’re trying to accomplish something, you “need” to kill them because they’re attacking. That’s still true.
You can’t say “I dislike the game because it doesn’t give me a reason to kill enemies” while saying “in Doom you don’t need to kill enemies but it’s easier if you do” when BotW/TotK are both easier if you kill enemies. And I know you’re not the one who said it, but you’re changing the context of the conversation.
Ah, I see you haven’t played undertale yet!
In Zelda One you definitely needed to kill them because there were several good items to purchase with the rupees.
BotW and TotK are by far the worst Zelda games ever made. What’s the point of having a huge open world if there’s nothing to do in it? Plus there are no real dungeons and there’s barely a plot. It honestly blows my mind that people enjoy those games. Hell, TotK was so lazily slapped together that they couldn’t even bother creating a new map.
BotW and TotK are by far the worst Zelda games ever made.
“At last, vindication!”
Yeah, I think link between worlds is probably the best of them
TotK didn’t have real dungeons? Huh? I disagree with that criticism for BotW, but I can at least understand why people say it.
But I’m not gonna get into this. I like them. They’re very popular. A certain vocal subset of the Zelda fandom hate them. A certain vocal subset of the Zelda fandom has hated a lot of more opinionated Zelda games on release only to view them more favorably later. People loathed Wind Waker on release, but now tons of people love it. I think these games will be viewed more favorably by fans long term. Yes, they’re different from the others, but not all of them need to follow the same formula. Variety is the spice of life.
For example, I really enjoyed Link’s Awakening HD.
It’s always morally acceptable to pirate Nintendo games.
Steam Deck is the winner, They don’t even advertise.
The funniest thing is that Nintendo buyers are not even part of this conversation LMAO 🤣
In a sense, this is also the point. They are different devices targeting different markets.
Console wars stopped being cool years ago. Everyone has their preferences and favorites, no need to shit on someone’s fun because you think yours is better.
Steamdeck also isn’t a console anyway, it’s a handheld PC.
it plays like a console and repairs like a pc.
How? Its a PC with a built in steam controller. You can play dwarf fortress over SSH using a keyboard, it plays like a PC.
You turn it on and boom steam library ready to launch, click buy download play just like a console. Remember most peopl just want easy use and the steam deck does that.
Yes the average steam Deck user is above average in tech literacy.
So steam is set to autorun by default?
By that reasoning my old PC in like 2008 was a console because you boot and it starts up with a list of games to play that are all loaded from Linux DVD, just click to launch any of them immediately.
Yeah ease of use, no technical skill or knowledge needed.
There’s no hate for Nintendo here, just explaining why Steam Deck is different.
Sorry, should’ve clarified that this isn’t directed towards you, OP! Just at a lot of the other comments in here who are acting like someone else’s decision to buy an expensive gadget is a personal insult to them.
That is unfortunately very common, especially in the gaming world.
PC G*mers aren’t known for being with the times.
Its unfair to call it a “console war” when one is a classic locked down console and another is a general handheld computer. This also means there are bigger societal stakes in this argument than just “which corporate flavor you like more” because one empowers people and the other does the exact opposite.
So no, “console wars” here are very much cool.
Competition is good. If the Switch didn’t exist then I don’t think we would’ve gotten the Steam Deck.
If the Switch didn’t exist then I don’t think we would’ve gotten the Steam Deck.
or we would have earlier and more of it? I’m not sure how are you basing your hipothesis is but to assume that handheld market with this crazy demand would just be there unfulfilled is kinda silly. Switch didn’t event some magic technology that was not available before - it just took the market.
You’re contradicting yourself. If you believe the Steam Deck exists purely independently from the Switch and that we would’ve had the Steam Deck before the Switch if the Switch never existed, but we didn’t, it came after.
And no, I don’t think it invented some sort of magic technology, obviously I don’t think that. I’m saying the Steam Deck was good competition for the Switch in the portable/docked market (whatever we wanna call those).
Correlation vs causation much? Not sure what to tell you.
You’re saying if we didn’t have the Switch we would’ve had the Steam Deck earlier but you’re also saying the Steam Deck is something totally independent of the Switch. But if it was totally independent, why do you think it would’ve come earlier if the Switch didn’t exist? That’s why I’m saying you’re contradicting yourself.
I said it might have come earlier. You fundamentally don’t understand correlation vs causation and getting angry with me dude. Seriously go read a book or something this is silly.
What I like about the deck is I bought it and I instantly already owned >1000 games for it where a good majority of those are playable out of the box.
So ya, I ain’t paying $120 CAD per game. Fuck that.
Also my controllers basically all work for it so I don’t need to buy these overpriced joycons again for a new system.
Already have webcams if I cared for a silly camera that streams at 2FPS.
It’s unfortunate that theres been a lot more attention for optimization from some developers for the switch 2 though, not much we can do about that. Some games I own the deck is screaming and barely handling it and apparently the switch 2 runs it no problem.
I ain’t paying $120 CAD per game.
You are correct. If you want Tears of the Kingdom, it is $130 ($115 plus tax). I am stunned that this is the launch price of Switch 2 games. How high will they go in the future?
The Switch 2 makes even the new ROG Ally X seem like a good deal (assuming it is around $1000 CAD), since you can just play any of your Xbox Play Anywhere games that you have acquired on sale, or have access to via Game Pass. You don’t even need a subscription to access online play, and it has free cloud saves.
So a high end PC is cheaper than a switch + 10 games, and the PC has a loooot of games already
Actually you will be able to play switch two games on PC. It’s only a matter of time so no your only option isn’t just switch two. It’s patience 😜
Welcome aboard !patientgamers@sh.itjust.works
What kind of idiots are comparing the two? They’re different things with entirely different markets. There was never a battle to be had lol
It’s funny you say this, because for 500 bucks I am actually debating between the two as my Christmas present to myself this year.
I think I’d prefer a Steam Deck for no particular reason. 🏴☠️
They are competitors on a personal level as many people only have the time or money to fit one of them into their lives. But by that definition cycling or golfing is also a competitor and nobody would write an article about how bikes outsold the Steam Deck.
Do what I’m doing. Get the Steam deck and about when that time comes around that you want to buy a switch 2 it’ll have more games out and most likely different colors to pick from _
If you’re comparing them, as in you don’t have a strong preference for one vs the other, the Steam Deck wins hands down. You get access to a much larger library of games, repairability is awesome, and you can use it like a PC, because it is one.
The only reasonable reasons to get a Switch 2 are:
- play first party titles - even when emulators come out, the performance probably won’t be there on the Steam Deck
- it’s for someone who wants a very simple experience, and they’re willing to pay more
- the Steam Deck is too big for you - if you have smaller hands, it could be uncomfortable
But I don’t think most people will really be deciding between the two, they target very different markets.
I’ll probably end up getting the Switch 2, and I have a n OG Switch and a Steam Deck.
There’s many of them, and quite a few on this thread
what are you talking about? they share the same handheld console market. most people are not gonna buy more than 1 handheld.
I’ve generally seen purchasing a Steam Deck as an informed decision. But most people are very nostalgic (can’t blame them, SNES to Wii Zeldas and Metroids were amazing) and have uncontrollable FOMO, which Nintendo keeps on milking even when their software and hardware is noticeably much worse than it’s competitors’. If anyone also wants to know how Nintendo currently uses the money they earn, here’s a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n025Gxn5GEM No wonder they’re less worried about wasting money on legal battles. No trace of the good old Nintendo.
- For Nintendo fans that may get triggered by this, don’t. Just own it. Spending more on something worse doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it.
But most people are very nostalgic (can’t blame them, SNES to Wii Zeldas and Metroids were amazing) and have uncontrollable FOMO, which Nintendo keeps on milking even when their software and hardware is noticeably much worse than it’s competitors’.
This reads like someone who never played any of the switch titles. It’s not simply nostalgia. The switch titles were objectively good despite lackluster hardware. The switch lasted for almost a decade and is still playable today. People are buying switch 2 to be able to play the Nintendo exclusives.
It’s true that the hardware is largely lackluster, but especially in the case of the first party titles, and in general overall, the lackluster hardware just doesn’t prevent the games from looking and running great. Nintendo invests in developers capable of running large, complex games on somewhat modest hardware.
Got my hands on the first Switch model and it’s available games on it’s release date. I’ve played Nintendo games all my life. I just weigh the pros and cons of every option and am not ashamed to say Nintendo products and services aren’t a good deal right now. It doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the artistry and optimization efforts of development teams (Genyo Takeda did wonderful things at Nintendo until he retired, for instance), it means I carefully choose which hoops I jump through to purchase, play and keep the games I love.
You were saying earlier the main reason someone would buy a switch 2 was nostalgia. Nintendo still makes great games that generally run great even on their lowered speced hardware. Some of the games for the switch were some of the best installments in their respective franchises.
I’ve become disillusioned a bit with them for other reasons (console repairability, their litigiousness, the semi-closed ecosystem, joycon drift, the higher game price points lately) but the exclusive games are still rocking, and the exclusive games are a lot of the reason you’d buy a switch 2.
I’m frankly glad you liked them so much. Which are your favorites?
Animal Crossing New Horizons was great. I was also a pretty big fan of Mario Odyssey. Both Zelda games were great (though I know the first one was released to the Wii U or whatever). Mario Kart was great of course. Mario party was a little underwhelming this time but I think they’ve since released a better one. Smash Brothers was great. Mario Wonder? Was pretty awesome too.
I have played them, they are ok. But I would be extremely disappointed if I spent that much money and that is all I got.
shrug to each their own
It’s almost like different people enjoy different things haha
This is such a wild take. « I buy the steam deck because I am informed and smart, they buy the switch 2 because they’re nostalgic impulsive morons ».
Has it ever occurred to you that not everybody is you, and people have different tastes ? Some gamers want to play the latest COD, others are Final Fantasy super fan, and others want to play Zelda and Mario. Most people even just play on a smartphone! (Disgusting, I know).
Your lack of basic awareness of what an individual is is astonishing. May I never meet and have to talk to someone like you again.
I think you’re missing the point.
The steam deck is still relatively niche and unknown compared to a switch.
The namesake and brand recognition for nintendo completely dwarfs that of the steam deck.
More people are going to buy a switch on impulse and brandname alone so buying a steam deck is almost always going to be an informed decision as in it won’t be much of an impulse purchase.
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What’s most common doesn’t aply to everyone, just to most. But your reasoning didn’t favor the point you were trying to make, and pushed the notion that I’m disgusted at anyone playing on a smartphone (I play on mine too, so no). So yeah, just as you said, even if some people buy a Switch with other reasons in mind, most will because they want to stick to where their Zeldas and Marios are. Some may even get triggered whenever someone posts info about how the Switch and Switch 2 won’t get you the best bang for your buck and therefore might not be the most well informed purchases you can make for your gaming needs.
One way to get offended and misinterpret a sentence. Lol no one wants to talk to you anyways lil bro.
Edit: of course you drive a Tesla
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I loved my steam deck, but it was too chunky for me and certainly for my kid.
My compromise is Anbernic type devices. Long battery life, better form factor, lots of ported games too.
There is no value in defending a billion dollar company from another billion dollar company. Just accept Nintendo is more popular and live your life ❤️
What company do you think I’m defending?
Valve?
I stopped buying consoles and moved pretty much exclusively to Steam because it gives me many more options. Thankfully, I don’t think that’s changing anytime soon. Consoles are great for some people, but I need more flexibility. I sometimes wish I could (legally) play Nintendo first party games, but it’s really not that big of a deal.
Yep, last console I bought was an XB1. I really only use it for playing 4K discs and for couch co-op.
I don’t foresee buying another console unless I have a really good reason to.
It is always morally correct to pirate Nintendo games.
So no, Steam Deck didn’t outsell the Switch 2. It didn’t need to.
I don’t disagree with the sentiment. I would still consider the Steam Deck a “failure” if it couldn’t move enough units to justify its production cost, but it looks like they’re still churning them out, so… eh, it’s not great but its fine.
I would argue that merely comparing generic PC sales to Switch sales also misses the mark. At the very least, you’d focus on unique Steam installs or Active Steam Accounts if you’re really interested in counting the success of Steam relative to Nintendo.
Even then, what you’re really competing with isn’t “SteamDeck sales v. Switch sales”. I’d say its “SteamDeck sales per $1 advertising spent v. …” Given that Nintendo spent around $730M in advertising last year and Valve spent under $100M, it seems that Nintendo has to spend roughly $50/unit to move a Switch relative to Valve coming in closer to $40/unit.
It’s very difficult to compare popularity under two wildly divergent marketing strategies.
But I don’t feel that Steam alone accounts for PC gaming.
Even on my Steam Deck, I use GOG, Epic, and itch.io quite regularly.
But I don’t feel that Steam alone accounts for PC gaming.
If we’re putting the SteamDeck against Nintendo, I’d say the natural comparison is Steam exclusives against Nintendo exclusives.
Even on my Steam Deck, I use GOG, Epic, and itch.io quite regularly.
Sure. Because it is functionally just a computer with a Valve-branded Linux distro. But there are PC games ported to Mobile. I’m not going to count all Android phones to the “PC” side of the aisle just because I can install Balatro on my OnePlus.
The whole reason the Steam Deck exists is to compete as a portable full sized hand-held console comparable to the Switch. If you’re not talking about portable consoles, you’re not really talking apples-to-apples. Anyone crammed into the coach end on an airplane can tell you the quality of life difference between a gaming laptop and a hand-held.
If we’re putting the SteamDeck against Nintendo, I’d say the natural comparison is Steam exclusives against Nintendo exclusives.
I disagree. It would be more accurate to say:
If we’re putting the Steam Deck against the Switch 2, the natural comparison is between Switch 1/2 compatible games, without jailbreak, versus any game that works on the Steam Deck hardware be it Linux Native, with wine/Proton and any emulator that runs games minimum original frame rate with minimal issues.
Bear in mind that the Steam Deck is a handheld Linux computer, and anything that will run on the level of hardware it has and plays nicely with Linux will run on the Steam Deck.
Even just with only installing Steam on the Deck, as of mid-May there is 18k Deck Verified games.
If we’re putting the SteamDeck against Nintendo, I’d say the natural comparison is Steam exclusives against Nintendo exclusives.
This makes no sense because as you just mentioned, the Steam Deck is just a Valve-branded Linux distro. Really, what we should be doing is counting PC exclusives. And I say PC because Proton makes the difference between Windows and Linux moot – Steam Deck plays Windows games, often better than Windows itself.
If we’re talking exclusives, there are way more on PC than on Switch.
The whole reason the Steam Deck exists is to compete as a portable full sized hand-held console comparable to the Switch.
No, the whole reason the Steam Deck exists is to play your PC games on a handheld, and do it with a console-like experience.
What I feel you don’t understand – and I can’t emphasize this enough – is that there are games I’ve always wanted to play on a console that I just couldn’t because they required either a desktop or laptop. Off the top of my head, here’s just a few:
- Blood
- Septerra Core
- Jazz Jackrabbit
- Fate
- AquaNox
You know how many times I wanted those games to get ported to console? Decades later, it still hasn’t happened.
What the Steam Deck does is make games that were previously inaccessible – available on handheld and TV (via dock).
It’s a handheld PC, a new product category. The switch isn’t competing with it, it’s just a toy.
I hadn’t even thought about it until you brought it up. Kind of disappointed in people jumping on this like flies on shit but like… it’s 2025, so bigger things to be upset about.
In any case, apples and oranges. And PSA, if you need a Switch 2, grab em on the rebound. There’ll be used ones, likely hackable in 6 months and none of that goes to Nintendo. Don’t forget what their legal department has done in the past few years.
In 1999, the SEGA Dreamcast was the fastest selling video game console when it launched. In 24 hours, it sold a little over 225k units (which was massive for the tiny gamer population of 1999). This earned it the Guinness World Record for Most Revenue Generated in the Entertainment Industry in 24 Hours.
Console sales at launch literally don’t matter.
Also, I wonder how many of those were sold to scalpers that plan on returning them if they cannot sell them?
EDIT: For reference, the PlayStation 1 sold 300k consoles in Japan only when it launched, but not in 24 hours, that 300k is for the entire launch month of December 1994, per Sony’s own official business data.
I love my Steam Decks (LCD & OLED), and as far as handhelds, won’t buy any more until SD2. I’d much rather see the Deckard released before SD2 to be honest, though my Index headset might be fine, the controllers are kind of fubar. I’ll support Linux hardware over anything Microsoft, or closed platforms.
