After months of Switch Pro rumors, Nintendo released the Switch OLED. Pre-orders went live last week, and already, the souped up Switch is a hot commodity. However, the lack of increased RAM, the small increase in storage space, and the failure to upgrade the processing chip left many disappointed with Nintendo’s big announcement.
Enter the Steam Deck. Out of seemingly nowhere, Valve announced the high-powered, hand-held gaming PC. The comparisons to the Switch became instant and widespread.
The Steam Deck is available to purchase with three hardware options at specific price points: $399 (USD) for the 64GB version, $529 (USD) for the 256GB version, and $649 for the 512GB version. The console is equipped with superior processing power and elite resolution capability. Perhaps most attractive to gamers, the Steam Deck has access to a massive game library via the Steam Store. In every way, it appears that Steam has put out the Switch Pro before Nintendo could.
However, the dustbins of history are littered with failed gaming consoles that experts hailed as “Nintendo Killers.” The truth is that Nintendo has consistently outlasted and outperformed the competition for over 35 years. Ask SEGA or Sony how easy it is to knock out the King of Handheld Gaming. Perhaps just as significant, Valve has its own unfortunate history of failing to support its products (see the demise of the Steam Machine).
As many have pointed out, in today’s gaming ecosystem these companies and products may simply coexist. PC gamers will certainly celebrate a mobile gaming console like the Steam Deck. Nintendo fans will continue to consume the company’s legendary IPs. Only time will tell whether the Steam Deck can truly be the “Nintendo Killer” that so many of its predecessors failed to be.
Tell us what you think! Will the Steam Deck take down the Nintendo Switch? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Discord.
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