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I couldn’t believe my eyes when the Nintendo Switch launched. Here was a handheld device with real console games like Skyrim and Doom attached to it. I’ve never been particularly fond of platformers, so a lot of Nintendo’s handheld library had eluded me over the course of the 3DS generation (though my sky blue launch device still sits proudly on my shelf). This time I could get in on the action, while playing the games I wanted to play on the go. That was revolutionary - and it was these console-like experiences that had me finally pull the trigger on the original Nintendo Switch with one of my very first ‘real’ paychecks after university.
It’s been seven years since I was enthralled by the Nintendo Switch. I’ve grown up, the industry has changed, and devices previously unthinkable are now mainstream. That all means that the Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t packing the same punch for me. Nintendo did the thing, now it’s just iterating on it - obviously that’s not as exciting. But there’s more to it this time around.
A Steam-roller
Handheld gaming PCs have been around much longer than the Nintendo Switch. Early iterations date back to the mid-00s according to Techspot, but the Steam Deck was the first to truly thrust PC gaming into the restless palms of the mainstream with serious commercial success back in 2022. Had the Nintendo Switch swapped its release date with Valve’s all-in-one, I probably would have fainted.
Before the Nintendo Switch launched, the most technically competent handheld in the mainstream (and certainly affordable) arena was the PlayStation Vita - and that gorgeous device had about four games I wanted to play, one of which was essentially ‘Uncharted: Lite’. Nowadays we’ve got the Steam Deck OLED powering through Triple-A games like it’s nothing and plenty of other options doing exactly the same in its wake. Since I picked up the Asus ROG Ally and grabbed myself a sneaky Game Pass subscription, I’ve barely looked at that Nintendo Switch I was so excited for all those years ago.
The current handheld market is a lot for the Nintendo Switch 2 to compete with, and the thing is - it’s not competing. Nintendo has never competed in its hardware, but the threat of the handheld PC is a powerful new force. I don’t know how representative my Triple-A-on-the-go dreams were of the market back in 2017, but it’s certainly an audience that’s been snapped up by PC gaming alternatives over the last few years. The Switch never really made good on that name for itself as a place to play bigger, more console-like, games on a handheld, but it did make a concerted effort to broaden its appeal away from its core first party market.
That went swimmingly for them, the Switch suddenly had a mass market appeal well beyond that of the 3DS before it - but it’s just not a weapon in their arsenal this time around. Hogwarts Legacy was, obviously, playable from day one on a handheld PC - and it took nine months to get to Switch. Third party games are also considerably more expensive on Nintendo’s handheld, especially when you factor in subscription options. I don’t think Nintendo’s own studios are in any real trouble, but more powerful hardware begets more powerful games, which take longer to develop. If cracks do start to show in that production line, the third party fallback just won’t be enough to compete.
I’m not worried about the Nintendo Switch 2. The system is rumored to provide a solid performance boost (up to around PS4 / Xbox One quality) with plenty of updates that will seemingly serve fans well. Nintendo has always done things its own way, prioritizing the magic of its actual games over keeping in step with PlayStation and Microsoft’s visual advancements. I just wonder how many players like me have to remember to charge their Switch every now and then to keep the battery healthy, while constantly mainlining a handheld PC. I wonder how many of those players are going to be absent from the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch day sales, instead putting their cash towards a more powerful PC option. And I wonder if Nintendo’s first party silver bullet will be enough that we never see the difference those seven years have made.
We’re also rounding up all the best Nintendo Switch accessories as well as the best Steam Deck accessories for some extra competition. Or, take a look at the best retro game consoles to put all this high-performance nonsense to bed.
