Is the Switch 2 set up for success in a post-Steam Deck world?

The Nintendo Switch 2 is probably going to sell extremely well.

The original Nintendo Switch is currently the fifth best-selling video game console of all time, with the most recent figures reporting that around 146 million units had been sold as of November 2024 - which puts it above the PS4's 117 million. With the Switch 2, Nintendo is doubling down on that success, launching its first-ever numbered sequel to one of its consoles. From that alone, it's hard to see this new platform not following its parent's footsteps.

And yet here I am, a lifelong Nintendo fan who's unable to shake the thought that so much has changed since 2017. Regardless of whether you place it in the console market with PS5 and Xbox Series X, or the handheld market with the likes of the Steam Deck, the Switch 2 launches into a very different world than the first Switch did.

Nintendo's 2017 showstopper was the first console of its kind in the modern era, sparking a wave of demand for gaming handhelds that led to the arrival of mobile controllers, the Steam Deck, and now, too many portable gaming PCs to choose from. The Nintendo Switch had no on-the-go competition when it launched, but that isn't the case this time around.

A whole new world

The Steam Deck OLED, Asus ROG Ally, MSI Claw, Lenovo Legion Go, Zotac Zone, Acer's upcoming 11-inch gaming handheld - they all appeal to the same on-the-go but dockable gaming needs the Switch invented. In many ways, by letting its console age to the extent that it has, Nintendo invited all that competition to swoop in and steal its USP.

Of course, its competition in the console space is PlayStation and Xbox. In my opinion, the Switch 2 can't even look to them as familiar foes in 2025, because they too, have changed, bro. Microsoft is adamant that everything is an Xbox, which tells you a lot. Its first-party games now arrive on PS5, and its flagship product is a streaming service, not a console. PS5 is the jack of all trades, with the PlayStation Portal, a Pro model, which is just a cheaper gaming PC, and first-party games that hit now launch on PC.

Nintendo has always been the most exclusive of the three console brands, and it'd be the biggest plot twist of 2025 for the company to open up its nostalgic franchises to other platforms. As much as I'd love to see the next 3D Mario game running at a high frame rate on a gaming PC, I think Nintendo realizes its consoles rely on those franchises to bring people back to them.

I think for that reason, there are going to be hordes upon hordes of gamers hunting down Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders. The first Switch targeted such a sweet spot in the market where nostalgic, lifelong Nintendo gamers would be able to afford it alongside their primary console or PC. At the same time, the more casual fans who only wanted to play Animal Crossing during the pandemic, or MarioKart every once in a while, could grab a Switch and play for only $299 / £279.

The latter is the sort of buyer that the Switch 2 will really hit home with. Not everyone wants the Steam Deck or cares about the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor inside the Asus ROG Ally X. In fact, a lot of people may not even know they exist. With the right games drawing people back in, the Switch 2 will feel a lot of love from the casual gamers out there, so long as its price isn't too much of a hurdle.

Another dust-gathering device?

But what about the gamers who already own a PS5, Xbox, PC, or Meta Quest headset? They're probably already focused on funding their upcoming RTX 5070 pre-order or a new gaming chair. Maybe they're trying to save up for a PS5 controller which can cost up to $200 on its own these days. If these gamers own a Switch, they probably look at it gathering dust and ask if it was really the necessary purchase they thought it would be.

Will the nostalgia of the Nintendo Switch 2's Mario and Zelda games be enough to draw those gamers back in 2025? This is now an age where game exclusivity is often viewed as an outdated tactic to force the consumer's hand, so I'm not so sure. Personally, I've always been a lover of Nintendo, but for the first time, I can't really see the space in my setup for its latest platform.

My first Switch really hasn't had the playtime I thought it would. Besides a few touchstones of the generation like Mario Odyssey, Animal Crossing, Breath of the Wild, and Smash Bros Ultimate, I've struggled to get use out of it. I love all of those games, and really want to play their inevitable sequels, but is the price of a new console going to outweigh the guilt of seeing it gather dust for a year between each of those games?

I think it's all going to come down to how viable the Switch 2 is as a mainstay gaming platform. The first Switch had third-party support, but why on earth would anyone want to play its lesser ports of Witcher 3, Mortal Kombat, or Doom when they could enjoy those games on the more powerful PlayStation they bought years before the Switch arrived? If the Switch 2 has the power to match modern gaming hardware like the Steam Deck, and docking it actually means it's capable of more than being a Nintendo arcade machine, then maybe I'll be swayed.

But modern processing power increases costs, so I think the Switch 2 has an exciting balancing act ahead of it. Appealing to both sides of the market in 2025 may not be possible, so I can't wait to see what Nintendo's got in its bright green pipeline.

For more on Nintendo''s hardware, check out the best Nintendo Switch accessories, the best Nintendo Switch controller, and the best case for Nintendo Switch.