What people miss about Steam Deck's "loss" to Nintendo
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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.
Correct, it is also a sign that it is winning that it keeps attracting (and largely still beating) direct competitors. The Switch 2 can’t have any realistic competitors because the ecosystem is so closed off and exclusive, it’s a monopoly in its space.
Despite countless attempts by numerous companies to monopolize various parts of the PC experience, it continues to foster relentless competition, and rather than attempting to lock in their little bit of monopolization, Steam Deck is too busy breaking other, much more realistic attempts at complete monopolization of the PC ecosystem (Looking at you, Microsoft Windows). Even Steam’s own game distribution dominance is a far cry from Microsoft’s near-complete control of much of the desktop OS stack. It is a genuine pleasure to see Steam Deck and the hard work done by things like Proton (and to a lesser extent, improving support from hardware vendors most notably AMD) finally actually moving the needle on that.
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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.
The biggest thing for me is being able to use my entire Steam Library (games accumulated over a decade) without having to repurchase any games. That alone was worth it. It handles a lot of games really well with only minor tweaks in the settings needed for some of them.
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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.
I mean…
I haven’t read anything about a console “beating” my deck, I’ve not really kept up with consoles since getting my deck.
I’m not upset if something sells more than the deck, it’s a different environment, should I be annoyed i-phones are more popular than the deck?
I don’t think Nintendos success will have any bearing on the next deck, be it design, marketing or release window, if anything the Nintendo coming out right now is great holdover/low market time between the deck and whatever comes next. If anyone was looking to buy new hardware right now it would be apt to compare the two products as the Nintendo would probably have better hardware, even though the product you get is so much different that 9 times out of 10 the honest & correct answer is ‘deck’.
Whatever is driving this theory/controversy is baiting for your attention. I’d recommend taking it with a grain of salt and focusing on the bigger issues right now (especially if in America)
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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.
more than that, all the other PC handhelds that’ve come out so far just sort of… miss the mark, in some way. Either hamstrung by windows, or being too big and heavy, or having terrible battery life by comparison, or because of the lack of touchpads. Whatever your personal gripe with the other offerings, the Deck stuck the landing and mastered the balancing act of “powerful enough, with a long enough runtime, but not too big or heavy”. It not only created a new market segment, but it is the standard for that segment that every competitor must be measured against, and so far all of them have one or two missteps.
-
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.
One day, a handheld running Linux will emulate Mario Kart Wold. A Nintendo product will never run a Steam game.
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I mean…
I haven’t read anything about a console “beating” my deck, I’ve not really kept up with consoles since getting my deck.
I’m not upset if something sells more than the deck, it’s a different environment, should I be annoyed i-phones are more popular than the deck?
I don’t think Nintendos success will have any bearing on the next deck, be it design, marketing or release window, if anything the Nintendo coming out right now is great holdover/low market time between the deck and whatever comes next. If anyone was looking to buy new hardware right now it would be apt to compare the two products as the Nintendo would probably have better hardware, even though the product you get is so much different that 9 times out of 10 the honest & correct answer is ‘deck’.
Whatever is driving this theory/controversy is baiting for your attention. I’d recommend taking it with a grain of salt and focusing on the bigger issues right now (especially if in America)
Yeah that’s a good grounding point; there are too many things out there that seek to sow division with “hot takes” and a lot of them are highly ignorable.
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One day, a handheld running Linux will emulate Mario Kart Wold. A Nintendo product will never run a Steam game.
A Nintendo product will never run a Steam game.
What do you mean by “Steam game”? Because I can go on Steam right now and purchase No Man’s Sky, then hop onto both a PS4 and a PS5 and do the same thing, and then within the same session purchase NMS on Switch 1 and Switch 2.
Either I’m dumb, or we’re dumb.
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One day, a handheld running Linux will emulate Mario Kart Wold. A Nintendo product will never run a Steam game.
Not sure I get you, but that day has already happened. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been running on my Steam Deck for months and I am late to the party.
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A Nintendo product will never run a Steam game.
What do you mean by “Steam game”? Because I can go on Steam right now and purchase No Man’s Sky, then hop onto both a PS4 and a PS5 and do the same thing, and then within the same session purchase NMS on Switch 1 and Switch 2.
Either I’m dumb, or we’re dumb.
I think they mean Steam won’t be on the Switch. Sure, some games will be on both Steam and Switch, but eventually once they can emulate the Switch two, you’ll have every Nintendo game on the emulator, whereas you’ll only have a handful of games on the Switch.
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I mean…
I haven’t read anything about a console “beating” my deck, I’ve not really kept up with consoles since getting my deck.
I’m not upset if something sells more than the deck, it’s a different environment, should I be annoyed i-phones are more popular than the deck?
I don’t think Nintendos success will have any bearing on the next deck, be it design, marketing or release window, if anything the Nintendo coming out right now is great holdover/low market time between the deck and whatever comes next. If anyone was looking to buy new hardware right now it would be apt to compare the two products as the Nintendo would probably have better hardware, even though the product you get is so much different that 9 times out of 10 the honest & correct answer is ‘deck’.
Whatever is driving this theory/controversy is baiting for your attention. I’d recommend taking it with a grain of salt and focusing on the bigger issues right now (especially if in America)
This is a gaming comm. Not a politics one also the switch 2 Is more like a sidegrade to the steam deck.
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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.
I love the steam deck. It’s much more interesting as the hardware/software innovates so much.
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more than that, all the other PC handhelds that’ve come out so far just sort of… miss the mark, in some way. Either hamstrung by windows, or being too big and heavy, or having terrible battery life by comparison, or because of the lack of touchpads. Whatever your personal gripe with the other offerings, the Deck stuck the landing and mastered the balancing act of “powerful enough, with a long enough runtime, but not too big or heavy”. It not only created a new market segment, but it is the standard for that segment that every competitor must be measured against, and so far all of them have one or two missteps.
The software optimization that Valve invests into the steam deck is also part of what makes the handheld so good!
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One day, a handheld running Linux will emulate Mario Kart Wold. A Nintendo product will never run a Steam game.
I would not say never, as soon as we have Linux running on it, the floodgates will open
It was the same with the OG switch.
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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.
Also think about the fact that I can’t pop down to the local big box store and buy a steam deck. I have to know what steam is. Sign up for steam then buy a steam deck. The audience demographics are completely different for the most part. Also what kind of steam deck ads have you seen.
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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.
Don’t let the console peasants bring you down to their level with these silly comparisons…
But on a serious note two totally different devices. Switch is a toy, steamdeck is a tool that plays games. I have two steam decks and two switches, but don’t think Il be doing switch 2 until the oled refresh.
Steamdeck 2 on the other hand is a day one purchase as long as they don’t follow Nintendo’s lead and downgrade our screen.
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A Nintendo product will never run a Steam game.
What do you mean by “Steam game”? Because I can go on Steam right now and purchase No Man’s Sky, then hop onto both a PS4 and a PS5 and do the same thing, and then within the same session purchase NMS on Switch 1 and Switch 2.
Either I’m dumb, or we’re dumb.
Many indie games are PC only and are unlikely to ever be ported to a Nintendo platform – mostly because it’s a lot easier to play them on new PCs. As Nintendo products age, emulation can be one of the only ways the games stay playable.
