The Nintendo Switch 2 announcement has just gone live, at long last. The original console is one of the most popular gaming devices of all time and the long-awaited sequel looks to deliver much of the same. There’s not much to go off yet, and we’ll learn more about the Switch 2 in the April 2nd Nintendo Direct.

Regardless, looking at the PC side of things, handhelds have become massively popular following the launch of the Steam Deck. It’s no secret that Valve’s handheld is a driving force for PC gaming on the go, and the recent announcement of SteamOS on a third-party device for the first time has caused a buzz.

You may think that the launch of the Switch 2 will have users ditching their Steam Deck (or other PC gaming handhelds), but we think the two devices are different enough to warrant playing on both.

How will the Switch 2 compare to the Steam Deck?

The original Switch versus Steam Deck was massively in favor of the Deck, specs-wise, especially with the OLED variant providing a couple more improvements to enjoy. While Nintendo has yet to reveal the specs of the Switch 2, a few leaked specs suggest we’re in for a closer battle this time around, as far as performance goes.

The problem with comparing these two devices is that they are designed for different platforms entirely. It doesn’t run on Windows out of the box, but the Steam Deck is firmly a PC, whereas the Switch 2 will most likely be confined within Nintendo’s ecosystem. That’s great if you want to play the latest Nintendo exclusives – or even older ones, as backwards compatibility has been confirmed. However, if you want to unlock the potential of a massive library of PC games, then that’s what handhelds like the Steam Deck offer you. If you have the budget to do so, these two devices can go hand-in-hand and essentially cover all bases.

Moving away from the Steam Deck for a second now, the Legion Go is Lenovo’s answer to the handheld market. Like the Switch, it offers detachable controllers – something we think makes it the most versatile PC handheld. And even with Nintendo’s announcement, don’t expect the PC handheld market to slow down any time soon. So far this year, we’ve seen launches for the Legion Go S, as well as the massive Acer Nitro Blaze 11.

In conclusion, there’s no reason to see the Nintendo Switch 2 as a direct replacement for the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Legion Go, or any other PC handheld – it’s the classic console vs PC gaming comparison. The three PC handhelds we just mentioned also take advantage of AMD hardware to unlock tools such as AFMF 2 and FSR Frame Generation. The idea that Nintendo Switch 2 could support DLSS and ray tracing with Ampere GPU architecture is an interesting thought at least, and we’re excited to see what exactly is revealed on April 2nd during the Nintendo Direct.

About the Author

Charlie Noon

Charlie is the Affiliate manager for PC Guide. He has a vast understanding of most PC hardware and consumer essentials, using his knowledge to provide the best products and the biggest deals.