The announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2 was met with plenty of reaction from fans, good and bad. A lot has changed in the handheld market since the release of the original Switch, with Valve’s Steam Deck being the catalyst for many PC handhelds in the past few years. That means many new comparisons to draw.

With the Switch 2 reveal, comparisons with the Steam Deck have been all over the internet, especially since Nintendo’s new console offers a higher resolution and refresh rate. But can you really compare the two? Well, according to a recent poll we ran, most fans don’t think Valve needs to compete with Nintendo right now and rush out a Steam Deck 2.

Valve should wait for better hardware instead of competing with the Switch 2

At the time of writing, 79% of responses tell us that Valve should simply wait for better hardware before it releases the Steam Deck 2. That leaves just 21% of voters asking Valve to compete with the Switch 2. We’ll keep the poll up and running in case you still want to have your say. We agree – the Switch 2 shouldn’t be a Steam Deck replacement, and it all comes down to the usual console vs PC war. These two devices are designed for different platforms, so there’s a valid reason to own both of them.

Valve has already detailed its intention to wait for a generation leap before committing to a Steam Deck sequel, and we think that most people agree that this is the right thing to do. Despite previous rumors of a faster, refreshed version of the device, these were quickly shut down by an employee.

The company is now starting to bring SteamOS (the operating system which is currently locked to the Deck) to other handhelds, with the SteamOS version of Lenovo’s Legion Go now being available for pre-order. So, before we get to the Steam Deck 2, there will be handhelds that offer you the familiar console-like experience of SteamOS.

In any case, it wouldn’t be like Valve to rush a project, whether it be new hardware, supporting software, or a game. Valve time is still very much a thing in our minds.

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.