I put the two leading handhelds up against one another to find out which is the best.
You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below
Nintendo Switch 2
Valve Steam Deck OLED 1TB
Valve Steam Deck 1TB
Donkey Kong Bananza
*CNET may get a commission on these offers
Read more about the Nintendo Switch 2 on CNET.com
Switch 2 vs. Steam Deck: Battle of the Handhelds
0:00 Switch 2 vs. Steam Deck
0:28 Library
2:13 Ease of Use
2:53 Display
3:40 Portability
4:23 Battery
4:45 Storage and Price
6:24 Final Thoughts
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#nintendoswitch2 #steamdeck #gaming #handheld #gamingconsole
@LetsGo-wl5zo
July 17, 2025 at 8:54 am
Its more Nintendo environment vs PC gaming environment.
@BruinHutchings
July 17, 2025 at 9:11 am
Pokémon Sword and Shield didn’t get an update. It was Violet and Scarlet that received the update.
@iTristendo
July 17, 2025 at 9:25 am
The Steam Deck OLED is such a better value and I am glad that a lot of YouTube videos (such as this one) is being truthful and showing that the Steam Deck OLED is a better handheld.
@seannightwal1765
July 17, 2025 at 9:42 am
it’s simple:
Nintendo Switch: Pokemon
Steam Deck: for every other indie game
PS5: for Triple A Games and Sony Exclusives
@Lazydaddycool
July 17, 2025 at 9:51 am
Button layout. Deck wins 10-0
@FootlongColdCut
July 17, 2025 at 9:57 am
Comparing a Steam Deck OLED to a Switch 2 is like comparing a Ford Mustang to an F150 pickup truck simply up truck simply because they’re both popular four wheeled vehicles. As someone who owns both the Steam Deck OLED and Switch 2 these devices appeal to completely different markets with their approach to playing games and other key features. If you like PC gaming and have or would like to have a Steam library of games, get a Steam deck. If you like Nintendo games and don’t know how to or want play PC games and emulators, get a Switch 2. Above all else I would recommend the ROG Ally X, MSI Claw, Lenovo Legion Go(any Legion Go variant that has the Z1 extreme chip). They’re all around better products and are still my go to when it comes to gaming while traveling above all else.
@Anondez
July 17, 2025 at 1:18 pm
Most reasonable comment ever.
@irpanfauzi1160
July 17, 2025 at 1:57 pm
You got the money bro so, how about people with less money and need to chose what to pick? Steam deck its better in long run you can said its apple to orange but this Orange sure wanna be apple without forget themself Orange
What i said its Valve take Nintendo Method with Steam deck LCD and OLED and you can get more or less same experience like Nintendo Switch if you stick to Deck Verified games and never leave gaming Mode
@awoooga5857
July 17, 2025 at 2:05 pm
@@irpanfauzi1160I mean he explained the difference really clear. They target different markets and do things differently. Switch 2 for the average person, steam deck for the more tech savy people.
@irpanfauzi1160
July 17, 2025 at 2:18 pm
@@awoooga5857 and like i said Valve Take Nintendo Method you can have more or less same experience with Steam Deck as like Nintendo Switch if you didnt leave Gaming Mode on Steam Deck and Stick to Deck Verified Games. on top of that Steam Deck Price its Competitive with Nintendo Switch 2, a PC Wannabe Handheld Console and A Handheld Console
@irpanfauzi1160
July 17, 2025 at 2:47 pm
@@awoooga5857 Like i said Valve take some nintendo Page you can have more or less same experience with Steam Deck as like Nintendo Switch if you didnt leave Gaming Mode on Steam Deck and Stick to Deck Verified Games, Ontop of that SD Price its Competitive with NS2. A PC Wannabe Handheld console and a Handheld Console
@aceviru
July 17, 2025 at 10:02 am
You bring up a good point with multiplayer games and how additional controllers are needed. However, I was never a fan of the switch controllers. I usually purchase separate ones to use with each device.
That being said, the reason why I like the deck is due to the library and options gained in this environment. I feel there is more to pick from and play, therefore I can find something for everyone.
Not to mention that I can use the desktop mode and just use my web browser to stream from my online accounts.
Entertainment value is just so much better on the steam. I just wish it had more competition to see this handheld area expand further.
@DarkP1
July 17, 2025 at 1:23 pm
that’s right, you can’t also compare the toy joycons with a real gamepad like dualsense or xbox. btw becareful with what you connect to the switch even a third party can brick your console, and extorting players that want to play online with friends should be illegal
@awoooga5857
July 17, 2025 at 2:19 pm
@@DarkP1I know you dont believe the lie that you just said
@CA-tk8yn
July 17, 2025 at 10:15 am
If I was forced to get one, I’d go with the Steam Deck. I don’t even own the original Switch because of the cost of games, combined with the lack of retro games. I wont own a Steam Deck either, but it’s clearly the better of the two. I used to love Nintendo games, but haven’t played any for many years because they put them out and rarely lower the price to a decent level. With the Steam Deck I could at least buy good games for a lot less.
@Mboko_God
July 17, 2025 at 8:44 pm
Get a wii u and mod it! It has most of the switch exclusive plus you can play retro games!
@domlarry
July 17, 2025 at 10:38 am
I regret not waiting for switch 2 better platform
@leomarlonestrada5954
July 17, 2025 at 11:02 am
You are a Dunce and Cheap.
@timothylewis2527
July 17, 2025 at 11:28 am
People always use the thin size of the Switch 2 as an advantage. Meanwhile I just paid an extra $80 for a Dbrand Killswitch so that my Switch 2 can be “phat” like my Steam Deck 😂
@ardidsonriente2223
July 17, 2025 at 11:41 am
Nintendo games are ok, but I don’t truly love them. Nintendo controllers are a joke, also.
This new handheld from Nintendo only offers me monopolic garbage.
No thanks.
@awcoolpad
July 17, 2025 at 12:03 pm
It’s like Mac vs Windows, closed garden vs open(?), Nintendo vs Steam.
@DarkP1
July 17, 2025 at 1:21 pm
no dude, Mac is an open platform with dedicated hardware, you can install and make software outside of app store, it’s just more limited than windows. you’re referring to iOS
@irpanfauzi1160
July 17, 2025 at 2:01 pm
Not Really you can have more or less same experience with Steam Deck as like Nintendo Switch if you didnt leave Gaming Mode on Steam Deck and Stick to Deck Verified Games
@babanuki7197
July 17, 2025 at 8:23 pm
Nah. Mac can play windows games thru Gptk
@Moister356
July 18, 2025 at 5:08 pm
Both are closed gardens. Windows just has a bigger, messy garden than MacOS does
@awcoolpad
July 17, 2025 at 12:09 pm
Is Steam gaming OK on such a small screen? I love my 1440p gaming monitor and I can’t imagine playing and losing all those game details when playing in a 800p screen. I mean, Steam games are designed for 1080p to 4K gaming, while the Nintendo is designed for small screen gaming. Just like it is very hard to run Windows in a 8″ portable screen because everything looks so small and it is impossible to click on the small icons, are games difficult to play because they were never designed to be displayed in an 8″ screen? Can you clearly read all the texts and small icons, or do you have to adjust/can you adjust the scaling to 200%?
@smittyvanjagermanjenson182
July 17, 2025 at 12:50 pm
I use a Lenovo Legion GO scaled down to 800p and its completely fine. The Steam Deck with its 7.4″ @ 800p display makes graphics details negligible. These handheld systems are very useful if you game on the go and dont pixel peep so hard. Text may be difficult on that smaller display, this is why I opted for the Legion Go. 8.8″ at 1600p, with more horse power than the Deck. Its glorious.
@irpanfauzi1160
July 17, 2025 at 2:33 pm
Its Fine and there is Magnifier Function for Word Clutter Game
@ThaTrueEgyptino92
July 17, 2025 at 12:43 pm
Love both the Steam Deck OLED and Nintendo Switch 2! But the Switch 2 is the new hot device rn!!
@irpanfauzi1160
July 17, 2025 at 2:11 pm
If you got the Money go for it ,BUT if you have Limited Money Steam deck Its Best Bang of your Buck you can have more or less same Experience like Nintendo Switch if you Stick to Deck Verified Games and Never left Gaming mode
@mojokuku2745
July 17, 2025 at 12:53 pm
Planned on buying another switch but recent price increases on the Nintendo consoles, handhelds, and games have changed my mind on that. Will probably opt for the steam deck since I won’t be getting gouged nearly as much on game prices.
@irpanfauzi1160
July 17, 2025 at 2:04 pm
You can Sail at Sea at same time buy Legal legit game on deck
@TonyTyga90
July 17, 2025 at 1:28 pm
As of Q2 2025, the Nintendo Switch 1 has sold 150+million units and the Steam Deck has only sold 4 million. I’m not saying that one is better than the other because of sales numbers. BUT Steam Deck fan boys are the most vocal people on the Internet I know. Maybe they’re using the Internet browser on their steam deck to BOT comments whereas the Nintendo Switch cannot. 🤣
@irpanfauzi1160
July 17, 2025 at 2:40 pm
My dude think like PC hand Held its Only Steam Deck, Try Combine all PC handheld Sale to Switch 2. NS2 always compared to Steam Deck becsuse Price its Competitive to NS2 than other High end PC Handheld which compared to Laptop Gaming
@penjaganyalankri9271
July 17, 2025 at 10:54 pm
@@irpanfauzi1160steam deck is trash 😊
@Catbeans99
July 18, 2025 at 12:31 pm
4 million considering it’s not available in stores is still impressive. It wasn’t a mass marketed thing. It was more of a companion to your already existing PC and it fits that role flawlessly.
Steam deck owners push the Deck so hard because it’s actually a good starting point for many people to get into PC gaming due to its simplicity and comparative value to something like the Switch 2 which, no matter how you want to try and spin it, has been a net negative for gaming through game prices and piecemeal features sold separately through monthly fees.
@andthatswhy5198
July 17, 2025 at 2:59 pm
nintendo ds.
@timaaaahhhh
July 17, 2025 at 4:44 pm
How was this your chosen title? One is an open platform going back decades. One is a console that was released about a month ago.
@michaelkerner3072
July 17, 2025 at 4:54 pm
I would never do comparison videos between Switch & Steam Deck, because they’re 2 different eco-systems for third-party & exclusivity. That is why I have both. I love Mario Kart World, and I am eager to buy games third-party for Steam Deck, when they’re cheap.
@nickcpv
July 17, 2025 at 11:46 pm
Blah blah blah, can’t compare, blah blah blah, I have both, blah blah blah…
@livingbyfaithmaritimes9420
July 17, 2025 at 6:35 pm
Steam Deck hands down
@CNET
July 17, 2025 at 7:46 pm
Read more about the Nintendo Switch 2 on CNET.com: Switch 2 vs. Steam Deck: Battle of the Handhelds
@thaliyil
July 18, 2025 at 11:19 am
Please share your thoughts about “Steam Deck vs ROG Xbox Ally X” when ROG Xbox Ally X is launched.
Thanks!
@JS-fm3xg
July 17, 2025 at 8:01 pm
The best and only way to play them? 😂😂
@DaveTheeMan-wj2nk
July 17, 2025 at 8:49 pm
I’d rahter have the oled. Cheaper games, more options to customize things to what I want. And just a lot more games.
@DaveTheeMan-wj2nk
July 17, 2025 at 8:53 pm
I wouldn’t recommend the Steam deck at all. Get the GO S steam edition isntead.
Steam deck doesn’t have VRR. That’s an INSANT no.
The experience is VASTLY superior on any handheld with it.
@Fujitahomaxi
July 17, 2025 at 9:06 pm
SPOT ON. Steam Deck is meant for the bums who rely on Steam sales and cheap games instead of buying premium software, like in Switch. If your income is low, yes, get a Steam Deck.
@Resetishere22
July 18, 2025 at 9:02 pm
0/10 ragebait
@BeBe-p9p
July 17, 2025 at 10:33 pm
Switch 2 clears
@penjaganyalankri9271
July 17, 2025 at 10:47 pm
Nintendo king handheld 🏆
@lamwaunga
July 17, 2025 at 10:53 pm
So it seems like hardware wise: Switch 2 is cheaper for local multiplayer, cheaper to connect to TV, and easier to carry around, while Steam Deck is more ergonomic and comes with a case.
Software wise: Steam Deck has cheaper games, free online, and customisable, while Switch 2 has more desired exclusives and is simpler to use.
@Razear
July 18, 2025 at 12:35 am
Imagine calling a paid tutorial an “exclusive.” Lol, Nintendo is a joke.
@morpheusone7755
July 18, 2025 at 2:05 am
I have both an the steam deck kills it I use it a load more than switch 2 that just an upgraded switch1
@rickcoe
July 18, 2025 at 7:10 am
I got switch 2 and I love it . I love Nintendo games . I got Xbox for the rest . I wouldn’t want something like cyberpunk on a handheld so I got that on Xbox . Nintendo games and indie ? Handheld
@905JimRaynor
July 18, 2025 at 6:36 pm
The Switch2 has a ‘faster display’. Lol. Jerry Seinfeld move over…
@Switch2SteamDeck
July 18, 2025 at 9:09 pm
Steam Deck (LCD) vs. Switch 2
Library: Steam Deck
Ease of Use: Switch 2
Display: Switch 2
Portability: Switch 2
Battery: Switch 2
Storage: Equal
Price: Steam Deck
Steam Deck: 2
Switch 2: 4
If I added categories like ergonomics and ecosystem, Steam Deck would win both and tie the Switch 2. Personally, I prefer my Steam Deck more than my Switch 2 simply from ergonomics and library. I can’t main a Nintendo. It will eventually get many of the third-party games that the Switch 1 wasn’t powerful enough to play but not all of them and will never get the Sony games. And I don’t want to rebuy the same third-party games.
I carry my Steam Deck and Switch 2 with me almost daily. I probably play my Deck a little more since getting a second LCD model for dirt cheap almost a week ago. It depends what games I want to play on a particular day. I played some Mario Kart World today for about 20 minutes. But I probably played double the amount playing Yakuza: Like a Dragon on my SD and another 3 minutes beating Weiss for the 206th time in Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. PC/Steam caters more to my taste when it comes to games.
Steam Deck and Switch 2 are both wonderful devices and complement each other really well. I would have some FOMO if I was missing one of them. More so with my Steam Deck as I prefer the more affordable ecosystem. I play Nintendo mostly for their platformers and racing games. Steam Deck can play games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Stellar Blade, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Good luck if they ever appear for the NS2.
*Favorite* *Consoles/Handhelds* *I’ve* *Owned*
1. Steam Deck
2. Switch 2
3. PS Vita
4. PS4
5. Switch
6. PSP
7. PS1
8. Dreamcast
9. PS2
10. Super NES
11. Genesis
12. NES
13. GameCube
14. Xbox
15. Wii
16. Game Boy
17. Game Gear
18. PS3
19. N64
20. DS Lite
21. GBA SP
22. Saturn
23. Jaguar
@mbg238
July 18, 2025 at 9:45 pm
Have you heard anything about a tentative release date for Steam Deck 2?
@FrogofCulture
July 19, 2025 at 1:46 am
The Steam Deck feels like it belongs in your hands.
The Switch 2 feels like it belongs in the trash.
@jermainewright1757
July 19, 2025 at 4:49 am
I dont think so , switch2 just came out.
@jaysargent3502
July 19, 2025 at 6:10 am
Man look! Steam deck do not have any exclusive games all I’m hearing is it uses other platforms to play games. This cannot compare to Nintendo!! Nintendo makes their ownnnnn games. It’s innovative and fun. Steam deck it’s just a streaming device.
@tdome3000
July 19, 2025 at 6:33 am
What game is that at 6:52?
@GarbageMan-xz3de
July 19, 2025 at 1:15 pm
Looks like the Elder Scrolls Oblivion.
@Crimsonraptor1099
July 19, 2025 at 8:34 am
note not all nintendo games there are thousends of games the switch 2 will never get simply because nintendo refuses to add them “aka the old pokemon games)
@Batgaer
July 19, 2025 at 8:36 am
this is the right way to review handheld consoles, the pro and cons
@AJJJ-co2vd
July 19, 2025 at 9:28 am
With the switch 2 people are talking about cyberpunk not mario kart and thats not good
@Kakki82
July 20, 2025 at 11:55 am
Out of all of this Steam Deck VS Switch 2….someone finally made a decision at the end of the video.
@simaknaveedakther8755
July 20, 2025 at 12:36 pm
I’m grown up now as Nintendo games is mostly kids focused only I like to play some real triple a titles or any games in general so steam deck for me