Pretty much since Valve announced its upcoming handheld PC system, the Steam Deck, a few weeks ago, people have been comparing it to the Nintendo Switch. While the product designer for Valve did admit that there were some visual similarities between the two, the company maintains that its device differs in that it's going after the PC market, rather than console gamers. Now, an image has since emerged which shows what the two look side by side, specifically the size differences.
Posting to Twitter earlier today, Tom Warren, senior editor at The Verge, uploaded a photo in which the Switch and Steam Deck are seen stacked on top of each other. Although they do look similar still in terms of design, it's obvious that one is much bigger than the other. The image shows that Valve's device is much bigger than Nintendo's machine.
To some, this may raise a number of concerns about the Deck being less comfortable given the loftier size of it. However, in an article published on The Verge, Warren did find that the Deck had been designed for "long play sessions" with decent grips and grooves molded into the chassis. This is perhaps in stark contrast to the user who 3D-printed a Steam Deck only to conclude that there may be some issues in terms of comfort. The one concern in particular was the spacing of the B button, which they felt was placed too far off to the side.
What's not known is exactly how big Warren's hands are compared to other users. Those with smaller hands may find it much less comfortable to hold for longer periods, and given that the Deck comes with an FPS limiter to conserve battery life, it seems obvious that Valve want people to be playing for as long as possible.
Although the Steam Deck boasts the ability to play just about any game, more specifically games that are PC compatible, there is one advantage the Switch does have over Valve's device, which is the ability to play Nintendo games. With the Switch OLED due out a couple of months before the Deck, it may still hold onto that niche Nintendo market that other game companies just don't have. However, given what Valve are promising, their hat in the handheld ring could neatly marry PC gaming with the mobile market. Only time will tell whether Valve can hold its own in this market when it's been so used to focusing on the home PC.
The Steam Deck is due out to release this December.
Source: The Verge