Valve's latest piece of gaming hardware, the Steam Deck, has seen fans drawing comparisons to Nintendo's Switch, especially with the new handheld being revealed so soon after Nintendo unveiled the Switch OLED. Until now, Valve had refrained from directly commenting on the number of similarities between the Steam Deck and the Switch, however, an interview with the team at Valve has surfaced that sees the developers note the differences between the handhelds, while Gabe Newell also tackles the topic as well.
The Steam Deck has been a revelation for many handheld gaming fans since its reveal earlier this month, with the console offering Steam users the ability to play their substantial library of games on the move. Notably, the Steam Deck is putting itself forward as a powerhouse in the handheld gaming sphere, boasting a brand new AMD 2.4-3.5GHz CPU and 1-1.6GHz GPU, as well as LPDDR5 memory. This is compared to the Nintendo Switch, which is running a 1GHz CPU and a 307-768MHz GPU, as well as offering games at 720p resolution in comparison to the Steam Deck's 800p.
In an interview with IGN that occurred before the reveal of the Steam Deck, Product Designer at Valve Software, Greg Coomer, discussed the similarities between the two handheld consoles, suggesting that while the device "cosmetically shares some traits with a Switch," these similarities are more of "an artifact of how [Valve has] proceeded down the design direction." According to Coomer, the design choices for the Steam Deck were inherently based upon their own targeted audience of Steam users, rather than any conscious decision to take on Nintendo's handheld.
Another interview saw Valve co-founder and president, Gabe Newell, double down on these thoughts, suggesting that while "Nintendo does a great job targeting the audience they do with the content they have," the Steam Deck is designed with different ergonomics in mind, and for different people. He suggested that the Steam Deck was for "somebody who's used to playing with an expensive game controller...Because it's bigger and it's bulkier than a Switch," and that "If you're a gamer...you're going to know which one is right for you."
Gabe Newell's comments certainly cement the idea that the Steam Deck is targeting a more hardcore audience, which is already apparent with its more powerful specs and function-over-form aesthetics. While criticized by many for its evident bulkiness and size, with many concerned about the comfortability of gaming for long periods on the device, Newell seems to suggest that the scale of the Steam Deck is part of its appeal for their target demographic.
Overall, the Steam Deck may be offering more bang for a customer's buck, but Newell may be correct in assuming that the Nintendo Switch OLED is simply built for its own specific market. In either case, handheld gaming is certainly looking to make a big comeback, with the market being mostly relegated to retro throwback consoles and rehashes of Nintendo's DS in recent years. While Valve seems shy about admitting to direction competition with the Nintendo Switch, 2021's handheld contest may be a great way to reinvigorate portability in gaming.
The Steam Deck will release in December of this year, while the Nintendo Switch OLED releases October 8.
Source: IGN