Linux 2.29% +0.29%
The Switch is a bad metric to measure against since it’s on track to be the highest selling console of all time. Even if they have similar form factors.
Well, no, it seems to me that’s why it’s a good metric to measure against.
I mean, the Switch invented the big form factor hybrid handheld as we know it. The Steam Deck is a very obvious direct response to its success. Comparing how well the Valve version of it is doing is… actually a really good apples to apples thing.
Except for the fact that the Switch is largely an outlier in terms of total sales when it comes to all consoles and additionally has the benefit of having a strong list of exclusive IPs that require the purchase of the device to (legally) play. It was also a full $100 cheaper at launch than the Deck, allowing it to be sold to more people with less disposable income. And it has the benefit of being the first to innovate from a company with a good reputation for quality. The Deck, on the other hand, will never reach the same level of sale as the Switch, has no exclusives to draw greater adoption, is more expensive, and may be seen as a “knockoff Switch.” I think that the form factor is really the only apples to apples aspect of the two devices - there are differences between the two devices that are too confounding for an accurate comparison.
Well, as of right now, as far as we can tell, the Wii U has also outsold the Steam Deck, so there’s that.
But man, no, what are you talking about. I hate how confirmation bias-y some of the fanboyism gets. Suddenly “it’s a PC, it plays everything” is supposed to be a negative for the Deck? Why? Isn’t the case for it supposed to be that you already own tons of games for it up front instead of having to buy them from scratch? Does Valve not have “a reputation for quality”? Since when? Valve and Nintendo may well be the two most recognizable names in gaming, it’s not like Valve is this little startup thing.
Seriously, it’s fine to put things in perspective. The Deck got great reviews, from what we can tell it’s easily the most successful handheld PC out there and it cracked that market wide open, setting the stage for a new PC hardware segment in a way the Chinese handhelds released previously really didn’t do…
…but it’s also still a relatively niche device compared with traditional consoles and it’s an order of magnitude less popular than the device it’s chasing, which is the Nintendo Switch, despite being significantly more performant and having a ready-made preexisting library.
It will be very interesting to see how the Switch 2 does and whether it feels any of the pressure from the competition given that it’s all but confirmed to still be a hybrid handheld device with similar specs and form factor to handheld PCs. It’s not a matter of fanboyism, whether it sells incredibly well again or struggles with heavier competition nobody should be in denial about it.
