Analysis of the Nintendo Switch 2: How does it measure up against handheld PC gaming devices?

      We have all been anticipating the Switch 2 for a considerable time, and with its arrival, there's much to dissect and various perspectives to explore. It's essential to understand the target audience for this device, its strengths, its competitors, and how it measures up against them.

      However, this isn't as straightforward as it may seem. Numerous platforms and devices are available for gaming, each with unique focuses, advantages, and drawbacks. There is no definitive winner and no single device that excels in every category.

      That being said, where does the Switch 2 fit in, and is it a device worth your attention? Let's examine it.

      What should we benchmark the Switch 2 against?

      Historically, comparing Nintendo consoles with others on the market has often been unproductive due to their distinct objectives. Choosing between a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox 360 made sense, but including the Wii in that comparison did not. If your goal was to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, your options were Sony or Microsoft, as the Wii's experience simply didn’t compare. To enjoy both Call of Duty and the latest Mario title, buying both consoles was the only reasonable choice.

      The same logic applied to the original Switch, which prioritized first-party titles and its hybrid handheld/docked concept. Conversely, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One X emphasized power, advanced visuals, and AAA games.

      However, the Switch 2 shifts the dynamics a bit. With features like 4K output, a 120Hz HDR display, and support for both DLSS and ray tracing, Nintendo has dramatically upped the ante in terms of AAA gaming language. The market landscape has also evolved, presenting a variety of handheld gaming PCs alongside the PlayStations and Xboxes.

      This development places many gamers in somewhat uncharted territory. Those accustomed to Nintendo may now have to familiarize themselves with these new terminologies and evaluate whether an upgrade is necessary, while AAA gamers must determine if Nintendo has crafted something they’ll find appealing. The third category of “play a bit of everything” gamers remains unchanged—they simply acquire multiple systems.

      For example, I currently own five Switch consoles within my two-person household and have preordered two Switch 2 consoles as well. Additionally, we possess a Steam Deck, an OLED Steam Deck, a PlayStation 5, a PlayStation 5 Pro, and a powerful desktop featuring a Ryzen 9 7950X3D 16-Core CPU, 128GB DDR4 memory, 4TB NVMe storage, and an Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU.

      It's not as excessive as it appears—my Nintendo Switch is for playing Nintendo games and other titles exclusive to the Switch, the Steam Deck fits the bill for games absent on the Switch, and the PlayStation 5 is dedicated to AAA gaming.

      To succinctly address the question of what to compare the Switch 2 with, I would say other handheld devices. Comparing it (or any handheld) to a gaming desktop is futile, as the capabilities of each realm differ significantly, particularly when desktop systems have endless power and cooling options. Consider the specifications of the desktop mentioned — I’ll even create a comparison table featuring it alongside one of the most robust handhelds currently available, the Asus ROG Ally X.

      Gaming Desktop | ROG Ally X

      -------------------------------|--------------------

      CPU Cores: 16 cores | 8 cores

      Threads: 32 threads | 16 threads

      Base Clock: 4.2 GHz | 3.3 GHz

      RAM: 128GB | 24GB

      Graphics: RTX 4090 GPU | RDNA 3

      Storage: 4TB | 1TB

      For those not well-versed in PC components, just examine those figures — there’s no competition. To achieve the best visuals and performance, one must invest substantially and generally play at a desk since the power consumption could drain a handheld battery in moments. If you seek more portability, you must temper your expectations accordingly.

      Switch 2 vs. Steam Deck OLED vs. ROG Ally X

      The Steam Deck was the original competitor to the Switch — it even earned the nickname “Switch killer” for a while, although that didn’t pan out. However, it sold remarkably well, which led to a surge of powerful alternatives. Today, I would consider the Steam Deck OLED and ROG Ally X as the two leading contenders. If we ranked these devices by overall power, it would look like this:

      Switch 2 > Steam Deck OLED > ROG Ally X

      Nonetheless, power alone isn't everything. Let’s dive into the particulars:

      Battery

      The simplest way to compare batteries is through battery capacity (Wh) and energy usage.

      | Device | Switch 2 | Steam Deck OLED | ROG Ally X |

      |-------------------------|----------|-----------------|------------|

      | Watt Hours | 20Wh | 50Wh | 80Wh |

      | Minimum Hours of Gameplay| 2