Versus Engine
Nintendo Switch 2 vs Steam Deck OLED
Specs, price and the one trade-off that actually decides it — Nintendo Switch 2 against Steam Deck OLED, side by side.
Cheaper to start
Nintendo Switch 2
Starts about $49.01 lower.
Rated higher
Steam Deck OLED
9.1 vs 0.0 on our design scale.
Standout
Nintendo Switch 2
7.9-inch wide color gamut LCD screen with 1920x1080 pixels
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo's highly successful hybrid successor, bringing modern hardware to the portable ecosystem.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Combines portability with powerful home gaming capabilities
- Custom NVIDIA processor for enhanced performance
- Supports both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 game cards
Cons
- Limited internal storage of 256 GB
- Requires microSD Express cards for additional storage
- Short battery life of approximately 20 hours
Specifications
- Audio jack3.5mm 4-contact stereo mini-plug (CTIA standard) Please note: Nintendo cannot guarantee functionality with all products.
- Audio outputSupports linear PCM output 5.1ch Output via HDMI connector in TV mode *Surround sound effect can be applied when outputting to headphones or to the built-in speaker (surround sound effect when outputting to the built-in speaker requires a system update).
- ButtonsJoy-Con 2 [L] Left Stick (pressable) Up/Down/Left/Right/L/ZL/SL/SR/- Buttons Capture Button Release Button Sync Button Joy-Con 2 [R] Right Stick (pressable) A/B/X/Y/R/ZR/SL/SR/+ Buttons HOME Button C Button Release Button Sync Button
- Charging timeApproximately 3 hours *While the system is in Sleep mode.
- Communication featuresWireless LAN (Wi-Fi 6) Bluetooth
- CPU/GPUCustom processor made by NVIDIA.
- display8-inch LCD/OLED
- Game card slotBoth Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch game cards can be inserted.
- Internal batteryLithium ion battery / battery capacity 500mAh
- Joy-Con™ 2 Controllers SizeApproximately 4.57 inches tall x .56 inches wide x 1.2 inches thick *The maximum thickness from the tip of the control sticks to the protruding parts of the ZL/ZR buttons is 1.2 inches.
- key_features—
- MicrophoneBuilt-in microphone (monaural) Noise cancellation, echo cancellation, and auto gain control provide a more comfortable voice chat experience.
- microSD Express card slotCompatible with microSD Express cards only (up to 2 TB) *microSD memory cards that are not compatible with microSD Express can only be used to copy screenshots and videos from Nintendo Switch.
- Nintendo Switch 2 Dock SizeApproximately 4.5 inches tall x 7.9 inches wide x 2 inches thick The height includes the .08 inches added by the feet on the bottom of the dock.
- processorNvidia Custom Tegra
- resolution4K Docked
- ScreenCapacitive touch screen 7.9-inch wide color gamut LCD screen 1920x1080 pixels HDR10 support VRR up to 120 Hz
- SensorJoy-Con 2 [L] Accelorometer Gyroscope Mouse sensor Joy-Con 2 [R] Accelorometer Gyroscope Mouse sensor
- SensorsAccelerometer, gyroscope, and mouse sensor located in Joy-Con 2 controllers Brightness sensor located in console
- SizeApproximately 4.5 inches tall x 10.7 inches wide x .55 inches thick (with Joy-Con™ 2 controllers attached). *The maximum thickness from the tip of the control sticks to the protruding parts of the ZL/ZR buttons is 1.2 inches.
- Storage256 GB (UFS) *A portion of the storage is reserved for use by the system.
- USB-C™ connectors2 USB-C™ connectors The port on the bottom is used to charge the console and connect to the Nintendo Switch 2 dock. The port on the top is used to connect accessories and/or charge the console.
- VibrationHD rumble 2
- Video outputOutput via HDMI connector in TV mode Maximum of 3840x2160 (4K) resolution at 60 fps (TV mode) Supports 120 fps when 1920x1080/2560x1440 resolutions are selected Supports HDR10 *Maximum 1920x1080 resolution in tabletop mode and handheld mode, following screen resolution.
- WeightJoy-Con 2 [L] 2.3 oz Joy-Con 2 [R] 2.4 oz
- WirelessJoy-Con 2 [L] Bluetooth Joy-Con 2 [R] Bluetooth/NFC
Steam Deck OLED
Valve's handheld PC at $549, now with an HDR OLED panel and materially better battery life.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Beautiful HDR OLED screen
- Greatly improved battery life
- Unmatched Steam library integration
Cons
- Cannot run the most demanding AAA games at 60fps
- Linux OS has compatibility hurdles with some anti-cheat
- Bulky footprint
Specifications
- Audio jack—
- Audio output—
- Buttons—
- Charging time—
- Communication features—
- CPU/GPU—
- display—
- Game card slot—
- Internal battery—
- Joy-Con™ 2 Controllers Size—
- key_features7.4-inch HDR OLED display, 6nm AMD APU, 16GB LPDDR5, 50Wh battery
- Microphone—
- microSD Express card slot—
- Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Size—
- processor—
- resolution—
- Screen—
- Sensor—
- Sensors—
- Size—
- Storage—
- USB-C™ connectors—
- Vibration—
- Video output—
- Weight—
- Wireless—