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Has either company "lost" anything? They both seems to be raking in money quite healthily.
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Submitted 3 weeks ago by atomicpoet@lemmy.world to games@lemmy.world
Comments
DriftingLynx@piefed.ca 3 weeks ago
mesamunefire@piefed.social 3 weeks ago
True no one needs to fight for either company.
Agent_Karyo@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
A very good point. :)
Scotty_Trees@lemmy.world [bot] 3 weeks ago
I’ll emulate Nintendo games till the day I die because fuck Nintendo and their greed.
Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
I won’t even pirate their games
samus12345@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
They make great games and they’re a super anti-consumer company. Perfect combination for going out of your way to pirate their games.
Psythik@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
Meh, personally I haven’t enjoyed a Nintendo game since the GameCube. Every new game they release feels like a rehash of the same shit they’ve been shoveling down our throats since the Wii. Nintendo forgot how to innovate.
Denjin@lemmings.world 2 weeks ago
It’s always morally acceptable to pirate Nintendo games.
cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
What I like about the deck is I bought it and I instantly already owned >1000 games for it where a good majority of those are playable out of the box.
So ya, I ain’t paying $120 CAD per game. Fuck that.
StargazingDog@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I ain’t paying $120 CAD per game.
You are correct. If you want Tears of the Kingdom, it is $130 ($115 plus tax). I am stunned that this are the launch price of Switch 2 games. How high will they go in the future?
The Switch 2 makes even the new ROG Ally X seem like a good deal (assuming it is around $1000 CAD), since you can just play any of your Xbox Play Anywhere games that you have acquired on sale, or have access to via Game Pass. You don’t even need a subscription to access online play, and it has free cloud saves.
Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
So a high end PC is cheaper than a switch + 10 games, and the PC has a loooot of games already
saltesc@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
What kind of idiots are comparing the two? They’re different things with entirely different markets. There was never a battle to be had lol
TheMinions@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
It’s funny you say this, because for 500 bucks I am actually debating between the two as my Christmas present to myself this year.
I think I’d prefer a Steam Deck for no particular reason. 🏴☠️
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
If you’re comparing them, as in you don’t have a strong preference for one vs the other, the Steam Deck wins hands down. You get access to a much larger library of games, repairability is awesome, and you can use it like a PC, because it is one.
The only reasonable reasons to get a Switch 2 are:
- play first party titles - even when emulators come out, the performance probably won’t be there on the Steam Deck
- it’s for someone who wants a very simple experience, and they’re willing to pay more
- the Steam Deck is too big for you - if you have smaller hands, it could be uncomfortable
But I don’t think most people will really be deciding between the two, they target very different markets.
nogooduser@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
They are competitors on a personal level as many people only have the time or money to fit one of them into their lives. But by that definition cycling or golfing is also a competitor and nobody would write an article about how golfing beat the Steam Deck.
Cassandra3MadScene@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
Do what I’m doing. Get the Steam deck and about when that time comes around that you want to buy a switch 2 it’ll have more games out and most likely different colors to pick from ^_^
net00@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
There’s many of them, and quite a few on this thread
Owlboi@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
what are you talking about? they share the same handheld console market. most people are not gonna buy more than 1 handheld.
Stovetop@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Console wars stopped being cool years ago. Everyone has their preferences and favorites, no need to shit on someone’s fun because you think yours is better.
Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
Steamdeck also isn’t a console anyway, it’s a handheld PC.
joel_feila@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
it plays like a console and repairs like a pc.
drmoose@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Its unfair to call it a “console war” when one is a classic locked down console and another is a general handheld computer. This also means there are bigger societal stakes in this argument than jusy “which corporate flavor you like more” because empowers people and the other does the exact opposite.
So no, “console wars” here are very much cool.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
Competition is good. If the Switch didn’t exist then I don’t think we would’ve gotten the Steam Deck.
atomicpoet@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
There’s no hate for Nintendo here, just explaining why Steam Deck is different.
Stovetop@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Sorry, should’ve clarified that this isn’t directed towards you, OP! Just at a lot of the other comments in here who are acting like someone else’s decision to buy an expensive gadget is a personal insult to them.
GeneralEmergency@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
PC G*mers aren’t known for being with the times.
Buske@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Steam Deck is the winner, They don’t even advertise.
D06M4@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
I’ve always seen purchasing a Steam Deck as an informed decision. Most people are not well informed, they’re just very nostalgic and have uncontrollable FOMO, which Nintendo keeps on milking even when their software and hardware is noticeably much worse than it’s competitors’. If anyone also wants to know how Nintendo currently uses the money they earn, here’s a video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n025Gxn5GEM No wonder they’re less worried about wasting money on legal battles.
Garzak@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
This is such a wild take. « I buy the steam deck because I am informed and smart, they buy the switch 2 because they’re nostalgic impulsive morons ».
Has it ever occurred to you that not everybody is you, and people have different tastes ? Some gamers want to play the latest COD, others are Final Fantasy super fan, and others want to play Zelda and Mario. Most people even just play in a smartphone! (Disgusting, I know).
Your lack of basic awareness of what an individual is is astonishing. May I never meet and have to talk to someone like you again.
mechoman444@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I think you’re missing the point.
The steam deck is still relatively niche and unknown compared to a switch.
The namesake and brand recognition for nintendo completely dwarfs that of the steam deck.
More people are going to buy a switch on impulse and brandname alone so buying a steam deck is almost always going to be an informed decision as in it won’t be much of an impulse purchase.
D06M4@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
What’s most common doesn’t aply to everyone, just to most. But your reasoning didn’t favor the point you were trying to make, and pushed the notion that I’m disgusted at anyone playing on a smartphone (I play on mine too, so no). So yeah, just as you said, even if some people buy a Switch with other reasons in mind, most will because they want to stick to where their Zeldas and Marios are. Some may even get triggered whenever someone posts info about how the Switch and Switch 2 won’t get you the best bang for your buck and therefore might not be the most well informed purchases you can make for your gaming needs.
Eyck_of_denesle@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
One way to get offended and misinterpret a sentence. Lol no one wants to talk to you anyways lil bro.
aesthelete@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
But most people are very nostalgic (can’t blame them, SNES to Wii Zeldas and Metroids were amazing) and have uncontrollable FOMO, which Nintendo keeps on milking even when their software and hardware is noticeably much worse than it’s competitors’.
This reads like someone who never played any of the switch titles. It’s not simply nostalgia. The switch titles were objectively good despite lackluster hardware. The switch lasted for almost a decade and is still playable today. People are buying switch 2 to be able to play the Nintendo exclusives.
It’s true that the hardware is largely lackluster, but especially in the case of the first party titles, and in general overall, the lackluster hardware just doesn’t prevent the games from looking and running great. Nintendo invests in developers capable of running large, complex games on somewhat modest hardware.
Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
I have played them, they are ok. But I would be extremely disappointed if I spent that much money and that is all I got.
D06M4@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
Got my hands on the first Switch model and it’s available games on it’s release date. I’ve played Nintendo games all my life. I just weight the pros and cons of every option and am not ashamed to say Nintendo products and services aren’t a good deal right now. It doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the artistry and optimization efforts of development teams (Genyo Takeda did wonderful things at Nintendo until he retired, for instance), it means I carefully choose which hoops I jump through to purchase, play and keep the games I love.
bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 3 weeks ago
I actually think that the Steam Deck is popular enough to be the easy thing to get into PC gaming. Jennifer English (actress of Shadowheart and Maelle) got one after becoming a voting BAFTA member in order to evaluate PC games. And although I think she would care about software freedom she has no idea that it is even a thing that exists.
A Steam Deck was as much an informed decision for her as getting a PlayStation 5 to play Baldur’s Gate 3. So mostly none.
D06M4@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
True. Someone else also pointed out that Nintendo’s brand casts a huge shadow over lesser known products like the Deck, which is also true. Anyone new to gaming that doesn’t take their time to figure out which handheld will be cheaper and more feature rich will either get a Switch, a Switch 2 or one of those fake Switch consoles sold for under $50.
jordanlund@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
There are millions upon millions of Mario, Link, and Pokemon fans.
There are not millions and millions of… what’s the killer Steam Deck game again? Oh, right, there isn’t one.
If Valve came out with Half Life 3, made it Steam exclusive and a pack in with the Deck, then it would start putting up Nintendo numbers.
PrimeErective@startrek.website 3 weeks ago
You’re right, the best part of PC gaming is that it’s always inclusive, never exclusive. Thanks for the reminder
SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Pc, where games are locked to launchers…?
They have their own flaws, so that’s not even a good counterpoint.
Hyphlosion@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
Did you really just DEI the Steam Deck?
Grass@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
that anyone would even have the thought of “killer steam deck game” amazes me. It’s just a pc. You can run literally every game in existence that doesn’t require a top of the line nvidia card as a minimum, have rootkit anti cheat, or is still exclusive to yet un-emulated console.
jordanlund@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
There are limits as to what runs well on the Deck and what does not run well.
When I got my Steam Deck I was asking around to see what the “must have” game is with the caveat that I already have a Switch, Xbox Series X and PS5. So what’s a must have game on the Deck that I can’t already play?
. . .
The answer I got back was “Well, emulation, piracy, and streaming from the Xbox and PS5.”
There really isn’t a killer app on the Deck, and that’s fine. I bought mine to better explore the Steam ecosystem as I had no gaming PC at the time.
TachyonTele@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
Do you mean the millions of available games on PC? That early far outweighs the switch.
Oh wait, and you can play switch games on PC too.What was your point again?
jordanlund@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
That’s exactly the problem… there are thousands of games but nothing stands out the way Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon do on a Nintendo platform.
I still look from time to time on my Deck. I picked up Borderlands 2 the other day because it was free.
But what I usually see browsing are a bunch of games I can already play on other systems, plus porn games, anime games, and anime porn games.
There really isn’t one game that stands out on the Deck.
Vampire Survivors?
macOS, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5En Garde? PC Exclusive, decent game, but limited and a little boring if I’m being honest.
the_q@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
The killer Steam Deck game is absolute choice. Oddly enough you can play many Switch games and older on the Deck.
psx_crab@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
Pretty great that they sold 4m of this device without any exclusive tbh.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
There are actually thousands of games that run on Steam Deck with no additional configuration that aren’t even available on Switch, and conservatively, hundreds of those are extremely popular. Plus a lot of Switch’s library is on Steam Deck, where it tends to be a better version of the game for one reason or another, not the least of which is free online play.
jordanlund@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
That’s exactly the problem… there are thousands of games but nothing stands out the way Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon do on a Nintendo platform.
I still look from time to time on my Deck. I picked up Borderlands 2 the other day because it was free.
But what I usually see browsing are a bunch of games I can already play on other systems, plus porn games, anime games, and anime porn games.
There really isn’t one game that stands out on the Deck.
Vampire Survivors?
macOS, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5En Garde? PC Exclusive, decent game, but limited and a little boring if I’m being honest.
Thatuserguy@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Very doubtful tbh. You can look at HL: Alyx as an example. It sold well I’m sure, but not Nintendo level. As much as people like to belly ache about VR being too hard to get into, it’s truly no more expensive than a Steam Deck if you actually bother to take more than 2 seconds to legitimately look into it.
I played Alyx on a mobile 1060 and a $300 headset and while it wasn’t top of the line, it was still perfectly playable. I imagine most gamers these days have at least that, but Alyx absolutely did not sell like hot cakes. And I doubt the Steam Deck would either, even for HL3.
samus12345@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
I don’t think it would help SD sales much, either (and everyone would just play HL3 modded to run on regular PCs anyway if that happened), but Alyx is a bad comparison because the barrier to entry for VR is much higher than pretty much any other platform. It’s not only expensive, but requires a large amount of room, which not everyone has to dedicate exclusively to games.
Surp@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Actually you will be able to play switch two games on PC. It’s only a matter of time so no your only option isn’t just switch two. It’s patience 😜
pdqcp@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
Welcome aboard !patientgamers@sh.itjust.works
Shardikprime@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
The funniest thing is that Nintendo buyers are not even part of this conversation LMAO 🤣
thisisnotmyhat@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
In a sense, this is also the point. They are different devices targeting different markets.
oce@jlai.lu 3 weeks ago
The fact that the Nintendos are locked down, family friendly and with a reputation of good production quality (similar to Disney), are also important points for non-nerdy parents and casual gamers who don’t want to navigate the ocean of PC gaming and its risks.
Grass@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
good production quality… *looks at workbench with 12 cubbies of drifting joycons queued for unoficcial repair
oce@jlai.lu 3 weeks ago
As you can see, I said “reputation”. I hate how little they innovate while still selling at premium, but similar to Disney, it is enough for the casual mass.
samus12345@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Their new premium price point is definitely going to put a dent in their family sales, though. That’s uncharted territory for them.
Shardikprime@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Meh, it amortizes over time. Switch 1 lasted 10 years
Switch 2 will probably be the same, buy the games now, play for 10 years sounds like a deal to the lowest common denominator in gaming
malle_yeno@pawb.social 3 weeks ago
No shame to anyone who bought a switch 2. My partner got one during pre-sales and is incredibly happy to have gotten one, and I feel so happy for him that he gets to have some joy in his life with it. I wish you the same joy.
But I just can’t get into it. I didn’t grow up with nintendo so the properties really don’t mean much to me. And now, I just don’t think I can swallow paying hundreds of dollars to start, then another hundred dollars to get games that seemingly play the same way as they did in the last release, plus a yearly subscription for online play. You may not see what you purchased the same way, and I’m glad that it’s meaningful to you even if I can’t find the same meaning in it – it’s good that there exists something for everyone’s niche.
I don’t see why this needs to be a competition. Are there really people out there who were about to get a steam deck but decided not to in favour of a switch 2? I feel like switch owners are well aware that it’s a Nintendo machine and theyre not gonna be playing a lot of their favourite out-of-franchise games on it. That’s what they expect and thats what they’ll likely get.
kandoh@reddthat.com 3 weeks ago
There is no value in defending a billion dollar company from another billion dollar company. Just accept Nintendo is more popular and live your life ❤️
TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I stopped buying consoles and moved pretty much exclusively to Steam because it gives me many more options. Thankfully, I don’t think that’s changing anytime soon. Consoles are great for some people, but I need more flexibility. I sometimes wish I could (legally) play Nintendo first party games, but it’s really not that big of a deal.
Wooki@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Lol what a comical copium.
They are both handheld gaming devices. To claim otherwise is nothing more than an ideological feature that only matters to 2% of thr market.
KeenFlame@feddit.nu 3 weeks ago
Playing with a amiga as a kid when I was at friends and got to play Nintendo I always felt like an outsider… But I didn’t realise how lucky I am that it was like that. I was exposed to so many more games, and got to tinker. Got to see many crack intros that was mesmerising to me as a kid. Soon enough I got into coding because of it… And guess if that was useful later. I’m never going to think buying a walled garden device is ok, sends the wrong message to your kids and hampers their development. Don’t take the easy way out.
propitiouspanda@lemmy.cafe 3 weeks ago
I don’t expect the average switch user to be intelligent enough to see value in a Steam Deck.
taiyang@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I hadn’t even thought about it until you brought it up. Kind of disappointed in people jumping on this like flies on shit but like… it’s 2025, so bigger things to be upset about.
In any case, apples and oranges. And PSA, if you need a Switch 2, grab em on the rebound. There’ll be used ones, likely hackable in 6 months and none of that goes to Nintendo. Don’t forget what their legal department has done in the past few years.
RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
In 1999, the SEGA Dreamcast was the fastest selling video game console when it launched. In 24 hours, it sold a little over 225k units. This earned it the Guinness World Record for Most Revenue Generated in the Entertainment Industry in 24 Hours.
Console sales at launch literally don’t matter.
Also, I wonder how many of those were sold to scalpers that plan on returning them if they cannot sell them?
Luckaneer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
I loved my steam deck, but it was too chunky for me and certainly for my kid.
My compromise is Anbernic type devices. Long battery life, better form factor, lots of ported games too.
sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
Also, for what its worth, the OLED Decks literally sold out today, as in, Valve doesn’t currently have any more to sell in the US.
gamingonlinux.com/…/supply-chain-issues-are-makin…
Also also… I realize this is a silly comparison, but the Switch 2 has not outsold all variants of the Deck, yet.
Its at about 3.5 million, Steam Deck is at about 4.5 million since 2022.
Also, the Switch 2 is apparently already sold out as well, as in no more units available at US retailers.
joel_feila@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
There is a reason why i call all these handheld gaming pcs as decks or gaming decks.
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
So no, Steam Deck didn’t outsell the Switch 2. It didn’t need to.
I don’t disagree with the sentiment. I would still consider the Steam Deck a “failure” if it couldn’t move enough units to justify its production cost, but it looks like they’re still churning them out, so… eh, it’s not great but its fine.
I would argue that merely comparing generic PC sales to Switch sales also misses the mark. At the very least, you’d focus on unique Steam installs or Active Steam Accounts if you’re really interested in counting the success of Steam relative to Nintendo.
Even then, what you’re really competing with isn’t “SteamDeck sales v. Switch sales”. I’d say its “SteamDeck sales per $1 advertising spent v. …” Given that Nintendo spent around $730M in advertising last year and Valve spent under $100M, it seems that Nintendo has to spend roughly $50/unit to move a Switch relative to Valve coming in closer to $40/unit.
It’s very difficult to compare popularity under two wildly divergent marketing strategies.
RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
…ok? Cool you’re here on Lemmy, I guess, GabeN. Welcome!
FreeBooteR69@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
I love my Steam Decks (LCD & OLED), and as far as handhelds, won’t buy any more until SD2. I’d much rather see the Deckard released before SD2 to be honest, though my Index headset might be fine, the controllers are kind of fubar. I’ll support Linux hardware over anything Microsoft, or closed platforms.
Ulrich@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
It’s very likely that the Switch 2 will far outsell all other PC handhelds combined. And that is very much a loss. Not just to Valve, not just to PC gamers, but to everyone.
Hyphlosion@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
I think it’s funny that, for the longest time, people were being doomsayers for Switch 2 and saying it would have stiff competition with Steam Deck or even outright lose to Steam Deck. And whenever I brought up that they’re totally different markets and that Steam Deck is more niche, I would get downvoted and whatnot.
Now we see Switch 2 blowing up in sales and starting to see posts where people are trying to defend Steam Deck.
My how the turns have tabled.
haui_lemmy@lemmy.giftedmc.com 3 weeks ago
Great text. Thanks for writing it. Fully agree.
Kolanaki@pawb.social 3 weeks ago
For now.
tonytins@pawb.social 3 weeks ago
Yuup. Nintendo’s biggest advantage has always been their intellectual property, and even that hasn’t always saved them. glances at the Wii U
Widdershins@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Fuck $80 mario you can get Garfield Kart for $5
TachyonTele@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
Forget the wii u. The switch is really emulated on potatoes. I know, i have one and played Mario Wonder on it.
I’m looking forward to emulating the switch 2 games on my Deck.
pycorax@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
They’re also much better for local party games. That’s essentially what my Switch has become.
mesamunefire@piefed.social 3 weeks ago
Yep give it a year or so. The emulator will be up and running.
steal_your_face@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
I hope so but switch 1 emulation took like 3 years to get it into a good state