this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2024
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Steam Deck

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[–] bradbeattie@lemmy.ca 97 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I have a Switch but have bought maybe 3 games for it tops. Where Steam has user reviews, a super simple refund policy, and frequent deep discounts, Nintendo's purchasing experience is clearly lacking in a customer-friendly approach.

Anyone asking for recommendations for their next gaming device, it's Steam Deck every time.

[–] phoneymouse@lemmy.world 44 points 1 year ago (3 children)

And Nintendo insists on never discounting certain games. It’s hard to swallow paying $60 for a 5 year old game that I’m only somewhat interested in. Meanwhile steam will let you buy a game like that for $15 bucks. Half the time you buy it and never play it, but just wanted to get it on sale just in case you do find time to give it a go.

[–] JimmyMcGill@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago

Plus most people will already a pretty stacked library day 1 when they get a steam deck. I wouldn’t have to buy another game for years or even a decade if I were to get a steam deck just based on what I still have on my backlog.

And if I buy a game for the steam deck I can still play it on my pc whenever

[–] AtariDump@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Super Mario Run on iOS is 4+ years old and still $9.99 to unlock all of the worlds.

No thanks, Nintendo. Learn from Steam and have some sales.

[–] clearleaf@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

In my region, a full price switch game costs over $90 including taxes. A measly SIX games would cost more than a steam deck.

[–] Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Steam Deck plays the games I bought in 2008. That's a 15 year old library.

Where all my old Xbox/ps games just sit there.

[–] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

it also plays Nintendo games too

[–] AlternateRoute@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 year ago

Don't forget a more user friendly digital download SHARING system as well.. We tried "SHARING" a digital download switch game a few times.. Steam is far more forgiving. Switch wins on swapping carts however, if you stick to physical purchases for sharing.

[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Switch has Zelda. It's the only reason we own a switch and the only game we play on it

[–] dditty@lemm.ee 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Except you can play that same Zelda game on a Steam Deck 60fps with no frame drops, I never play my Switch anymore now that I have my Switch library on my Steam Deck

[–] shapptastic@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Ok, so ignoring the legality of emulating switch games (it’s not exactly simple to dump a switch game without owning your own switch), are you seriously going to claim that someone who wants to play Zelda and Mario legally should get a deck? I own both, I love the steam deck, it doesn’t play switch games 60fps, no fuss, it plays an emulated version of cemu breath of the wild at 60 fps and I would tell anyone who wants to play Nintendo games to get a Nintendo console. Heck, PC games which are verified on deck aren’t always great to play on the hardware, especially older games that weren’t made in mind for consoles. The second thing I bring up is how freaking large the steam deck and other pc handhelds are versus something like the switch. If you’re on a couch or hotel room, no big deal, but on the train? In a coach seat on a plane? That size does matter. I pretty much the deck the same places I’d bring a laptop, while the switch is much more a portable bring anywhere type toy. Regardless, this isn’t a battle, I own a console too (gaming pc’s in my opinion are dying out due to cost and lack of exclusives), but buy a steam deck because you want to play pc games, not because you want to play other consoles games - unless you’re someone with the inclination to want to tweak and configure emulators.

[–] MajorHavoc@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago

Yeah. Nintendo's lack of refund policies is why I made the switch to SteamDeck.

[–] Landmammals@lemmy.world 89 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It's a computer, so yes. There are more computer games than switch games.

[–] loutr@sh.itjust.works 32 points 1 year ago

There are more playable/verified games on the Steam Deck than there are switch games.

[–] Akareth@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] blazeknave@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

One is PC game compatible Linux

[–] Chriswild@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The switch runs on a chip that's used in Android TVs and really old tablets. It could theoretically run way more if Nintendo weren't so difficult.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The Switch can dual (tri?) boot Linux and Android beside itself

[–] Chriswild@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's really cool I didn't know that, thank you

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[–] Landmammals@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

Yeah, so is my phone. You know what I mean

[–] Wodge@lemmy.world 76 points 1 year ago (5 children)

People buy a Nintendo console to play Nintendo games. As good as the steam deck is (and I really do want one, but GabeN has decided that Switzerland does not exist), you ain't going to be playing Splatoon on it.

Not everything has to be a contest. Let people like things that they like.

[–] aalvare2@lemmy.world 38 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Maybe not Splatoon specifically, but switch-exclusive single-player games run comparably or better on switch emulators running on the deck

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[–] Jackcooper@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

Right. Nintendo would've gone the way of Sega but they're so good at developing software they get people to buy their hardware.

[–] adrian783@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

you don't get it, this is Gabens quest to save all the whales. it's like a reverse Moby dick.

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Uuuh... You could. Single player for the most part, but Splatoon can be played on the Deck.

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[–] jmankman@lemmy.myserv.one 65 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The SD had the Switch's entire library the day it came out, no fucking shit it has thousands more games from the day it came out even ignoring that

[–] Ashen@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

How does a deck perform for Steam games though?

Edit - oh fuck me, I was sleepy - I meant Switch games.

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Really good! However, battery management is indeed a thing.

Graphically demanding games, such as Phoenix Point, run well but drain battery fast.

Other games that look good, but somehow aren't as demanding, last much longer.

Battery lasts the longest, of course, with 2D games.

Anyway, here's my experience with the Steam Deck (not OLED):

  • Phoenix Point lasts just 2 hours.
  • Civ 6 lasts about 3 hours, more on smaller maps with less NPCs.
  • Emulated Breath of the Wild lasts for 4 to 5 hours.
  • Hollow Knight nearly 7 hours.
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[–] ColdWater@lemmy.ca 43 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Any x86 handheld console always has more games than the Switch including the Switch games

[–] Psythik@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Especially given the fact that Switch emulation is running full speed on x86. So it is literally impossible for the Switch to ever have more games than Steam Deck.

[–] nigh7y@lemmy.ml 39 points 1 year ago

Including *cough* switch games *cough*

[–] GlitzyArmrest@lemmy.world 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The Switch has worse specs than most phones these days, literally a phone is better. And don't get me started on the eShop, it's so bad.

[–] corus_kt@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Never understood why so many people supported the closing of eShop for 3DS, I get the feeling all Nintendo consoles are on a timer at this point. Never had the same feeling with the Deck, which can be easily modified to not be chained to the Steam storefront regardless. You'd have to jailbreak Nintendo consoles to gain any semblance of independent functionality, possibly bricking the darn thing in the process.

Owned both 3DS and Switch to play Pokemon, but I sure as hell ain't getting whatever's next.

[–] YarHarSuperstar@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago

It always did. 🔫

[–] Sensitivezombie@lemmy.zip 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've have a switch but steam deck is one of the best purchases I have ever made. It's such a beautiful device. Not to mention you can change the internal storage and add expandable storage. The biggest advantage steam deck has is its community.

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[–] PraiseTheSoup@lemm.ee 10 points 1 year ago

but which platform has more shovelware to sift through? Using the Nintendo store feels like swimming through a literal shit hole that someone dumped a tiny bag of gemstones into.

[–] kratoz29@lemm.ee 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I only have a Switch and want a Steam Deck, I'm not gonna lie, emulation is one of the biggest selling points to me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

If you only want to emulate older consoles on-the-go, you can get a hackable switch on eBay for $150, or an Anbernic handheld for less.

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[–] books@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Still only 24 hours in a day

My steam library is massive and I've got tons of games I'll never play.

plus way more nintendo, super nintendo, genesis, and n64 games then you can get on switch online

Hasn't this been true since it launched?

[–] rainynight65@feddit.de 5 points 1 year ago

Apples and oranges comparison. The Steam Deck is PC-adjacent hardware that can access a back catalogue of thousands of games going back twenty years, well before the Steam Deck was even an idea.

The Switch is a game console with its own ecosystem, and it has existed for six years. Games have to be developed specifically for it. The only thing both have in common is that they're handhelds.

[–] AbsoluteChicagoDog@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

Seeing as Deck games include Switch games it's always had more

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