Nintendo Switch OLED vs. Steam Deck: Display, Specs, Features, Games, Price And More

The recently announced handheld gaming computer from Valve, dubbed as the Steam Deck, is supposedly the next best portable gaming system, and poses a threat to the public's reception of the recently announced Nintendo Switch OLED. For gamers who want to know how the new Nintendo hybrid console fairs against Valve's new gaming machine in terms of specs, design and key features, this guide could help them decide which one to buy.

Display

The Nintendo Switch OLED features a 7-inch OLED screen capable of displaying up to 720p resolution in handheld mode and 1080p in docked mode. The hybrid console has a maximum framerate of 60 FPS. Unfortunately, the new gaming system from Nintendo does not support 4K resolution even when in docked mode. Nintendo's new console comes with a dock right out of the box, which enables owners to switch between docked mode and handheld mode smoothly.

Valve's Steam deck, on the other hand, features a 7-inch LCD screen that displays 720p at 60 FPS. But, unlike the Switch OLED, Valve's new portable gaming machine can reach 4K resolution graphics, depending on the TV monitor it is connected to. Unfortunately, unlike the Switch OLED, the Steam Deck does not come with a dock. In other words, owners will have to purchase a separate dock.

Specs

The Steam Deck features an AMD Zen 2, 3.5 GHz CPU alongside the AMD 8 RDNA GPU and an 8GB RAM. Valve's latest gaming system offers three internal memory choices such as the 64 GB eMMC, 256 GB SSD, and 512 GB SSD. The device also features Bluetooth 5.0, which allows users to link wireless accessories like headphones, mouse and keyboard to the gaming system.

The Nintendo Switch OLED houses the Nvidia Tegra X1 4x Cortex-A57 @1.9 GHz + 4x Cortex-A53@1.3 GH.and the GM20B Nvidia Maxwell architecture 1,267 MHz GPU. As for its internal storage, it is available in 64GB eMMC, but players can purchase external SD cards to increase internal memory even more.

Controller and Overall Design

Both gaming systems have almost the same features available in a handheld gaming system except the controller. Valve's Steam Controller-style trackpads will apparently enable users to achieve better precision when playing FPS titles. Both gaming systems feature a D-pad, trigger buttons, a touchscreen and thumbsticks.

Games

The two handheld consoles have very different markets for the kind of games they could play. The Nintendo Switch OLED can only play Nintendo-exclusive titles. These Switch games are not available on other platforms outside the Nintendo ecosystem. Meanwhile, Valve claimed that the Steam Deck is a portable gaming PC that can run every single PC title available on Steam.

Price and Release Date

The Nintendo Switch OLED has an MSRP of $350 while the Steam Deck costs a little higher. Its 64GB model retails at $399, 256GB variant costs $529 while its 512 GB model retails at $649. Nintendo's latest handheld console is scheduled to release in October 2021, with pre-orders now available. Valve's latest gaming console is slated to roll out in December 2021, with some online sellers reselling the gaming system at a ridiculous price.